Resumes are normally where the job hunting process begins and most of us have sent out hundreds if not thousands of resumes in our job hunting careers. So advice about creating a more effective resume is always welcome.

That’s why I was attracted to a recent article on four resume myths from Doostang.com written by Sebastian King, a member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches.

Your resume is your sales tool, use it effectively.

The myths are:

1. Your Resume Can Only Be One Page
2. Nobody Will Read Your Resume
3. Your Resume Should Be Exhaustive
4. Your Resume Should Have an Objective Statement

The one-page one has been around for decades and its only been in recent years that I became brave enough to expand my resume to two pages.

“The contemporary job applicant is dealing with filtering systems and various other unique technological advancements that were not in play within the recruitment field even 5 years ago. These variables have a direct impact on the response to this inquiry,” the article notes. So, “from entry-level to C-level professionals, some applicants simply have too much information to effectively condense without hindering representation of their background.”

The second myth goes to software reading your resume before a person might. Just because one is happening doesn’t mean a real person won’t eventually look at your resume, so be sure it makes sense for that person and isn’t just a lot of key words for the machines to latch onto.

To myth number three, this article argues 10-15 years of your experience is all you need to include on a  resume. I agree, with the addition of including a summary of anything done longer ago which might be relevant to the latest job you’re applying for.

And the last goes without saying, really. A resume is your self-sales tool, always be selling yourself…and always be job hunting.

John N. Frank