Damaging Resume Blunders
In a tough economy, I’m not advocating for looking for a new job, but in case you’re in the market here’s a quick video one of our readers e-mailed this week. The video originally shown on CNBC features Careerbuilder’s Rosemary Haefner. Rosemary takes us through the biggest, most damaging mistakes made on resumes.
Here’s the summary of the tips:
- Be sure to include a personalized cover letter - the age of email hasn’t negated the need for a personal cover letter
- Check for typos
- Use keywords - think about searchability
- Keep it fresh - update your resume every three to five months
- Don’t lose the message (have a clear objective statement)
Some additional tips I’ve found to be helpful:
- Show the measurement/results of your work (what did your work do to move company objectives forward and what was the impact on the bottom line)
- Be honest - it’s the right thing to do and it’s too easy to get caught
- Be succinct
- Be specific
- Tailor your resume to the job
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Tags: Interviewing, Resume
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Like I wrote...
August 7th, 2008 at 12:07 am
I would dare argue that competence at one’s former jobs and moderate successes beyond one’s employment is really the best prevention for these resume blunders. Accomplishments one should be proud of will speak for themselves in just a few lines… just like liars always tell the longest, most intricate stories, a history of mediocre job performance is going to require a great deal more explaining than a resume backed by strong, positive experiences.
Call me out on this if I’m wrong, but I say save the details for the interview, as true accomplishments will almost automatically appear as succinct, specific notes on one’s resume, presenting a clear, honest outline of the results of one’s work.
August 7th, 2008 at 9:14 am
I agree - great experience a huge asset and true accomplishments presented in the right way are succinct and very effective. I would also say that if you save too much for the interview you might not make it that far.
August 10th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Here’s my resume tip: use a ridiculously large font for your name. Make it like 96. It makes you stand out when someone is sifting through a pile. If you aren’t in a pile, then maybe stick to a more traditional size.