In this article, I am going to enlighten you about certain resume myths and drill you on how to break them and recreate an exceptional one. So let’s get started:
Myth 1: Resumes should be exactly one page
Expecting you to put all your hard-earned experience on one page seems to be a strenuous and irrational task. One page resume will not always make the recruiter understand an individual’s skills, education, and work experience thoroughly. The resumes could be as long as it needs to be as long as it is justifying and aligning with your values. You can make your resumes two to three pages long, considering it’s a good one and benefits their hiring process. The information you put in should be concise and give a better understanding of your role, growth, and accomplishments. Most of all, if you can substantiate your achievements and tell them how you made a role, job, project, or assignment make strides, you certainly would want to use more than a page to manifest it explicitly.
Myth 2: Use a standard Resume format for all jobs
Formatting different resumes for separate companies and unconnected job roles might seem like an arduous task, but it would prove to be worth it in the long run. Keep it simple. That being said you should be very careful while designing it, no matter what resume format you choose to keep, your ultimate focus should be on readability for the recruiter. If you are applying via an ATS route, stick to the standard formatting so the computer can read it constructively. While applying to a more traditional company take the more conventional route by adding some design elements only if you have the time to put them in.
Furthermore, you can make a master document with all the components of a resume like education, work experience, skills, achievements, etc. Then generate two variations of your resume utilizing that information, each concentrating on a different type of profile. While applying, you can update and change these using the master document according to the requirements as and when required.
Myth 3: Forbid using personal stories in your resumes
Recruiters are hiring not just your skills and experience but you as a wholesome package. Hence, your resume should be designed in a way to portray your professional and personal life altogether. In this new post-pandemic world everything personal is professional since many of us are working from home now. But don’t clog it with an avalanche of your personal information. Focus on bringing to the table, the details about your personal life and interests that align with your professional profile, and highlight your versatile attitude, that will help you stand out among other applicants. Also, ditch the objective statement: it’s out of fashion. It consumes your valuable space, so skip it and focus on making the rest of your resume remarkable.
Myth 4: Keeping your academic titles as resume highlights
Your professional title doesn’t add much value to your hiring process. Eventually, it’s your growth curve that will accentuate your skillset. Moreover, how you adapt to changes, stay relevant and bypass obsolescence will characterize your growth. Academic and professional titles will not bring much to the table. Emphasize outlining your transferable skills, growth in previous job roles, an initiative taken in different sectors, and partaking in upskilling opportunities.
Myth 5: Hide your work gaps
Work gaps are not that big of a deal as long as you are capable of explaining them efficiently. However, if you fail to do that, it may hinder your hiring process because then the recruiter
Will have no way of knowing the hidden circumstances behind your break. Be straightforward and confident while explaining the employment gap. There’s no harm in taking a break as long as you were being productive and upscaling your professional skills. Show them how you have been keeping up to date with the changes in your industry. Perhaps you did some volunteer work, community service, took some informative courses, or continued education, whatever it may be, make sure you mention that.
With these myths busted, hopefully, you will be able to out-stand from the crowd and pull off that dream job that you have been meaning to target in 2022.
