Three myths of RESUMES - 工管

One thing I love to do guys, is to DISPEL myths. So...lets have at it.

Today I wanna talk about RESUMES. Three myths to talk about:

1) Schools want to see the resume in THEIR specific format.

Nothing could be further from the truth. We at have tons of formats--the one
from HBS (that they gave to me when I was a student there in 2003-2005), the
Wharton resume, the CBS one. And ALL are just fine. You dont need to send
Wharton a "Wharton resume," or HBS an "HBS resume" etc. Pick the format that
suits you--any of these professional templates will be juuuust fine. But yes,
it WILL have to be professional No need though to worry about "which school
wants to see which template..."

2) Two pages is as good as one.

Some schools will allow you to submit TWO pages for a resume. But
honestly...one is better. Why? Well, the bar shoots higher if you include two
pages. Dont make the adcom member look at your long-winded resume, and say
"Gosh lots of words here. But if this OTHER applicant has achieved more, and
HE was able to do a one page resume, why did THIS applicant need two?" Unless
you have TRULY accomplished a great deal in your career, one page should be
juuust fine. And much STRONGER than a two pager, since you can pick your
greatest hits...

3) Jargon makes you look knowledgeable.

Now to be sure, SOME jargon is unavoidable in resumes. And there is a place
for it--more so than in the essays, for example. But...too much jargon will
not fly. Make sure that a 16 year old could understand 90% of what you write
in the essay. It is great if you work in a technical area, and schools will
of course expect you to have some specific, technical expertise. But ANYONE
needs to be able to understand the thing. The most heartbreaking resumes are
the ones where youve read a full page (or even two), and you still are left
wondering, "Erm, but what does this guy actually DO for a living..."

Hope this helps guys. Feel free to reach out for me and I can send some great
templates out. And good luck!

Jon Frank
HBS 2005
Co-Founder Precision Essay
http://www.precisionessay.com

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