Candidates Say the Darndest Things
Resume Mistakes You Want to Avoid
by Erin Winebark and James Honderich, with Jesseca Kendall
The goal of any person writing a resume is to obtain a lucrative job within their field of expertise. However, as people who screen potential candidates' resumes on a daily basis, we see a lot of serious mistakes that a lot of candidates make a lot of the time. Since we're the ones who screen your resume first, here's some advice (based on actual examples) to keep your resume out of the "No" pile.
Leave Out High School
Unless you just graduated from high school, it really doesn't matter that you were in the A/V club or were class secretary your sophomore year. This is especially true if you state your membership to the ice-fishing club while applying for a CPA position.
No Personal Details
We're glad that you're 5'10, weigh 170 lbs., that your wife's name is Melba, you are the son of Thorne and Bunny and have two children ages 7 and 12…and you love your deity, place of worship, and children. You sound healthy, and probably have a kind demeanor in general, but that's not useful to recruiters or employers; in fact, most of the time it's illegal for us to make decisions based on personal details. Having them in there just makes things difficult. Keep your resume focused on your professional accomplishments and experience.
Account for Gaps
If you really haven't worked in nine years, use some of your free time to come up with a reason why, or at least come up with a title for what you did (i.e., Chief Mothering Officer, Hackensack, NJ). Otherwise, our imaginations get carried away wondering what you've been up to.
List Only Pertinent Skills
Kite-flying is not a skill that can possibly be applicable to anything other than, well, flying a kite. Likewise, most HR positions don't require knowledge of tank driving; and if you do list tank driving as a skill, please mention your previous military experience. Context is important (or else, again, our imaginations can get carried away).
Proofread!
Do not use run on sentences, do not use sentence fragments and please be sure you don't misspell a word in your own job title. We've put a few too many "Chef Finicial Oficers" in the "No" pile. Writing skills are essential; your resume should demonstrate your know how.
Shorter is Better
Though you may be proud of every club, community play, honor society, sports team, and volunteer activity you've done since you were 12, there's really no need to share it with potential employers. Resumes should never be more than 3 pages long (and that's even a bit of a stretch)...ever.
Use A Professional Email Address
If your personal email addresses alludes to any illegal, promiscuous, or other socially unacceptable hobbies, please seriously consider getting a new email address. In job hunting, your email address shouldn't cause recruiters to nervously look over their shoulder while typing it. Likewise, please be aware of what your voicemail messages says about you when we call for an interview.
So, next time you are writing your resume, please keep this little list in mind. Print it out. Laminate it. Stick it under your pillow. Do what you must. Resumes that make these mistakes are amusing, but they don't get you the job you want.
Erin Winebark, James Honderich, and Jesseca Kendall make up the New York Metro Applicant Sourcing Group.
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