8 Myths About Resume Writing That You Must Forget

The recipe for the perfect resume will change from employer to employer and might be totally different in different industries. The resume advice you see on the internet would be written by a professional from a different industry than yours and might not be applicable to you.

We spoke with 23 of our clients to identify what is the most repeated false resume advice on the internet. Today, we will share our findings with you so that your resume writing journey would be spared of the trouble that comes with famous resume myths.

Resume Myth #1

Your resume must have a career objective.

Reality

Career objectives are considered redundant because obviously, your objective of applying for a particular job advert is to get an offer for the position. Resume Mansion advises you to skip the career objective statement to save your resume space for something that matters, like a killer resume summary statement.

Resume Myth #2

Spelling errors on your resume will get your resume in the trashcan.

Reality

A recruiter wouldn’t be overjoyed to receive a mistake-ridden resume, but they won’t discriminate against you for having a couple of spelling errors. Take the safe path and proofread your resume several times to avoid any spelling mishaps.

Resume Myth #3

A resume has to be one page long.

Reality

There are no rules set in stone about the ideal length for a resume. If you have the experience to fill three pages, go for it by all means. But if you are applying for an entry-level position, you might not have a lot of work experience to fill your resume. In such cases, avoid adding “fluff” sections to your resume that will drag it too long.

Resume Myth #4

Your achievements must go in a different resume section.

Reality

Achievements have the best impact when you incorporate them into the relevant resume sections. Employers are not likely to miss achievements when they are mentioned through your resume, instead of in a separate section. Put your academic achievements in the education section and industrial achievements in the work experience section.

Resume Myth #5

Action verbs should be diverse.

Reality

Don’t lose track of important things while searching the thesaurus for unique action verbs. Sometimes, the basic action verbs describe a task the best than a rarely used synonym for it. You can even have bullet points without action verbs if you feel like it’s taking you too long to come up with the right words.

Resume Myth #6

Your resume doesn’t need a cover letter.

Reality

Almost every recruiter reads your cover letter before they move on to the resume so that they can get an idea of you as a person rather than as a set of accomplishments and skills. Sometimes, a good cover letter is all it takes to win over a tough employer.

Resume Myth #7

Your entire work history must go in the resume.

Reality

Your resume is your sales pitch. you get to choose what goes in it. If the odd jobs you’ve had over the years are irrelevant to the new job you’re applying for, skip them for the jobs that actually add value to your resume.

Resume Myth #8

Your resume must have references.

Reality

Employers don’t necessarily expect you to put the references down on your resume. Have a separate document for references and use up that valuable resume space to add details of your amazing career.