Multitasking is not the Holy Grail of resume boosters.
As technology advances and employees try to juggle more than they've ever done before, multitasking is an easy habit of slipping into for many people. But research consistently shows that multitasking isn't as helpful as we might think.
According to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, multitaskers take 40 percent more time to finish a task in contrast to those who focus on one thing at a time
So you think multitasking can boost your resume? Let's see why how employers perceive this skill and why it may not be the most useful skill to invest in:
1. Multitasking makes you less productive
Multitasking is not a shortcut to finish a task. In fact, it means you'll work slower.
"Paying attention to each task you do will make you more efficient," says Paula Rizzo, founder of ListProducer.com and a productivity expert. "Instead of bouncing around from one thing to another, finish what you're doing first."
"When you are trying to listen to your voicemail while reading your email or reading other materials during meetings, multitasking is working against you," says Tamara Myels, a certified professional organizer and productivity consultant. "Instead, identify the priorities, the tasks - the important things you need to work on - and work on them one at a time. Time management isn't about doing more things; it's about doing more of the important things."
2. Multitasking makes you less effective as it can be exhausting.
When you are exhausted your brain slows down. Chances are you aren't getting them done as well as you could be. A study by Stanford researchers found the brains of people who multitask work less efficiently even when they're not multitasking.
"Multitasking is the worst way to try and get lots of things done," says Robby Slaughter, a productivity expert. "It's contrary to human psychology. We do best when we concentrate on one task at a time. It's also insulting to the work (and the person who assigned it) because it indicates that task doesn't deserve our complete attention.
3. Multitasking can make you more anxious
Doing more than one thing at the same time releases stress hormones including adrenaline which forces your mind to be on constant alert. This can not only cause problems to your health but makes it more difficult to retain new information making you more forgetful.
As more research comes to light, job seekers may be better off tweaking their resume to emphasize their ability to focus on one thing at a time.
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