“The Internet has changed the focus of a
job search. Just because your resume is nice on paper, it
doesn't mean it's nice on a computer.”
Here are the top 10 pet peeves that
Sales Staff Australia consultants talk about around the
coffee machine.
1. Spelling Errors, Typos
and Poor Grammar
According to Bruce Noehren of J. Douglas
Scott & Associates, this directly reflects your
reputation. “You don't gain anything by getting it right,”
he says. “This is credibility you should already possess.”
Of course, you want to use spell check,
but that won't catch every mistake. “Manger” is a
correctly spelled word, but it means something very
different from “manager.” Be sure to pay close attention
to those buzzwords related to your field.
2. Too
Duty-Oriented
“If you're using your company's job
description, you're missing the point of your resume,”
says John Lombard of Sales Staff Australia. Recruiters
already know what the job is; your resume should highlight
your accomplishments in that position.
Schmitz advises you show what you've
really done by outlining the process, outcomes and results
that are specific to you.
3.
Inaccurate Dates or None at All
Recruiters need to know when you worked
where to get a better understanding of your working
history and to use the dates for background checks.
According to Kathi Bradley of Bradley Resources, “Missing
dates, especially for long periods of time, could send up
a red flag, and the resume may be discarded as a result.”
Include specific ranges in months and
years for every position. If you have gaps, explain them
either in your cover letter or introduction, but not in
your resume. “It always helps to continue your education
and training and to list any volunteer work during a slow
period,” says Bradley. “Listing these under education or
volunteer work should explain some of the gaps.”
4.
Inaccurate or Missing Contact Information
“You create a resume for one reason: To
get a phone call,” says Kim Fowler of Fowler Placement
Service Inc. How can someone contact you if the phone
number is missing a digit or your email address is
incorrect?
Be sure every resume you send has your
correct contact information, including name, phone number,
email address and street address. Recruiters will not look
you up; they'll move on to the next candidate.
5. Poor
Formatting
Different typefaces and boxes may look
nice on paper, but if the resume needs to be scanned, they
can cause confusion. Recruiters suggest keeping your
resume in plain text.
6.
Functional Resumes
Whenever possible, recruiters advise you
go with a chronological resume and focus on the skills and
accomplishments that pertain to the job you're seeking. If
you're concerned about a layoff, be assured that
“nowadays, unemployment is quite prevalent, and recruiters
regard it differently,” says Jeanne Pace of Pace Search
Services. “Most people do something to keep their work
[skills] going.” Use that information to fill in the gaps.
7. Long
Resumes and 8. Long Paragraphs
“I simply don't have the time to read
them,” says Bob Moore of Computer Recruiters Inc.
Focus on the skills and accomplishments
that directly apply to the job you're trying to get. Every
word counts, so don't dwell on the specifics of each job,
but rather the highlights specific to you.
9.
Unqualified Candidates
You may want a job, but if you don't
have the skills and experience needed, recruiters will
feel you're wasting their time.
Look at the job description. Be sure to
highlight the skills they are looking for with a bulleted
list of your related qualifications at the top of the
document.
10.
Personal Information Unrelated to the Job
With the limited time recruiters spend
on your resume, you don't want to distract them with your
age, height, weight and interests unless they're directly
related to the work you want to do.
“You need to make the link between what
a recruiter needs and what you bring to the table,”
explains Fowler. “Anything personal that is not directly
linked to the position takes away from the point of the
resume.”
That's was our
top ten...but below is a further list of pet peeves to
avoid
-
Missing employer Info and/or not indicating what
industry in which the candidate worked
-
Lying
and misleading - especially in terms of education, dates
and inflated titles
-
Objectives and meaningless 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
-
Irritating Pictures, graphics or URL links
-
No
easy-to-follow summary of skills and accomplishments
-
Resumes written with 1st person references, or in the
3rd person
-
Unexplained gaps in employment
-
Burying important info in the resume
