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Dear J.T. & Dale: I have more than 30 years of accounting experience but do not have a degree. I've taken continuing ed classes on a regular basis, 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 — that will grab their attention, and 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, especially young ones, 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.

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Dear J.T. & Dale: Two years ago, my family and I relocated to the Southeast. We are eager to return to the Northeast. Will it hamper my job search if I use my current address on my resume? I have family in the area where I'll be moving to, and could "borrow" their address for my resume. — Brad

J.T.: Leave your current address on your resume, but open your cover letter with, "I am relocating to your area by ——." Why? If you use a family member's address and a company calls you for an interview the next day, it might be difficult to explain that you can't get there because you actually live someplace else. That would start the interviewing process on the wrong foot. If you like, put your current address on the resume, but then, right below, write the expected date of your relocation.

DALE: There are plenty of companies that don't want to pay to bring in someone from out of state. That's understandable. And it's also understandable when they don't want to pay to fly you in for an interview. However, you've negated the former by announcing your plans to relocate, and you can negate the latter by scheduling interviewing trips. If you tell hiring managers that you are going to be in their town during a given week, and they have any interest in you, they'll understand that they need to fit you into their schedule. This creates a "sense of urgency" that's missing from most job inquiries. So, don't just own up to your current address — turn it into an advantage.

Jeanine "J.T." Tanner O'Donnell is a professional development specialist and founder of the consulting firm jtodonnell.com. Dale Dauten's latest book is '(Great) Employees Only: How Gifted Bosses Hire and De-Hire Their Way to Success.'