Work experience calculator

Job applications, visa forms, salary bands and promotion criteria often ask for total years of experience. Adding up dates from several jobs by hand is error-prone, especially when roles overlap or include part-time periods. This calculator adds up your employment periods correctly.

How to use it

1. Add each position with its start and end date. Leave the end date empty or set it to today for a current role.
2. Optionally mark part-time roles with their percentage, such as 50%.
3. Read the total experience, overlaps removed, gaps between jobs and full-time-equivalent (FTE) experience.

Worked example

• Job A: 1 July 2018 to 31 March 2021
• Job B (freelance, 50%): 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2022
• Job C: 1 September 2022 to today (27 October 2026)

Job A and Job B overlap for three months (January to March 2021), which should be counted only once for calendar experience. The calendar experience is about 4 years from July 2018 to June 2022, plus about 4 years 2 months for Job C, or roughly 8 years 2 months. There is a gap of 2 months between Job B and Job C. In FTE terms, the part-time months count at half value.

Overlap handling

Simply adding the duration of every job double-counts overlapping periods. The correct method merges overlapping intervals first, then sums them. Some forms do want each role listed separately; follow the form's instructions.

Tips

• Use exact dates from offer and relieving letters for official applications.
• Internships and part-time roles may or may not count; check the employer's or authority's rules.
• Explain gaps briefly and honestly; they are common and rarely a problem.