A resume is a marketing tool, nothing more, nothing less. Everything in it must contribute to getting the reader think you might be the right person for the job. However, it is a mistake to overstate things in your resume. You will be correctly identified as a liar. As with any marketing effort, make yourself appealing, but don’t overpromise.
If the resume is a marketing tool, the interview is the selling forum. This is where you close the deal (no resume ever closed the deal). Try to find out the company’s problem (why are they willing to spend thousands of dollars a year on someone?). Show them how you can relieve them of the problem. An interviewer has a few concerns:
- Is this the right person? (Would I be in trouble if I select this person?)
- Is there someone better?
- If this is the best person for the job, what if I can’t get them?
Address these questions.
Do you worry about being overqualified? If you have a leak in your house and you need a plumber, do you worry about whether the plumber you get is overqualified? You certainly would not want to get a professor of plumbing who only knows the theory, but you shouldn’t worry about getting someone who has fixed 100,000 leaks in their lifetime.
