The first step in a job application is crafting an eye-catching resume. This task can feel especially high stakes, considering your resume will be the first thing most recruiters look at and make decisions based on. But don’t worry: It’s entirely possible to avoid common resume mistakes so that you land in recruiters’ “yes” pile.
USC Online spoke to Lori Shreve Blake, senior director for career engagement at the USC Career Center, to uncover the top myths people may hear about writing their resumes — and what to do instead.
Myth #1: There’s One Right Way to Format Your Resume
The internet is awash with free resume templates and resume writing advice. But the truth is, the type of resume you should use will vary depending on your target role, industry, work experience and life circumstances.
“There’s not one size fits all,” Shreve Blake said. “There’s not, ‘Everybody follows this one resume type, and it will get you a job.’ It does not work like that.”
One factor to consider when deciding what type of resume to use is how many years you’ve spent in the workforce. Recent graduates may choose to emphasize their education, internships and university involvement, while someone who has several jobs under their belt will lead with their employment history and accomplishments.
Your target position and the industry you are in will also inform how you write your resume, including the length. You may have heard that a resume should never exceed one page — but that’s not entirely true. While people with less experience, or those who work in certain industries like engineering and consulting, should generally stick to a one-page resume, senior executives might have a resume up to three pages long.
“If I’m going for the CEO job, or a senior executive role, then it’s likely I’ve had at least 10 to 20 years of experience,” Shreve Blake said. “And I’ve had a lot of great experiences that will qualify me to be a senior executive. Therefore, I could have a longer resume to highlight relevant achievements.”
What about if you’ve been out of the workforce for a while or want to pivot to an entirely new career? In those cases, Shreve Blake says a resume should be structured to highlight transferable skills. Or consider a functional resume, which shifts the focus to skills rather than work experience.
Shreve Blake recommends making several resume variations based on the main types of jobs you’ll be applying for, with skills sections tailored to those positions.
But don’t go overboard.
“Let’s say, I want to work in entertainment,” Shreve Blake said. “I don’t believe you should have 500 different resumes for all the jobs you’re going to apply to in entertainment, but maybe focus it in on [either] editing or writing or producing … so that you appear qualified and have the key buzzwords for the role you are applying to.”
Myth #2: You Should Game the System with Hacks Like “White Fonting”
In a recent TikTok trend, creators suggest “white fonting”: copying the entire job description and pasting it in a tiny, white font on your resume so it’s invisible to the naked eye. The idea is to make your resume stand out to the applicant tracking system (ATS), a software that aids recruiters in the hiring process, by matching all the target keywords recruiters are looking for.
While it’s important to use keywords from the job description in your resume, there are better ways to go about it than using hacks like “white fonting,” Shreve Blake said. Instead, she suggests using tools like ChatGPT to quickly identify the top 10 keywords used in a job description, then adding the applicable ones to your resume skills section. (Shreve Blake added that, when using AI this way, you should always cross-check to make sure the words are actually in the job description and aren’t hallucinations.)
Tricks like “white fonting” can also backfire. The ATS is just the first step recruiters use to identify potential candidates. If your resume makes it to the top, a real person will read it. And if your experience and skills don’t match what they’re looking for, they’ll toss it.
Also, most applicants won’t be a 100 percent match to a given job description — and that’s okay, Shreve Blake says.
“For the long term, people want to hire people who are ethical and who are honest,” Shreve Blake said. “You want to come in on day one honest and being a candidate and a future employee of integrity and ethics.”
Myth #3: You Should Use Your Dad’s Resume Template from 1990
First-time job seekers often turn to their friends, parents or other relatives for advice on writing a resume. Although some tenets of resume writing remain ageless, some trends are decidedly “out” in the 21st century, Shreve Blake said.
For example, 20 years ago, applicants often wrote “references available upon request” at the bottom of their resumes. This is no longer recommended since it’s a given that candidates who move up to number one will provide references when asked, Shreve Blake says.
“It’s a waste of space,” Shreve Blake said. “Your resume is prime real estate and needs to be well organized and highlight your accomplishments. Every word that you have on there is very important. So, you don’t want random words that mean nothing.”
Putting home addresses on a resume is also a thing of the past. Instead, Shreve Blake recommends simply including your city and state, phone number and email address in the header of your resume. Your LinkedIn URL is also a great addition to the contact information section — but only if your LinkedIn profile is up to date!
“Your LinkedIn profile is literally like your personal website,” Shreve Blake said. “And LinkedIn is where all the employers are. So, it needs to be taken very, very seriously.”
Finally, objectives, or statements about who you are and what kind of job you’re looking for, are no longer necessary on a resume. It’s better to save this for your cover letter.
And some past resume writing formats, such as including your photo in the corner or using first-person pronouns, were never a good idea, Shreve Blake adds.
Myth #4: The More Words on Your Resume, the Better!
Gone are the days when wordy sentences were considered professional. Shreve Blake recommends streamlining your resume with bullet points and well-chosen words.
The Situation, Task, Action, Result — or STAR — Method is a great place to start, Shreve Blake said.
“[Bullet points] should be very concise, but very powerful with action verbs, results, numbers, percentages and dollars,” Shreve Blake advised.
For each bullet point, describe the situation and task using a third-person action verb. Examples could include “developed a competitive analysis,” “started a company” or “created a social media strategy.”
Next, use a transition verb that describes your action in the given situation. Maybe to develop the competitive analysis, you had to research 25 competitors and present that information — put that here.
Finally, show results in numbers, percentages or dollar amounts, if possible. You can also write about notable people who were impacted by your work. Maybe after creating your competitive analysis, you presented your findings to the CEO. That also counts as an important result!
Here’s our final bullet point according to the STAR Method: “Developed a competitive analysis, researching 25 competitors’ products, presenting information to the CEO and Chief Marketing Officer.”
Shreve Blake recommends using this method to write each bullet point on your resume. This ensures you convey your expertise and the value you can bring to the company.
Myth #5: What Makes a “Good” Resume is Completely Subjective
With so much conflicting advice and information available online and on social media about writing resumes, you may assume that there is no “right” way to write a resume. But even though there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, there are still best practices you can use to up your resume writing game to get interviews.
Shreve Blake recommends job seekers use a resume checker like Jobscan to get quick feedback on their resumes. If you’re in college, you can also visit your campus’s career center for personalized advice on your resume and job hunt. However, even if you don’t have access to a university, resources like the USC Career Center’s resume booklet are available online for free.
Shreve Blake noted it’s normal for applicants to struggle with highlighting their best and most relevant accomplishments to the job on their resume so they can rise to the top and get noticed by both the ATS and live recruiters.
“That struggle of 20 years ago is still a struggle today,” Shreve Blake said. “Many people find difficulty writing and updating a resume. And it’s a process of learning! As people manage their career journeys, the resume is always a work in progress.”
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