Q: I have more than 30 years of accounting experience but do not have a degree. I’ve taken continuing ed classes regularly, but every time I am interviewed, they ask me about my education. How should I write it on my resume? – Colleen

J.T.: You’re going to be hired by someone who believes that experience trumps education. That’s why I’d list your transferable skills at the very top of your resume, broken down by years of experience. For example, categorize the relevant areas of accounting and put your number of years of experience next to each, and put that right at the top of your resume – you can deal with education later.

Dale: But you have to be cautious when throwing around decades of experience. If you say (or make it clear through a list of experience numbers) that you have “over 30 years,” you might cause some hiring managers to hesitate. No, I’m not talking about mere age discrimination, although we know it exists. Rather, I want you to think about the “perfect” level of experience. Picture a learning curve: During the first few years of your career, it would rise sharply; then, after five or 10 years, it would rise slowly. But what happens next? When I do innovation coaching for corporations, I ask managers what they do better now than a year ago. Usually there is a long silence. And from what I’ve seen, the learning curve frequently turns negative. It does so if you become inflexible, incapable of change, or if you lose interest in keeping up. Thus, it’s possible to have too much experience.

J.T.: Which takes us back to your question: What is the “perfect” perfect level of experience?

Dale: It would vary by the job and the hiring manager, but I’d say it’s well under 30 years. So, Colleen, if you’re following J.T.’s advice and listing three specialties, you might write “5+ years experience” for each. You make the point that you have a lot of experience, without reaching a number that some managers might find worrisome.

J.T.: Then, as for dealing with your education, I’d list the total number of hours of continuing ed courses someplace on your resume.

Dale: And it wouldn’t hurt to mention some blog postings or other new media activity, or some cutting-edge accounting procedures/technology that you’ve utilized. You want it to be clear that you don’t just know a lot, but that you’re still learning.