Less is More, Even on Resumés

You know that old adage Less is More? Well, it stands true even for resumés, as I was reminded by venture capitalist Mark Suster on his blog Both Sides of the Table.

You have only a few seconds to catch the eye of a potential employer as he skims over your resumé; he has a whole pile to get through and isn't likely to spend much longer on your CV unless he sees something interesting. "So the problem is that if you have a few outstanding achievements they get lost in the sea of all the other shite you put in as fillers to make it look like you did a lot more," says Suster. "Many people feel the need to tell the reader everything they worked on rather than the 3 biggest accomplishments. I always advise people to only put the things that had the biggest impact to maximize the chance that they’ll actually be seen."


So the next time you're polishing your resumé, do the job you're good at: edit!

The Atlantic's Rules for Making a Good Publication

There are some basics to editing and creating a good magazine that are timeless, and still apply even as magazines are expanding beyond paper. Posted on TheAtlantic.com is a copy of 12 Timeless Rules that have been pinned up in the Atlantic's office for a long time. (Go to the link if the image above is too small.)

Included in the list is a pointer that I think all editors should follow: "Don't over-edit." This is particularly a habit of newer editors, I find, as well as ones who wish they were writers. I over-edited when I first started, in part because I felt as if I had to do something to a manuscript to prove I was doing my job. And sometimes when you struggle with a passage, it helps to erase all your editing marks and start over – you may just be overcomplicating things.

I'm curious to know how many magazines out there have their own version of rules that its editors should follow. Do you have a list pinned up by your desk, or perhaps a mission statement? Do you look at it often, revisit it when you need help making a decision about a story? Let me know in the comments, even perhaps share some of your more favourite rules.

Hat tip to Kevin Spurgaitis (Twitter feed)