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Resume myths abound
Contrary to popular belief, resumes are not a complete list of everything you have done.
Your resume should be a concise summary of your accomplishments, knowledge and skills that are relevant to the job you are targeting. Resumes are not an exhaustive list of everything you have done.
Some people are convinced the resume is some kind of confessional, and they list in intricate detail every job since high school. This can really hurt your job search.
For example, if you are targeting a sales management job, you don’t talk about that bartender job back in 1984. No one really cares. It takes up valuable resume space with irrelevant information.
Listing experience unrelated to your career goal can water down, rather than enhance your resume. It can make you look unfocused, or unsure of your career path.
If possible every point on your resume should cause the reader to think – “this is exactly the type of person we are looking for”.
Big gaps can also be a problem however. You can minimize this issue by selecting the correct resume format and presenting dates with years only – not months.
The goal of the resume is to get an interview. At the interview, mention that your resume is a summary of your relevant experience, not an exhaustive list.
There is no rule that says everything you have done must be on your resume. Choose wisely, and if possible leave out things that may hinder your chances of getting called for an interview.