Land Short-Term Work With A Dumbed Down Résumé

Résumés should generally be written to highlight your skill sets. But if you’re looking to land a short-term job that you’re overqualified for, you may need to dumb yours down. Here’s how to do it.

Photo by kafka4prez.

The WSJ tells the tale of 29-year-old Kristin Konopka who sent out nearly 100 copies of her résumé in search of receptionist work and got just one callback. But when Kristin took her master’s degree and academic teaching experience off the list, the responses started coming in.

According to The Journal, “candidates are gearing down their résumés by hiding advanced degrees, changing too-lofty titles, shortening work experience descriptions and removing awards and accolades.” One temp agency candidate tweaked her résumé titles from “manager” and “freelance trend researcher” to “staff” and “office support.”

The reason? A too-impressive application can serve as a red flag for employers who feel that an overqualified candidate may jump ship faster than someone with less experience.

The article advises against drastic changes—and you should, of course, keep it honest—but suggests omitting some of your more impressive achievements when you’re looking to land a job now.

The New Résumé: Dumb and Dumber [Wall Street Journal]