Today I'm debunking a few of myths about resumes that really need to fade away, once and for all.

Everyone Should Write Their Own Resume. Of course you can write your own resume, but should you? No one knows your career, skills, accomplishments and experience better than you. But are you trained to know how to take that information and distill it into a succinct, well-articulated marketing tool? Will the resume you create differentiate you in the market and get you to the top of the must-interview list? A professional resume writer can ask the right questions, bring out the essential information, and create a powerful, compelling document that emphasizes your skills and achievements. A professional resume writer can develop a resume that positions you for the job you want - which is not necessarily the job you currently have. You're smart enough to hire a qualified specialist when you need a new roof or a tune-up on your car. Make sure your resume gets the same expert attention!

A Longer Resume is More Impressive. I don’t' know why this myth continues to perpetuate itself, but somehow it does. We are an instant-gratification society and nobody is going to wade through more than a page or two of information. So edit, edit again, and then edit some more.

In fact, in today's Blackberry, I-Phone, Twitter world, potential employers just might be looking at your resume on a screen no larger than a credit card. You may want to create a quick-to-read, introductory version of your resume that is no longer than a paragraph or two. Develop a profile statement (sort of an "elevator pitch") of just a sentence or two that hits the highlights of your skill set and experience, as well as a key achievement or two. If your profile statement takes more than 30 seconds to read, it's probably too long. Have your longer resume ready to send as a follow-up.

Include Every Job You've Ever Had. Once you've been out in the workforce for a year or, you can eliminate high-school babysitting jobs and part-time summer stints at the local fast-food joint. And after you've been working for more than 10 years or so, anything you did prior to that is generally pretty outdated. Employers really want to focus on your most recent jobs and accomplishments, so it's generally best to condense experience older than 10 or 15 years into just a line or two. By doing so, you'll create space in the document to strengthen the impact of your resume by expanding on your most recent experience.

I Don't Need a Resume - I'll Network to Get My Next Job. There's no question that networking is a key part of any successful job search strategy. In fact, up to 80% of jobs are never advertised, and most people leverage their network connections to get introduced to decision makers inside companies where they want to work. But then what? Sending an up-to-date resume is normally the next step in the process. If nothing else, having a great resume will help you clarify and crystallize your professional story, and that translates into confident responses when a potential employer asks about your background.

Your resume won't get you a job - you will be the one to sell yourself in an interview. The trick is actually getting to the interview. Give yourself every advantage in the job search process. A professionally developed, concise, targeted resume is one of the most crucial tools in your job search arsenal. Your resume can help you get the interview - and the job - you deserve!

Resume article provided by Elaine Basham of The Resume Group.

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