4/3/2011 resume-rules-fact-fiction: Personal Finan…

10 Resume Rules: Fact or Fiction?

by Jeanine Skowronski
T hursday, March 31, 2011

provided by

For better or worse, the job market has certainly changed during the past few years. As
such, the practice of looking for a job has evolved as well -- so much, it seems, that what
was once considered a best practice can now in fact cost you an interview.
What tried and true résumé rules have become obsolete post-recession? MainStreet
talked to some experts find out what exactly has changed.
1. Your résumé should fit on one page.
Verdict: Myth More from MainStreet.com

The conventional wisdom used to say that • 9 Ways to Ace an Interview

interviewers would not look at a résumé longer
than one page. Not so, says Nick Jimenez, • The Worst Jobs of 2011
executive vice president of recruitment site
Climber.com. For him, this "rule" applies only to • 8 Hilarious Office Blunders
entry-level applicants who don't have credentials
that stretch beyond a page or, perhaps,
applicants looking only for part-time work. Everyone else can (and should) feel free to
type on.
"In today's electronic age, very few recruiters or hiring managers actually print the
résumés out when they are screening candidates," Jimenez says. "I subscribe to the
theory that a résumé should be as long as it takes to tell your story and convince the
reader your background is well-aligned with the needs of the open position."
[Click here to find an online degree program]
Bruce Hurwitz, career consultant and executive recruiter at New York staffing agency
Hurwitz Strategic Staffing, agrees. "The résumé needs to be as long as it takes to
properly reflect the candidate's career," he says. "I have received horrible one-page
résumés, fabulous five-page résumés, and magnificent 40+ page résumés from
academics and scientists with multiple publications."
2. Always use a cover letter.
Verdict: Rule
Sorry to break it to you, but this résumé myth, it seems, is true. While most job experts
admit that many employers do actually skip over a cover letter and move straight to the
résumé, you should still always send one. According to Allison Nawoj, corporate
communications director of CareerBuilder.com, a recent survey conducted by the jobs
site found that 20% of hiring managers would automatically dismiss a candidate who
submitted a résumé without a cover letter, which means that those who don't want to risk
having their application end up in the slush pile would do best to include one.
"[A cover letter] allows the sender to explain, succinctly, what their objective is, to
answer any questions if they are responding to an ad and to refer to any issues that, by
definition, would not be included on a résumé," Hurwitz says.
3. Your résumé needs an objective.
Verdict: Myth
You can skip on including an objective on your résumé.
"Most 'objective' paragraphs are meaningless," says
Hurwitz, the career consultant. "It means nothing. In fact,
it's a waste of time and an insult to the intelligence of the
recipient."
Nawoj agrees, saying that the résumé objective, a must-
have inclusion five or 10 years ago, has slowly been
replaced by what can be referred to as a "career summary,"
a short list of accomplishments that highlight your
©Charlotte West achievements.
"Like an objective, the summary should give the employer an idea of who you are, except
it allows you to focus more on your experience than on your goals," she says. "You can
briefly mention your career highlights, including past roles and your strongest skills."
4. Gaps in employment will cost you an interview.
Verdict: Myth
Before the recession, a gap between employment would have been a major red flag, but
employers have become increasingly understanding in the current economic climate.
"Depending on the actual amount of time you were unemployed, as long as you were
active and engaged, many employers will look at the employment gap as a non-issue,"
Jimenez says.
Laura Smith-Proulx, a professional résumé writer, agrees, but emphasizes that you will
still need to be able to offer an explanation should an employer ask.
"Be prepared to explain the gap itself by pointing to an activity that filled it, such as
volunteer work, caring for an ill family member, or launching a business, in order to
explain time in between jobs," she says. "Try not to point out a gap that you can't name.
Essentially, your best strategy when dealing with any potentially negative information is
[to] focus more on the results you can bring to your next employer than anything else."
5. A little embellishment is OK.
Verdict: Myth
The current competitive job market may entice prospective employees to alter job titles,
embellish achievements or fudge timelines, but our experts assert that applicants would
do best to stick with the truth.
"Candidates should always be honest on their résumés," Nawoj says. "It's the first
impression you make to an employer, so you want to show your integrity by being
honest about your background."
[How to Get Ahead at Work]
6. Organize your résumé in reverse chronological order.

…yahoo.com/…/resume-rules-fact-fiction 1/4
4/3/2011 resume-rules-fact-fiction: Personal Finan…
Verdict: Rule
While it may seem unnatural to some applicants, this myth, experts say, is true.
Climber.com, for example, surveyed recruiting managers and discovered that a majority
preferred reverse chronological résumés, listing work experience from most to least
recent. They preferred this traditional structure over the topical or achievement-based
résumés that have emerged in the digital age. Why exactly?
"Topically oriented résumés are difficult to read, particularly when the recruiter or hiring
manager is reviewing hundreds of other résumés for the same position," Jimenez
explains. "By not providing the context for your accomplishments, you make it harder for
the reader to draw comparisons between you and the other candidates."
Additionally, Hurwitz points out, a résumé should show growth. "Recipients want to know
immediately where a candidate is now, not where they were five, 10 years ago," he says.
7. Educational background should be at the top.
Verdict: Myth
According to experts, this is another myth that gets perpetrated because it applies to
entry-level applicants who have recently graduated from school. Experienced hires, in
fact, should move their educational background further down.
"If you are an experienced professional, your education should always be listed at the
bottom of your résumé," Jimenez says.
8. Your résumé should include references.
Verdict: Myth
Don't bother including a references section or even typing in
"references available upon request" at the bottom of your
résumé, since recommendations come much later in the
application process.
"It isn't necessary to include your references on your
résumé," Nawoj says. "If a hiring manager would like to
contact your references, they'll let you know. Save the
space for more valuable information."
9. Use buzzwords.
©Piutus/flickr
Verdict: Rule (with some exceptions)
This myth is mostly true. Experts agree that you should include buzzwords in your
résumé, because they may help a recruiter find you in their internal tracking system or
while searching databases on sites like Monster.com. However, be careful what words
make it into your final product.
"If it seems like the candidate has dumped a bunch of buzzwords in for show, the résumé
might also get dumped," Tiffani Murray, a career consultant and former human resources
manager, tells MainStreet.
Hurwitz agrees that "the résumé has to read like it is meant for a human being, not a
computer. Just listing keywords reflects poorly on the candidate and impacts credibility."
10. You should provide a hard copy printed on fancy paper.
Verdict: Myth
The idea that you should bring a printed version of your résumé on glossy or otherwise
fancy paper is absolutely false. While you should bring a hard copy to an interview, all
experts agree that there's no real need for it to be printed out on thick and
environmentally unfriendly résumé paper.
"The days of fancy résumé paper are all but dead," Murray says. "Companies are cutting
back on paper, so your résumé is likely stored in an applicant tracking system that the
hiring manager and recruiter can look at on their computer or smartphone whenever they
need to review it."
___

Popular Stories on Yahoo!:

• Things Game Shows Won't Tell You

• Most Powerful Athletes in the U.S.

• Top 10 Most Loved Colleges

Follow Yahoo! Finance on Twitter; become a fan on Facebook.

440 comments Show: Newest First

Post a comment Comments 1 - 10 of 440 First Prev Next Last

Patrick Rarth 5 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 0

HERE WE SIT GIVING BILLIONS TO THE RICH!

Is your fianncial statements growing like wild? Not unless you are one of
the millionaires of this country.

WE, THE WORKING CLASS, NEED HELP!

Everyday it is the same old news...the rich get richer and the poor help
them. I SAY ENOUGH ALREADY! MAKE SOME TAX BREAKS FOR THE
REST OF US!

BUT...we can get a little of their money. Take a look at the following and
you will see what I found.

G○○gle the term CASH' TEACHER and click the very first site. Go right to
the penny' stock page to see what the rich do not want you to know.

TIME TO START MAKING OUR OWN WAY!

Reply

…yahoo.com/…/resume-rules-fact-fiction 2/4
4/3/2011 resume-rules-fact-fiction: Personal Finan…
Mark 9 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 0
The over 50 crowd (like me) is toast..thje under 35 crowd will get the jobs with no
experience because they are cheap. Don't believe it? Just call a customer service
department of ANY company and see what you get and WHERE their office is.
Companies today are making a boat load of money with less people but have thrown
marketing and service out the window. As for the stock market - thats for a select few
and it doesn't tell the health of the country - it is "played" by the same idiots in the
brokerage houses that started the mess to begin with..middle america is gone..we
are a third world country now of the poor and the rich - the middle is gone....The age
factor should not matter today because people are able to work longer and have to
work longer..Real companies shouldn't throw experience out the window.
Reply

Jam ie 11 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 0

Hard to be hired if your objective does not match what the employer is
offering.
Reply

Miss K 16 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 0

very good information!MY last job was 2007 ,when I was laid off! I then
received unemployment, but made choice to go to college, and now its
2011, and I am about to graduate with my Ba degree! I also do volunteer
work and internship.I am i my 30's!
Reply

Seriously 31 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 0

I am almost to the point of giving up! I moved to AZ last year, have filled out
dozens of applications, responded to hundreds of on-line job openings and
out of all that, had two interviews and finally was hired for some seasonal
work which will be ending soon. So once again I am out there searching.
When I do get an interview, I am told "you are so over-qualified, that we
don't want to insult you with an offer" REALLY? I've been looking for
something for almost a year....McDonalds never called, neither has Wal-
Mart.....INSULT me, PLEASE! And no disrespect to McDonalds or Wal-
Mart, I have worked at both places and actually enjoyed my job with them.
I guess it is because 1.) I am female. and 2.) I am over 50. Any
suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Replies (3)

Econ4All 38 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 0

If you are trying to get hired for a position that doesn't make the company
money, this is all good advice. Otherwise, skip the dog and pony show and
get to the point of exactly how you are going to make the company money.
Bypass HR altogether and get your info. to a sales manager, CFO, or
someone who knows what the bottom line is. Be bold. Be different. Instead
of a resume, send a resume letter (about 1.5 to 2 pages) and a
spreadsheet detailing how you are going to make the company money. I
have done this twice in my past jobs and I got both jobs without ever
talking to anyone in HR. I refuse to go through a department that doesn't
make the company money and kiss their @#$%. Not gonna happen.

And if you say you can't past HR, you don't deserve the job. HR is like the
border in the southern part of the U.S. - ineffective and easily evaded.

PS - I have had great spellers and grammatical types apply for jobs, but
they didn't have any other skills. All they could do was write letters. They
couldn't sell product, write code, nothing. If writing isn't a requirement for
the job, a good manager will skip it. If you can write thousands of lines of
code, but aren't the next Tolstoy, not a problem. Your writing skills aren't
making me money. Your coding skills are! No wonder I got the best. I didn't
follow any of the advice listed above. LOL!
Reply

Reio 41 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 1

Interesting but you left out a good many factors.
1. Age: Employers discriminate based on age.
2. Race: If your not the flavor of the month your out.
3. Sex: If your the wrong sex for a job type your out.
4. Qualification: Over or under your out.
5. Education: Again over or under your out.
6. Credit: Had credit problems in the last 2-3 years, your out.
7. Record: Ever had an arrest or conviction, You'll Never work again
8. Traffic: Even if its not a driving job a traffic ticket could cost you.
9. Self Employed: Ever had your own business, your out, no references.
With as $@%& up as America has become Jesus Christ would have to
perform a double miracle and Moses would never get a job. Hiring
managers not longer have the option of "in my judgement" they just hit a
check list good bad or indifferent.
And "Yes" if I could permanently work outside this country I'd take my
degree and my military service and my job history experience and not
come back, I'd gladly pay my tax dollars to Europe or s.e. Asia.
Replies (1)

Rylee Sm arker 42 minutes ago Report Abuse

…yahoo.com/…/resume-rules-fact-fiction 3/4
4/3/2011 resume-rules-fact-fiction: Personal Finan…
0 1
When does the destruction of the working class end? When we start fighting back.

Everyday, more and more millionaires are made, but the middle class is destroyed.

HOW???????

Because the rich are able to take advantage of certain aspects concerning the
market. There are ways for all of us to do this as well.

G○○gle the term CASH' TEACHER and click the very first site. Go right to the penny'
stock page to see what the rich do not want you to know.

DO THE ABOVE AND SEE WHAT THE TRUTH IS!

Reply

Dedicated Dad 1 hour ago Report Abuse 1 0

This is funny because two resume articles ago said that most recruiters
never read cover letters. I am a well employed and have found new work
even now without ever enclosing a cover letter. If a person is shifting
through thousands of resumes which they barely read why are they going
to care about an ingenuine cover letter?
Replies (2)

Don 1 hour ago Report Abuse 0 0

It all depends who you know not what you know.
Replies (1)

Comments 1 - 10 of 440 First Prev Next Last

…yahoo.com/…/resume-rules-fact-fiction 4/4