Top 10 Resume Mistakes

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You're almost ready to graduate and going to look for a job and move on to your new career. You turn to the blank computer screen in front of you and start writing your resume. You are now officially Mr./Ms Job Seeker!

How hard can that be? Apparently, it's a task not to be undertaken lightly. Most resumes circulating in cyberspace and on paper are terrible and actually do more harm than good for the prospective job seeker. How can you avoid resume mistakes? Let's look in cyberspace to see where the mistakes are lurking!

1.  LACK OF OVERALL FOCUS -- Every resume should be written with a specific position or type of position in mind. Without such a focus, your resume is just a list of the places you've worked. That means don't send the same old resume to everyone under the sun.

2.  LACK OF FOCUS ON ACCOMPLISHMENTS -- If you've worked anywhere for any length of time, you've probably ended up doing a lot of different things. There is no point in describing them all in your resume. Employers want to know how you are going to help them meet their business goals. To that end, make sure that your resume highlights what you accomplished in each position (in other words, how you helped your former employers achieve their goals), not just what you did.


3. FACTS BUT NO PIZAZZ -- Mr./Ms. Job Seeker has listed responsibilities under each job title. But what separates him from the crowd? A great resume should include accomplishments and achievements that you have been instrumental in making happen. Increased widget sales by 65% in six months! Brought in 15 new clients with total billings in excess of $100,000! Don't be afraid to brag a little -- just be honest.

4. HITHER AND YON -- If you have changed jobs more than models change outfits at a fashion show, you may want to consider something other than naming a jumble of job listings. If you have experience in more than one field and it needs to be included on the resume, consider grouping the types of jobs together under specific headings such as "Summer Work" or "Customer Service/Sales."

5. GRUDGE FACTOR -- Don't include the reasons you've left or are leaving your job. Do not mention "sexual harassment," "lawsuit," "workers compensation claim," or "fired me for no good reason." Some situations are better explained in person, if at all.

6. PERSONAL INFO -- No one cares if you are single, married, play the trombone, or enjoy league bowling. Personal information does not belong on a resume. Do not include your age, race, gender, or blue ribbons for gardening.

7. LONG-WINDED HISTORY -- Only your relatives have the patience to read through every job you've held since stocking groceries in high school. Prospective employers want to know what RELEVANT EXPERIENCE you've had in the past 4-5 years. Highlight the most recent jobs and consolidate the past into several lines on a strong 1- or 2-page resume.

8. SLOPPINESS -- You are in such a hurry to find a new job that you think printing the resume on green or orange paper will get you noticed fast. You will get noticed -- and then dropped in the circular file! There is a coffee ring stain on the hand-written envelope, which also happens to have the return address of his current employer in the corner -- No, no, no. Looks count!

9. MISSING DATES -- Include the dates for each position you've held, even if the time frame strikes you as short. If you leave out dates, it gives the impression that you are trying to hide something. Let the person reading your resume judge for themselves whether the length of time you spent at this or that job is relevant. Frankly, for people pursuing Web careers it is not unusual to work for a number of different companies and clients in a relatively short period of time.

10. NO REASON FOR SENDING RESUME -- Once you have carefully checked over your professionally written resume to ensure that the salient points mentioned above have been addressed, don't forget one of the most important adjuncts to a good resume -- THE COVER LETTER. In the cover letter, you have the chance to state why you are sending your resume to this company and for what specific position. Don't make people guess as to why you have sent them your resume -- make it clear right up front.

Good luck!

Avoid the Top Ten Resume Mistakes is presented by Peter Newfield, President of Career Resumes, one of the leading resume writing services, providing cover letters, professional resumes, and Internet posting in all fields and industries. Career Resumes is a member of both the National Resume Writers' Association and the Professional Association of Resume Writers. For a free consultation and resume evaluation with a price quote, call 1-800-800-1220 or fax resumes to 1-800-927-4611.