If you’re looking for a job, you’ve probably already heard a lot of advice about the “ideal” resume template. Experts weigh in on this topic constantly, but just about everyone who’s ever been hired has an opinion on what resumes should look like. There’s just one problem: a lot of the time, they’re wrong.
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An infographic from Almagreta highlights incorrect assumptions about resume form and function, ranging from what type of file works best (Word documents, not PDFs, which look slick but can “render you invisible”) to the importance of your GPA (in short, not as important as you think).
To this list, we’d add:
- Myth: Every resume should have an objective, right up at the top.
- Fact: Objectives are outdated, and take up real estate that could be better used by outlining your skills and accomplishments.
- Myth: You should include a line offering “references upon request.”
- Fact: Again, that just wastes space. As the infographic states, you can just include a separate sheet for your references.
- Myth: The best resume is a fun, funky resume, like the ones everyone’s always tweeting about.
- Fact: Novelty resumes get press coverage, but they might turn off prospective employers, especially in more staid industries. Match the CV to the tone of the company you’re targeting, and you won’t wind up looking flip or juvenile instead of creative.
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This is a useful article. I disagree, however on the point about PDFs making you invisible. Word documents can be opened in different formats depending on the recruiter’s version of Word, which can totally mess up your formatting. Saving your resume as a PDF ensures that it will be viewed as intended and is a cleaner product than a Word doc that may come through with carat marks all over it. This also depends on the position you are applying… Read more »