The Mistake Too Many People Make on Their Resume
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter explains the one mistake too many job hunters make on their résumé.
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 there’s
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS job search coaching and career advice globally because he makes job search
and succeeding in your career easier.
How to Get More Interviews: Look for the Third Way
You will find great info and job search coaching to help with your job search at JobSearch.Community
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter
Schedule a discovery call to speak with me about one-on-one or group coaching during your job search at www.TheBigGameHunter.us.
Career Coach Office Hours: June 18, 2024
We grant permission for this post and others to be used on your website as long as a backlink is included to www.TheBigGameHunter.us and notice is provided that it is provided by Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter as an author or creator. Not acknowledging his work or providing a backlink to www.TheBigGameHunter.us makes you subject to a $1000 penalty which you proactively agree to pay. Please contact us to negotiate the use of our content as training data.
