It’s a mistake to take resume advice from just anybody, notes Ross Macpherson, president of Career Quest, a Certified Professional Resume Writer and professional Interview Coach. Doing so can result in a resume is in such shambles that even you don’t understand it. “I have no problem with you getting advice and help, but always ‘consider the source,’” Macpherson writes. “Your resume is your single most important marketing tool, so either do your research or get professional advice.”
Macpherson’s advice reminds me of a former student who brought his resume back to me dozens of times for critiquing. Every time he showed it to me, it was different and had aspects that had differed from my advice. I would ask him why he had changed it from the way I’d suggested, and he’d tell me that one of the many people he’d showed it to had told him to do it that way. It is certainly true with resumes that too many cooks spoil the broth. Resumes are very subjective, and you can’t hope to please everyone. That’s why it’s good to trust just one expert with good resume-writing credentials.
