6 Common Resume Myths & Our Tips

Our Supply Chain & Operations recruiters constantly see new resumes and receive questions from candidates about common resume myths. Here are 6 scenarios we often see, and our suggestion for how to manage them.

1. Keep my resume to 1 page.

Unless you are a new graduate or still early in your career, don’t sell yourself short by condensing your resume to one page. Aim to keep it at 2 pages, and be sure to highlight not only your responsibilities, but also your key accomplishments for each position. Make sure to get specific with your accomplishments too (ie: Reduced plant turnover by 27% within first 6 months, Re-negotiated MRO supply agreement to achieve 30% savings on $1M spend, Increased on-time delivery to customers by 67% through implementation of freight quality control program, etc). 

2. Leave gaps in employment unexplained or exaggerate dates to keep these hidden.

Absolutely don’t exaggerate dates on your resume—employers can easily verify your career history and lying is an easy way to get removed from the interview process. If you have a gap in your career that you believe may warrant a question, one option could be to add in a short description to your resume. Were you affected by a lay-off and out of work for a few months? Below that job title you could add in something like "Reason for leaving employer: Company downsized work-force by 25% affecting position." Or did you take time off for personal reasons such as caring for a new child? You could add something like "May 2010-May 2012 – Extended parental leave.”

 3. Only include the last 10 years of employment.

This comes back to Point #1 of not selling yourself short. After you are established in your career you can leave off internships, summer jobs, and non-relevant roles; but be sure to include positions you have had within the Supply Chain and Operations field. For your most recent roles within the last 10 years, make sure to provide thorough details on the scope of responsibilities and accomplishments. You can leave less details on roles beyond 10+ years, but be sure to include the major accomplishments that would be a benefit to the role are applying for. For the sake of keeping your resume around 2 pages, it is OK to condense your earlier roles at the same company such as “ABC Company – Buyer, Sr. Buyer, and Purchasing Analyst 2000-2005” and summarize your total experience and accomplishments during that time frame.

 4.  List references or write “References Upon Request”.

This is non-essential. If you are applying for a job, the assumption is that you will be able to provide references when asked.

 5.  List hobbies to show your personality.

Do you like to play golf or love bird watching? That is great, but it has no place on your Supply Chain & Operations resume. Do make sure to share your involvement with professional associations, board memberships with charities and other volunteer organizations, professional publications you have, professional awards you’ve received, and Supply Chain & Operations training or certifications you’ve received.

 6.  Have one go-to resume and use it for all jobs. 

It is extremely beneficial to keep an active resume even if you are not looking; however, before you apply to a position tailor your resume to the specific job and company you are applying for. Read through the job description and see if your resume highlights that same experience. If there are certain things left off your resume that you have in fact done, be sure to add them. For example, if an organization uses SAP and you helped implement a new SAP module at a prior role, add that. Or if a role requires international supply chain leadership, and you’ve managed employees across multiple countries in your previous role, highlight that. Pro tip - Add a reoccurring appointment in your calendar to update your resume once a month with new accomplishments so you don’t forget!

If you are working with a Supply Chain recruiter, don’t hesitate to ask them for advice on your specific resume question. They want to help you present the best first impression to their clients, and likely have a great solution to your resume question or myth.

Are you interested in confidentially exploring a new Supply Chain or Operations opportunity yourself?