With the blizzard roaring outside today, I settled in to my office and caught up on several resume assessments and questions received from clients and friends. One question posed was whether someone who has changed careers should include jobs from their "previous life."  If not, would the gap in years look odd on a resume?  

My response?  Yes, the person's earlier experience should be included. The gap would look too odd. I suggest downplaying and pushing it onto page two (assuming the resume is two pages), possibly as an "Early Career" or "Additional Experience" section in paragraph form with minimal detail rather than a typical job entry. To leave it off entirely would be misleading or deceptive. The paragraph as an "Early Career" or "Additional Experience" section is just one idea. You can brainstorm other ways that would best complement your particular resume style, but the gist would be to include it without highlighting it or detracting from the focus on the new career.

To your career success!