Myth Number Three: A recruiter’s advice about your résumé signifies an informed, professional review that will help your marketability.

posted by Waffles

Greek Mythology holds that Zeus commanded two eagles to find the center of the Earth. One eagle flew east, the other west. They bumped heads in Delphi. Eventually, the spirit of Apollo came to reside in Delphi, which, according to the eagles, was the center of the Universe, at the juncture of heaven and Earth. A boom in tourism soon followed.

The big attraction was the storehouse of information possessed by Apollo, who was not averse to sharing his godly wisdom with mere mortals. When queried through an intermediary, called the “Oracle,” supplicants would have their most important, profound and vexing questions answered by the god himself, speaking through the Oracle. It was a big business, and Delphi thrived. No doubt, the Oracle made a few bucks herself.

Unfortunately, the Oracle’s pronouncements often proved difficult to fathom, and highly subject to interpretation. When King Croesus of Lydia consulted the Oracle to determine whether he might successfully wage war against the Persian Empire, the Oracle accurately predicted that if Croesus attacked, a mighty empire would fall. Thus encouraged, Croesus happily trotted off to crush Persia. Alas, Oracular infallibility was overestimated. The empire that fell was (of course) not Persia, but Lydia.

As a rule, recruiters have their own agendas, which tend to color their objectivity. A recruiter’s agenda, which fortunately is open and not hidden, does not involve improving your marketability or polishing your résumé until it sparkles like a flawless diamond. Recruiters work for their client companies, and not for you. Their advice should be considered in that context.

Certainly, it would be unwise to dismiss out of hand any recruiter’s evaluation of your resume. However, like those of the Oracle, the pronouncements of recruiters may also prove to be difficult to fathom and highly subject to interpretation. And contrary to common wisdom, recruiters generally lack godlike powers and do not reside at the center of the Universe.