4 Persistent Resume Myths: An update for 2023 and beyond

While spending time working with trainees in a workforce program over the last few weeks, I was reminded of the misconceptions and myths surrounding resume writing. My blog has not directly addressed the issue in nearly two years, so this seems like a good time for a refresh.

First, we should recognize that there is no right or wrong way for us to write a resume. There are only best practices that have evolved over time. Resume writing organizations have promulgated standards and guidelines, but they do not have the force of, say, generally accepted accounting practices.

Nonetheless, there are many “rules” that the majority or resume writers and career management coaches feel are misconceptions. Here are four of them:

1. Resumes have to be one page long,
2. You need graphics to grab attention,
3. A specific portion of your work history must be included or excluded, and
4. Your complete address must be included.

From time-to-time I have broken nearly every resume “rule” for specific clients. While resume writing organizations in the United States set standards they ask members to follow, the standards allow latitude for professional judgement.

Should resumes be one page long?

The one-page resume is “old school.” Jobseekers should not arbitrarily limit their resumes to one page. Instead, resume length should be dictated by the amount of relevant content you have. A one page resume is often appropriate, I’ve found, for recent graduates that have little work experience. Also, I have generated one-page resumes in some cases for clients that have had one job for the last 20 years, and one college degree.

On the other hand, I prepared a 3-page resume for a C-level executive with about five years of work experience. We settled on a lengthy resume because the client rose through a half-dozen jobs in a very short time with amazing accomplishments in every role. The detail demonstrated the client’s rapid rise from new grad to chief operating officer at a publicly-held healthcare company. The accomplishments demonstrated the benefits of hiring such a young person into a company’s C-suite.

Employer representatives usually receive and review resumes on their computers, tablets, or smartphones during the initial screening, so they may not notice the number of pages in the document.

The vast majority of resumes I prepare for professionals and executives with significant work experience fill the better part of two printed pages.

Do you need images to grab attention?

Most of us are visual people, so we like to place graphics on our resumes. Placing graphics—photos and images—on resumes is so popular, MS-Word includes templates to make it easy.

Images and graphics will not increase the likelihood automated systems will flag your resume for review. Resumes become part of candidate databases in applicant tracking systems, known as ATS systems. These systems use keywords entered by hiring teams to advance applicants. ATS systems won’t see your fancy graphics, so the design will not help your resume reach the hiring team.

Even worse, certain kinds of graphics can hide your text from automated searches. For example, keywords in an MS-Word text box will not be scanned. Also, recruiters have told me that they do not want to see anything, such as a candidate’s photo, which could create unconscious bias.

Melanie Woods, a recruiter in Houston, TX, feels so strongly that resumes should not include images that she has posted a YouTube video urging jobseekers to avoid using MS-Word templates, especially those with graphics.

Exception to the Rule: Visual arts professionals, such as photographers and graphic designers may consider building two versions of their resumes—one ATS-friendly text resume, and a graphic version that matches their artistic style. For example, a fashion designer I worked with reformatted the ATS-friendly resume we created together using her specialized InDesign software.

Graphics take up space that could be used for keyword-rich text. So, you don’t need them.

How much work history should be on the resume?

There are lots of “rules” about the amount of work experience that should be included on a job candidate’s resume. Organizations I’ve written resumes for have set arbitrary rules to make the decision easier for clients and staff. Individual clients have specific jobs they are especially proud of that they want included although they were at these positions many years ago.

Include experience that demonstrates the benefits of hiring you. This could mean that experience you gained 20 or 30 years ago is no longer relevant. For example, the skills needed for the job have changed, or the accomplishments can no longer be verified.

There are exceptions. For example, as cited in previous posts, an aerospace electronics engineer I worked with developed equipment for the Space Shuttle more than 30 years ago. We did not want to show 30 years of experience on the resume or LinkedIn profile to avoid potential ageism. Nonetheless, we found a way to “sneak in” the experience.

Another client, a fashion designer, started her career helping out in her parents’ boutique at age 12. She would seem older than she is if we displayed all this experience with years of employment, so we found another way to do it.

Resumes and LinkedIn profiles for mid-career professionals rarely include all experience since graduating from high school or college. They are not bios, and certainly are not obituaries.

How much contact information do you need?

Technology has changed the way prospective employers contact jobseekers. Employers and industry contacts reach out via cellphone, email, or LinkedIn now. They do not send information via the slow and expensive postal service.

That means we do not need to include our street address on a resume. You do not need to include your office and home phone number either unless you do not have a cellphone.

Hiring teams are busy. They will not call multiple numbers to find you. Managers may want to reach candidates via email or LinkedIn, though, so include this information on your resume. Your resume should be a brief document designed to be scanned electronically for content before a hiring team member reads it. So don’t get caught up in misconceptions about document length, elegant design, the need for a complete work history, or the need to show exactly where you live.