A Common Resume Myth Exposed

It’s that time of life — you’re in the job hunt and you need a resume.
If it’s been a few years since you last wrote one, you will most likely seek resume advice from the “experts.”
If so, watch out.
There is a LOT of misinformation out there. And after writing and editing nearly 5,000 resumes, I’ve seen the same myths trip up job seekers time after time.
It’s time to debunk one of those dangerous misconceptions. So here, “from the trenches,” is my best advice to help you navigate through one of the most common myths about resumes.
Myth: Always put your education/degree first in your resume, followed by your experience. Because that’s the order in which they occurred.
Fact: Relevance determines what goes where in your resume. Because you can’t risk losing a reader’s attention with stray information.
Know this — the purpose of the first line in your resume is to get the second line read. The purpose of the second line is to lead readers to the third line, etc.
So, if you’re applying for a sales job and your experience is in sales, but your degree is in Art History, experience must come ahead of education in your resume. It’s all about relevance.
As a rule, the more relevant and valuable the information, the higher up in your resume it should appear. Never assume employers will pore over every word with a fine-tooth comb and find the gems you’ve buried on page two. Because there are only two people in the world who will read every word of your resume: you and your mother. Everyone else is skimming quickly, so you have to lead with your best points.
Kevin Donlin is Creator of GetHiredNow.TV and The Instant Job Search System