Dumb down a résumé yes or no?
One of the strategies people use to get a job, any job is to dumb down their résumé. They are going with the notion that once they get their foot in the door, they can advance when the company realizes how valuable they are. But is it a good idea? I don’t think so.
Here are my reasons for not dumbing down your résumé:
Social Media will give you away. Today anyone with a bit of internet savvy can learn about more about you than you think. A search on your name will bring up your social media profiles; any online articles from newspapers, magazines or the like will appear; and background checks will turn up information you have left off.
People looking for a job have one goal—get a job. Some people look for jobs they are qualified for and any job with a paycheck. If that is the case, how do they set up their LinkedIn profile? The ultimate goal is to get the job they are qualified for so a LinkedIn profile with all your qualifications and accomplishments makes sense. But if you dumb down your résumé, it won’t match your LinkedIn profile. That will leave the company wondering which is correct. To solve that problem, they will end your candidacy.
Prepare to dumb down your interview. You will have to dumb down your interview. It easy to dumb down your résumé when you are at home and have plenty of time to think and rethink what you put on your résumé. But in an interview you have only seconds before answer questions. You will have to prepare every answer the interviewer will ask so that your answers are compatible with your résumé.
Your résumé and job application won’t match. Your résumé is a marketing piece designed to attract positive attention to you so the company will want to bring you in to find out more about you. A job application is a legally binding document that you sign acknowledging the information is correct. Here again, we have a conflict of information.
Value yourself and what you have accomplished. Instead of dumbing down your résumé, increase your networking efforts. Look to make connections with decision makers. Know your value to companies and be able to explain how you are the best candidate because of your skills and achievements. Take temporary jobs that match your skills and experience. That is the best way to get your foot in the door. The company will know what they are getting right from the beginning. Keep your education on your résumé, but don’t highlight it. List your degrees on the bottom of your résumé and limit the information to where you received the degree, what type of degree and when.
Dumbing down your résumé wastes the time and effort it took to get to your level. Be proud of what you have accomplished. Work for people who will appreciate what you have done and what you can do for them using your accumulated knowledge and skills. You will be happy, and so will they.
How can I help you with your job search?
Image: freedigitalphotos.net Pakorn
