Dear Aunt Jobby

I’ve been out of work for six months. I used to work in marketing for one of those big financial institutions that are now owned by the Government, he he.

I am 43, with two teenagers who eat a mountain of food each week, and a big mortgage. I’ve been job hunting every day, but I’m finding that if I get an interview, employees notice my “wealth” of experience, my qualifications (I have an MBA from a fancy school)  and my age. They put it together and comment that I am too qualified and too experienced. They say I wouldn’t be happy in the kind of position they’re offering.

My husband says I should remove some details from my resume to make it look less impressive (and me less expensive to hire).

I’ve seen reports of other people dumbing down resumes.  What should I do? Is this lying? Or selective omission?

Maureen,  Texas.
P.S. Did I mention we are about two weeks away serious trouble?

Maureen, Aunt Jobby’s resume is dumb enough as it is, so I asked someone who is a real expert on finding jobs for all sorts of people. Surranna Sandy is a certified professional résumé writer and employment interview strategist.

Surranna says, “For many job seekers, the thought of writing a résumé fills them with dread. Deciding what to keep in, what to take out, the length, the design etc., is very stressful.

You have to remember that the purpose of your resume is to support you before, during and after a job interview and help you to secure a job.

Therefore, you should remember the goal of a strongly written resume: it is to generate interest from a potential employer and to persuade them to call you for a personal interview. If you are applying for a position that does not require an MBA, then do not include the MBA on your resume, only include your undergraduate degree.

To appear more competitive for the roles you are targeting, highlight only those skills and experiences that are relevant for that particular job.

For instance, if you managed a $1.2 million budget and 10 staff, but the role to which you are applying for does not require budget or staff management, do not include this information. Furthermore, to make you more attractive to potential employers, I suggest, simply going back only 10 years in your work history to reduce the extent of your work experiences. During the interview, if asked, you can then expand on the rest of your career.

Going to a job interview?

Keep in mind that dumbing down your resume can eliminate you from being considered for a potential job where you would have been a great fit. Some organizations’ HR departments and recruiting firms keep the resumes of candidates on file for future opportunities and your “dumbed down” resume could deter them from considering you as a viable candidate. Lastly, while it is ok to omit data – as a non-statement is not a false statement – deliberately falsifying data such as credentials, job titles and accountabilities are a definite no-no.

Finally good luck with your résumé writing and the job search!”

For more information on writing a strategic resume, and resume writing tips, visit Surranna’s Job Centre at ResumeSolutions.

Surranna Sandy is a certified professional résumé writer, employment interview strategist and a leading Canadian expert in Career Management. She leads a team of career coaches and professional resume writers in assisting job seekers though her consulting firm Resume Solutions. You can reach her by e-mailing info@resumesolutions.ca

Photo:  Woman about to get a bus in Melbourne, Australia, by Reinis. See more of his photos on Flickr. Courtesy of Creative Commons Flickr.com