What’s the one rule of resume and LinkedIn that you must not ever break?
It’s an easy one to remember: Never think that there are unbreakable rules.
Listen, there is more advice on properly crafting a resume story than you could ever read in a human lifetime. It does not always line up either.
Case in point: This happened early last week. A client had their Associate’s degree on their resume with their Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. Most resume writers will tell you that’s wasted space. The general rule of thumb is that once you have a 4-year degree, the 2-year degree is considered irrelevant, so it just drops off.
But in the client’s case, it was completely separate from their other two degrees. It demonstrated skills and knowledge relevant to the job they were looking at. So we made room.
When writing a resume, LinkedIn profile, or other career-related stories, you don’t want to sweat the rules too much. They exist for a reason, so be sure to follow them when they make sense. When there is a legitimate reason to break them, weigh the pros and cons and use your best judgment Every resume or piece of career content is about a unique individual, so holding fast to rules can harm instead of help sometimes.
When in doubt, ask yourself, “Will this matter to the reader?” That will help you decide if it stays or goes.
