Recently, a number of job seekers have asked me if it’s okay to drop undesirable jobs from their resumes. The reasons varied, but most had to do with holding short-term positions, leaving jobs on bad terms, getting fired, and changing careers.

In the past, I would have considered that approach. After all, a resume is a marketing piece and should present only the qualifications that would help “sell” the candidate. Now I’m revisiting this issue, and my advice is that you shouldn’t omit positions from your resume just to make your work history look more desirable.

Okay, I shouldn’t use absolutes. Someone asked if a job she held for several days can be dropped. Yes, it can! An extremely short-term job is not significant enough to be listed in your employment history. Also, if you’re only including employment history from the last 10-15 years or so, of course you can omit older jobs. As is the case for most resume strategy decisions, use your judgment.

Here are the top reasons why it’s usually not a good idea to omit jobs from the resume:

1. You will look like a liar when the employer finds out during a background check, and then you’ll have some explaining to do (if a job offer is still a possibility).

2. Although resumes aren’t officially signed, legal documents like applications are, employers are expecting you to provide a thorough, honest work history. The omitted job may go unnoticed for now, but could come back to haunt you after you’re hired. Your job–and reputation–could be in jeopardy.

3. In some cases, listing the job will look better than showing a “gap.” Yes, you were employed (even if for a short time), and that will remove the employer’s concern about what you were doing during that time period.

4. It doesn’t look as bad as you think it looks. I understand that it’s a competitive job market and everyone wants to have a “perfect” work history, but very few people offer such a history. You’re human. You took a job that was a bad fit. You got fired. So what? We tend to magnify our own flaws, even when others wouldn’t notice there’s a problem.

I’m not saying that providing a complete, truthful work history is the easy approach. You could be hit with tough interview questions, but you should do fine if you anticipate the questions and prepare responses before heading into the interview.

The bottom line: You will get a new job, and can proceed with a clear conscience.

Best wishes,

Kim Isaacs

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Heather Johnson joins us today with a great primer on how to ace the interview. I especially like Heather’s emphasis on building confidence by planning, researching, and practicing before the meeting. Enjoy! — Kim Isaacs

10 Tips to Ace the Job Interview
by Heather Johnson

Most people dread going on job interviews. The stress of meeting new people, dealing with tough questions, and possibly losing a good job opportunity is enough to unnerve even the most self-assured people. The good news is that with a little preparation, you can “wow” the interviewer and become a frontrunner for the position. Follow these 10 tips to ace the interview:

1. Research the Company – Employers are impressed by candidates who take the initiative to learn about their operations. Your research findings will also help you ask relevant questions during the interview.

2. Learn About the Interviewer – If you know who is interviewing you, find out a little more about the person. Check out the company’s website for employee bios or visit social networking sites like LinkedIn. Be careful not to overdo this, though — you don’t want to appear like a stalker.

3. Practice – Ask a friend, family member, or colleague who is experienced with job interviews to roleplay with you. Here’s a list of 50 common interview questions that you can use as a starting point. Just going through some possible interview questions will help ease your nerves.

4. Dress Appropriately, Yet Comfortably – Wear your best business attire for an interview, but don’t squeeze into something that’s uncomfortable. You’ll feel awkward and your physical discomfort might affect your performance.

5. Tell Yourself You Don’t Need This Job – Even if this seems like your “dream job,” convince yourself that you don’t need the job. This way, it won’t be the end of the world if the interview doesn’t go well.

6. Be Punctual – Plan ahead and allow some extra time for traffic, as you will not make a good first impression if you are late.

7. Make Eye Contact – Make direct eye contact with the interviewer. This shows that you are genuinely interested in what the interviewer is saying.

8. Remain Calm – When people are nervous, they tend to rush through conversations. Take your time while answering questions, and think before you speak.

9. Ask Questions – The interview will help you determine if you even want the job, so be sure to ask questions. You may discover that this isn’t the job for you.

10. Thank Your Interviewer – Not only should the interview end with a “thank you” and a handshake, follow up with a thank you card as soon as you return from the interview.

Perhaps the most important rule is #8–you will perform better if you appear calm and collected, even if you are shaking on the inside.

About the Author: Heather Johnson is a regular commentator on the subject of how to become a pharmacist. She welcomes your feedback and potential job inquiries at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com (replace “at” with @ and “dot” with “.”).

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