Avoid Resume “Don’ts” –
Here is a list of the most common errors that annoy human resource departments and head hunters.
- Spelling Errors, Typos and Poor Grammar
- Unqualified candidates – candidates who apply to positions for which they are clearly not qualified
- Missing dates or inaccurate dates
- Missing contact Info, inaccurate, or unprofessional email addresses
- Lying and misleading – especially in terms of education, dates and inflated titles
- Poor formatting – boxes, templates, tables, use of header and footers, etc.
- Resumes organized by job function as opposed to chronological by employer
- Unexplained gaps in employment
- Burying important information in the resume
- Missing employer information, and/or not indicating what industry in which the candidate worked
- Too duty oriented – reads like a job description, failing to explain the job seeker’s relevant accomplishments
- Long, dense paragraphs with no bullet-points
- No easy-to-follow summary of skills and accomplishments.
- Long resumes that are greater than 2 pages
- Resumes written with 1st person references, or in the 3rd person
- Resume padded with personal information not relevant to the job
- Meaningless objectives and introductions
- Poor font choice or style
- Resumes sent as PDF files, Zip files, faxes, or mailed resumes; i.e. not sent as a WORD attachment, or in the body of an email depending on the stipulated instructions.
- Irritating Pictures, graphics or URL links to their resume.