Is Your Résumé
Doing Its Job?

1. You don't really need a résumé.

There are circumstances where you don't need a résumé ... casual construction work, for example. Otherwise you will need a résumé. Résumés are the currency of the hiring process. Even if the president of the company has guaranteed you a job, the human resources department will eventually ask for your résumé.

2. Hiring someone to do my résumé is a waste of money.

There are many reasons to have someone else do your résumé, not the least of which is that you likely don't have a lot of experience at it. A résumé writer is skilled in pulling out your most valuable assets and presenting them to a potential employer in a concise and industry-recognized format. If a professionally written résumé can cut a week or two off your job search, land you a better job, or get you a better starting salary, then it's well worth the money.

3. Shorter is better.

In general, short is good, but too short can be as bad as too long. A one-page résumé is fine for someone with little or no work history, but as your experience grows, you need more room to tell your story. Most people can do it in two pages but sometimes more is necessary.

4. It's OK to stretch the truth; nobody checks.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Yes, it's OK to gloss over or not draw attention to certain weaknesses in your background, but never add anything that is not true. People do check -- that's what the interview and references are for. If you lie on your résumé, you will very likely be found out.

5. Load it up with "key words."

Yes, key words are important, but there is no magic bullet here. Use words that pertain to your accomplishments and industry experience, but don't overdo it. Too many key words can actually make your résumé harder for a recruiter to find when searching a data base.

6. A great résumé is all you need to get a job.

A great job hunt is what will get you a job. Your résumé is mainly a supporting document. Even the best résumé must work in partnership with your cover letter, job leads and interviewing skill.

7. The more résumés you send out, the better your chances.

Sending out scores of blind résumés is a waste of time, money and paper. Target your job search and send out résumés only to a "warm market." It's entirely possible to land a job with a single résumé sent to a qualified and receptive prospect.

8. Be first in line.

It's tempting to try to get your résumé out the day an ad or lead appears, but that can work against you. Your résumé will arrive with possibly hundreds of others. If you wait a bit, as much as a week, you have time to research the company and tailor your cover letter to the job requirements. Then, when your résumé shows up, it won't be lost in the crowd, it has something the others didn't, and the reader will be less swamped.

9. It's not what you know; it's who you know.

This is partly true. You need the skills to do the job you're applying for, but knowing someone on the inside can help. (See my Cheap Tricks section.) That said, you still have to present a killer application package and knock 'em dead during the interview to get the job.

10. It's all done through the internet these days.

A lot is done through the internet, but that is only one avenue. Many businesses still prefer to receive a paper-based résumé. It depends on the company and the industry. As well, your résumé can get lost amongst thousands of others on a job-search web site. You really need both -- a printable version for mailing and faxing, and an uploadable version. Remember that you should always submit your résumé in the manner requested. And always take a hard copy of your résumé to an interview.