A good resume is critical in making a positive first impression to your future employer and there are a lot of opinions floating around about what makes a good resume. Consistently, when I work with our students and alumni, I notice they are hanging onto some ideas about resumes that are actually making it harder to put together a good resume. So, here are four common resume myths that may be holding you back.
1. You need to use a 'fancy' format.
Students often come in asking if there is a resume template that they should be using. We actually discourage using templates. First off, there are some resume templates that are so common employers have seen them a million times before. Secondly, templates often use tables, which I personally find difficult to edit and work with. Sometimes, templates even include section titles you can’t edit or boxes that are limited to only holding so much information. If you can use bolding, italics, bullet points or underling, you can set up your own resume. We have over 100 samples on our website: http://www.ipfw.edu/offices/career/students/resumes.html
2. It can only be one page.
One page is often preferable and definitely suggested for new college freshmen or those with little work experience related to their prospective careers. But, if you find you’re reducing your font to 8pt size or going down to ¼” margins, you may want to go on to a second page. In fact, if you have extensive work experience or have an advanced degree, a two-page resume may be expected.
3. You need to list every job you’ve ever had.
Listing every single job you’ve ever had may actually hurt, not help your chances. In fact, hiring managers can find all of that information overwhelming. That job you had for three months bagging groceries two years ago, may make you look like a job hopper, especially if you’ve held longer term employment since then. Also, if you have work experience over ten years old, you want to be selective about using it. If it’s really relevant to the job you’re applying for, go ahead and list it. If not, it might just be aging you.•
4. You only need one.
It might be more convenient for you to only have one resume, but, it may not help your future employer. A resume targeted to the specific industry you are looking to get hired in will let the employer see your most relevant qualifications right away. Also, employers want to feel like you want that job in particular, like it's somehow special and a customized resume sends that message. This means that if you are applying for jobs in multiple industries, you will need multiple resumes.•
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