Is it possible for potential employers to view your previous job titles somehow?
Asked by Anonymous
...apart from calling references and your previous managers? I had a job from 2004 - 2005. Then another from 2005 to 2007. Then one for 2008 through the end of 2008. The one from '04 and '05...closed. I voluntarily quit from there (they refused to give a separation notice and I took a job immediately after that anyway, so I didn't need it). They closed down shortly after I quit, leaving no way for me to actually list a reference for that job. The only thing I can do on applications is put down my job title and what used to be their phone number (their website is still up, yet they closed down officially). I do note that they have closed, however. My most recent employer closed at the end of December. I received a very generic letter that said the store was closing by December 31st at the latest...no job title on it, no start/end date of employment, etc. The managers didn't want to be a reference to anyone since they were losing their jobs, too. At the two jobs that closed, I did pretty much everything. I worked in the Warehouse/Receiving area, I did Merchandising, Cashier and Sales Associate duties. Am I free to "list what I wish" since they have no reference to contact in regards to my previous job title there? I'm not talking about lying and saying I was a manager or this or that. But saying...I was a Warehouse worker only, if applying for a Warehouse only position. Or if applying for a Sales position, saying I was a Sales Associate only, etc. Is that ok to do, provided that none of my coworkers/managers at the new job worked at my previous employers in order to know what I did specifically? I'm just wondering if there is some federal work record that lists my previous job titles or something. I know they can look up stuff regarding the dates that I worked or see when i paid taxes through an employer, and that's not a problem - I list those exactly.

Best Answer:
No there is no list of your job titles and duties except that which you list on your resume and which your potential employer will call to verify. If you have previous experience in companies that have since gone out of business, that's okay to use them as references, but make sure you state that on your resume or at the interview (or on your job application) so that your potential employer won't waste time calling them. You should tailor your resume to the job you're seeking--so it's okay to list only partial duties if you actually did those duties. You can always add to the experience you have listed later. However, you should not say you were "ONLY" something if you actually did more. You simply emphasize the duties you wish, but you don't ignore the other ones in favor of only one or two duties that match the job you're applying for. Example: you worked at a warehouse and you kept the accounts for the client, did invoicing and billing, and you also drove a towmotor to stack the boxes for the client. Now you are applying for a towmotor job somewhere else, so you say you had towmoter driving experience at your previous job. You THEN say you ALSO did blah blah blah--the other duties. Put the duties you want to emphasize FIRST in the job description, and give them some emphasis--maybe making them a bit more detailed. Then simply list the other duties. The employer will look at that description, see the first thing they're looking for and probably not even finish reading the rest, frankly. That's what is meant by tailoring the description. You may have more than one resume for individualized jobs you are applying for.
Human resources administrator for 24 years
Answered by Christin K