The Mistake Too Many People Make on Their Resume

[JeffAltmanCoach]

 

In this video, Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter explains the one mistake too many job hunters make on their résumé.

SUMMARY

Today, I want to talk with you back a huge mistake that people make when they do their resumes. It’s really very simple to correct. And I’ll just simply say that, for years, there was a stigma attached to having gaps in your resume. People hid their gaps by avoiding putting the months on their resume. As a result, firms invariably inquired, “so, what month did you leave that firm, approximately?”

You say, “till 2013.” And then the next one, it says, 2013.”

“Is there a gap in there somewhere?” It becomes annoying, because it’s not . . . today, we don’t have that same concern about gaps in the background. Unless we’re talking about years, people understand that from the time someone gets laid off until they’re hired, it’s not like it’s going to happen within a week. It’s not like it’s going to happen in two weeks. Veteran professionals do have gaps in their background.

Firms prefer not to see them but they’re not attached to that idea that there be no gaps in a person’s background and they don’t judge people as being defective if they exists there. Understand, what’s worse than having the gap is insulting the reader and pretending like one doesn’t exist.  The other mistake that people make is when there is no gap not including the months.

So, I would just simply say to you, put the months in where you know them and years past you can put the phrase approx next to the dates so that people know that you’re not trying to cheat them or deceive them in some way.

So, for example, if 10 years ago, you don’t remember exactly what month you left the particular firm, no one cares. Again, you could put the phrase approx there, but it’s the more recent stuff that firms are concerned about.

If you put only the year there, you know, there’s a difference between being laid off in January and applying for a job in November and not including a year there. For example, being laid off in September and looking for something in November.

Finally, leaving the year their firms can’t tell the difference unless they ask. If you’re one of the September people looking for a job in November, there’s no excuse for you not putting a month there. If you’re in January, put the month there. They’re just going to ask you any way. Make it easy for them. If they’re going to disqualify you based upon the months, no amount of Hocus Pocus on your part, or attempting to hypnotize them into believing that you’re sensational, even though you’ve been out of work for 10 months is going to convince them to the contrary.

So, just put the months on your resume. Make it easy for the reader. Again, if they’re going to reject you because you’ve been out of work too long, hiding it isn’t going to change that fact. They’re still going to reject you because you’ve been out of work too long. All that will happen is you’re wasting your time and theirs.

 

 

[Author]

Posts