Four Resume Myths

Hello career pros! For the next month I will cover some resume reminders. In my latest book above (with resume samples available in black & white or color) I start off with several different myths while detailing the truth. Here are four (with two bonuses) of the following:

Myth #1: You must use an objective

Well, this wasn’t always a myth and for years we used to always add it as the first part of the resume. The problem with an objective is it states what “you” want versus what you can do for the company. You may be thinking, that’s right, you should add a summary now. This is true for the most part, however you have to be careful these days with the summary as well, ensuring it’s not too lengthy. I know recruiters who will bypass the summary if it’s not succinct or speaking to what they’re looking for. 

 Myth #2: The One-Page Rule

 I used to think only non-executive candidates followed this rule since most executives and any professional in leadership would most likely have 10, 15, 20 or more years of experience. How can you possibly get all of this onto one page? Until I had two longtime clients request a separate, one-page resume. There are rare instances where a recruiter may request just one page. However, in general your resume’s length depends on several factors, what’s important to add for your career trajectory, your industry and targeted job. 

The one-page rule generally applies to new graduates, but even with them it could go to two depending on what’s necessary to add. With senior and C-level executives it could very well go to three or four pages. We do strive for two pages, but it’s the content that matters most. And don’t forget the federal resume may be even longer. 

Just remember to add the most important and captivating information on the first page.

Myth #3: Never use color or graphs

 As I mention in “Why Your Resume Isn’t Working,” this used to be a huge no years ago. These elements were too distracting. Most resumes were printed in black and white so colors didn’t show up well, etc. These days, depending on the industry and role, a little pop of color or graph showing progression enhances the resume. You want to use these enhancements sparingly of course. The key is to draw the eye to certain aspects that make you stand out. Worried about the ATS (Applicant Tracking System), there is a way to still create the resume format so that it’s picked up by the ATS.

Myth #4: Always use Spell Check. It catches everything

 You can use Grammarly or Word and still only catch regular words. Maybe AI or ChatGPT will catch a little more. Although I am very thankful for those red squiggly lines underneath a word that make me double check, for the most part spell checkers are not the most suitable for resumes. They do not recognize fragmented sentences, business lingo or acronyms for certain industries. They often mistake the American English for British English for certain words as well. When you are unsure, the best thing to do is to look the word up in an online dictionary or thesaurus. 

 Bonus #1

 Myth: One-size-fits-all

 This one isn’t in the book as a myth, but it is listed as one of the problems. I have been seeing this for years. Many job seekers will do a resume blast to any and every position they think they qualify for. Have you done this? If so, stop. That spray and pray method will not work. I can not reiterate enough that you must target, target and target! I know it’s a pain to have to keep changing up your resume, but all you need to do are a few tweaks here and there for your resume to coincide with the position you’re applying for. 

Bonus #2

Myth: Do not add gaps

Whether it was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, school, to start or take care of family, freelance, or whatever, it’s very common for job seekers to have a gap somewhere in time. As long as you can explain the gap is what matters. But, by all means do not leave this area blank. You can fill in this gap of work experience with exactly what it was. Suppose you were volunteering, starting a business, or as I did years ago, took a year off as a fulltime author, you can simply say “sabbatical” School, etc. then list the dates and brief details. You can explain more in a cover letter or during an interview. Also, remember, we don’t usually add months the way we used to, so if it was just for a few months that you were not working, you may not have a gap after all.

To view the full list of myths, you can order Why Your Resume isn’t working on Amazon, The Career Diamond Books or on the BluePrint Career Group website.