Resumes and SMEs, Years v. Years'

[Kevin Montgomery <kmontgomery -at- LOGICON -dot- COM>]

 I concede defeat.

 I wrote:
 >I searched all the references in the office and found no citation
 >supporting Melissa's preference for "years'". (Of course, I couldn't find
 >direct support for my position either.) So, I dropped my buddy Melissa a
 >note. She also could not find a supporting reference. By mutual
 >agreement, we are throwing the question out to the list: should it be
 >years' or years?

 Thanks to Joanna and Wendy for pointing me at references. Melissa was
 right, it should be "years' experience", not "years experience". My
 Chicago 13th covers it in heading 6.14 (a citation I missed in my first
 search):

        Analogous to possessives, and formed like them, are expressions
        of duration based on the old genitive case:
                an hour's delay
                in three days' time

 For those who sided with me by contending that there is an implied "of" --
 "years of experience" -- I still like our argument, but think that we've
 been effectively shot down in flames. Thanks anyway!

 -Kevin Montgomery
 kmontgomery -at- logicon -dot- com

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