| 10 Biggest Mistakes in Most Resumes | | | | poor grammar. Proofread! Keep in mind that 76% |
| Resumes are everywhere; from the millions | | | | of hiring managers discard applications if they find |
| floating in cyberspace to a handful crossing a hiring | | | | typos or grammatical errors. If you aren't paying |
| manager's desk to some being used as a coaster | | | | attention to this important document, how much |
| or scratch paper. How do you make sure your | | | | attention will you pay when you are employed? |
| resume is being seen by the right people? Here | | | | Mistake 5 - Keep it genuine and accurate. |
| are 10 things to avoid when drafting your resume. | | | | Exaggeration is great... if you are a novelist or a |
| Mistake 1 - Unclear message. | | | | storyteller. It's not great if you have to back up |
| Too many resumes today have an unclear | | | | your statements. Claim nothing that you can't |
| message. A lack of clarity about what the resume | | | | prove with facts. |
| is going to be used for is the biggest problem that | | | | Mistake 6 - Show, don't tell. |
| most job seekers encounter. If the writer of the | | | | Write about the your accomplishments instead of |
| resume is unclear about the value he or she has | | | | job description. State the results of your work |
| to offer, and the ideal type of job that the | | | | rather than the work you did. There is a big |
| candidate wants, then the reader will have the | | | | difference between saying you did sales and |
| same experience. The typical resume has 30 | | | | stating that you grew a department's sales 105% |
| SECONDS to make an impression. That is, if it | | | | in the course of a 3-year period. Qualify your job |
| gets past the computer programs that scan | | | | description and then quantify your achievements. |
| resumes for key words. Your resume must have | | | | Mistake 7 - Resumes are not about your ego. |
| a message that yells to the reader that you are a | | | | What you want is less important than what you |
| qualified candidate for the job. Use your | | | | can do for a person or company. Some resumes |
| specialization statement to make the initial | | | | have "Objective Statements" at the top of their |
| impression and engineer the rest of the resume | | | | resumes. This is a poor use of resume real estate |
| to support that impression | | | | because the reader is typically more interested in |
| Mistake 2 - Passive language and poor sentence | | | | what you can do for them than what you are |
| structure | | | | looking to do or get. |
| Passive language and poor sentence structure | | | | Mistake 8 - Improperly formatted for the job |
| doom most resumes. Use strong and quantifiable | | | | posting/type |
| language to demonstrate your unique skills and | | | | Many resumes are improperly formatted for the |
| abilities. Check out the difference between these | | | | job posting/type. Pick an appropriate resume |
| words and use these examples to help set the | | | | format. Pick a resume format that supports your |
| tone for your word choice: | | | | employment/education history. For example, the |
| Replace: | | | | modified chronological or hybrid-style resume is |
| "Set up" with "established" | | | | more appropriate for those who have held |
| "Worked" with "fostered" | | | | positions in diverse industries. Chronological is more |
| "Helped" with "aided" | | | | appropriate for the majority of people as it |
| "In-depth" with "expertise" | | | | instantly supports your work history. If you chose |
| "Assisted" with "supervised" | | | | the modified style, open with the same contact |
| "Cut" with "reduced" | | | | information/position and statement/support bullets |
| Avoid boring, over-used words: | | | | and then highlight the best/most related |
| Excellent communication skills | | | | accomplishments. Also, pick a resume format that |
| Goal-driven | | | | mirrors your preferred industry. Creative people, |
| Multi-tasker | | | | like designers, may add design elements (pictures |
| Personable presenter | | | | & art) to their resume as it is |
| Goal-oriented | | | | industry-appropriate. However, for the majority of |
| Detail-oriented | | | | people these design elements can cause reading |
| Avoid age, health, and appearance related terms: | | | | problems so they should be avoided. |
| Young | | | | Mistake 9 - Same resume for multiple positions |
| Energetic | | | | Most people use the same resume for multiple |
| Youthful | | | | positions. Create multiple customized resumes. |
| Healthy | | | | Having one resume for all of your job applications |
| Professional appearance | | | | would seem to make your job search easier, |
| Mature | | | | right? Wrong. Create several resumes tailored to |
| When possible, use numbers to quantify your | | | | the specific industry/job for which you desire |
| achievements: | | | | employment. You will save time with this |
| Managed group of 26 workers | | | | approach. |
| Worked with over 425 clients | | | | Here are some tips: |
| Increased sales from $1 Million to $3.6 million over | | | | Create multiple resumes specified for various job |
| a 3-year period | | | | postings- even if they are in the same industry. |
| Mistake 3 - Poor use of real estate | | | | Test your resume and the reactions you get |
| Most resumes make poor use of real estate. The | | | | after you submit your resume. If you interview |
| most important "real estate" of the resume is at | | | | for a position, is the interviewer pointing out holes |
| the top. The first quarter of the resume is what | | | | in your resume? Are you not getting to the |
| most reviewers will read and it is the ideal place | | | | interview stage? Learn from this. |
| for you to make an impression. Don't blow it! Here | | | | Create resumes that highlight specifics aspects of |
| are a few tips for you to consider: | | | | your skills and abilities, and use them as |
| Make sure your name and contact information is | | | | appropriate in your job search. If you have a |
| easy to find. When employers are looking through | | | | resume that is more tailored to a specific field, |
| hundreds of resumes they may want to find | | | | then use it! |
| specific information. Put your name at the top of | | | | Mistake 10 - Relying too much on your resume |
| the resume along with your contact information | | | | Everyone has a resume. EVERYONE. So if you do |
| so the reviewer can easily get in touch with you. | | | | things that are unique and interesting, you will |
| If your resume is emailed, the file name should be | | | | stand out. For example, get a personalized job |
| your full name separated with underscores (EX. | | | | seeking website. At MyOnlineCareerSpace you |
| John P. Smith should be john_p_smith). | | | | can build a personalized professional website for |
| Have your specialization statement near the top | | | | FREE. Use this in tandem with your resume to |
| of your resume and then use the remaining space | | | | highlight more aspects of who you are and what |
| of your resume to substantiate your claims. | | | | you are about. Then, should someone want to |
| If you have some summary bullets of the | | | | find out more about you prior to an interview, |
| information in your job history to support those | | | | they can do so in the comfort of their own office. |
| claims, like the number of years of experience or | | | | Also, look to get personalized stationery. Use a |
| a claim of projects completed or money earned, | | | | graphic designer or a graphic designing program to |
| then include those in quick hitting bullets under the | | | | get a defined look that you can use in |
| specialization statement. | | | | your thank-you cards (after the interview, be |
| Mistake 4 - Inaccuracies or poor grammar | | | | sure to send a thank-you note) and your cover |
| Too many resumes go out with inaccuracies or | | | | letters (if you need to mail in your application). |