10 Mistakes You’re Making on Your Resume

Reader Comments
Back to blog

Nice article, I agree with everything except having a resume that's more than one page long. That should be reserved for only the most significant of accomplishments. As someone who has interviewed a lot of candidates, one of my pet peeves is a multi-page resume without anything interesting enough to warrant more than one page.
If you have a multi-page resume, you better be a nuclear physicist, a retired military general, or someone who headed up several fortune 500 companies, otherwise I am only interested in a one page summary of who you are and your "relevant" accomplishments. Of course this is only my opinion and your mileage may vary!

John of FL 8:38AM May 15, 2013

Really strong list. The thing that never ceases to amaze me is the number of times people place style over substance. Of course a resume needs to read easily and be scanned by people and by CV parsing software; however the content is what matters most
Put down what you have delivered or achieved when working for past or current employers and you will be streets ahead of the majority of people who still insist on listing activities and responsibilities. Employers care, in the main, about what you can deliver for them. tell them.

Glenn Hughes 5:02PM March 25, 2013

I have a hard time with listing job experience....I have unfortunately been employed in a number of short term positions and when I list them all it looks like I'm a job-hopper, but when I don't, it looks like I have a lot of gaps in my employment.
As for accomplishments, I have always been in dead-end jobs where I don't feel I made a real contribution, and don't really have any "accomplishments" to list. Being a receptionist, for example, what can you say?

Jo of AZ 7:26PM May 25, 2011

I write resumes for job seekers that reach hiring managers and get interviews, and I almost always include an objective statement. If you're seeing objectives like this one:
"To gain employment with a construction company that is growing firm, so one day I can move up to position as a shop foreman or project manager"
then I agree with you. Besides the obvious grammatical and punctuation errors, this person's objective is all about the job seeker's wants, and companies don't hire people based on what the candidate wants, they hire based on what the candidate will do for them. Which is where a properly written objective can play a huge part in getting that job. Consider:
"I am seeking a full-time position with the ABC Company as your administrative assistant. As this resume shows, my experience (here the job seeker lists some of the skills the company is asking for) will provide you immediate value. I am confident that I can help your company achieve its objectives."
An objective like this centers on the employer. It focuses the resume. And it piques the reader's interest. It gets the resume off to a good start and leads directly into the job seeker's accomplishments.

Jack Mulcahy of PA 9:09AM May 03, 2011

Thank you Alison for an understandable overview of the "resume" and the pointers to, for me, has me rethinking how to approach my resume in a new light.
I have a question Alison I am a Trans-gendered person on my way to become whole, now my question is how do I address this in my resume?
I am about 8 months away from reassignment surgery and how will this affect my job apportunities?
Sincerely
Nicole

Nicole Warner 4:05PM April 07, 2011

This is exactly what some job developers should be telling job seekers in clear and uncertain terms. The way job-hunting used to happen is changed, and to survive a long hiatus from employment; The seeker must chase each job of interest. It doesn't hurt to learn how to blog also. two things can be accomplished by blogging.

Ronald Stuckey of DC 11:17AM April 06, 2011

You're right, resume writing protocol has changed dramatically since I started my resume writing service 20 years ago. Preparing a resume for today's job market requires an emphasis on the individual's core competencies, related work experience, and attractive formatting. It is also a good idea to save the final document as a Word document as well as in PDF format for online applications to ensure that the document can not be tampered with or changed in any way.

Barbara Beaulieu of NY 8:37PM April 05, 2011

Hi Everyone... I'm looking for a company or an indivual to help me re write my resume. I have had this one for a couple years and I'm ready to start looking for another job and want to have a dynamite resume to send out. I'm willing to pay someone so it looks professional..... any suggestions would be great....

Jo Ann Danna of CA 2:14PM April 05, 2011

This is the hardest part for me can you please tell us how to write one.
Thank you
Margaret

Margaret Chilcote of MI 9:17AM April 05, 2011

Many companies require candidates to apply online (including the one I hire for) and one thing I've noticed over the years is that text editors can't be relied upon to upload a great copy of your resume. I've used many tools over the years and I frequently run across the resume file where the data has been jumbled up, completely lost (only a name and no info!); shoved into a column so that resume becomes 58 pages long....My advice to job seekers is to have a couple of file formats of their resume. It's fine to use a fancy format with boxes of skills, frames for sections of the resume, etc. Use that one for printed copies or if you can email your resume to an employer. However, when you have to apply online, make sure you have a version of your resume in .txt format or a simple, left justfied, paragraph only version. Upload that to the online applications to ensure that your information is not lost of otherwise mangled.
I second the section about creativity over clarity. I've successfully used some creative approaches in my past but I've seen some really poorly executed attempts too. If you are going for a unique, creative approach make sure you execute it well and that it doesn't end up creating a negative impression. I once received a powerpoint with an embedded audio file, which when played sounded like the candidate was SCREAMING at me. I've also received videos that were done in the candidates messy bedroom w/ a wrinkled sheet for backdrop. I also received a file from a candidate that was intended to be a brouchure (I've used the brochure approach before but never via email) however the file came with a detailed list of instuctions on print settings required and you couldn't just view it ...it became far too complicated to get the information about the candidate. Creativity can be very appropriate but make sure you view it from the perspective of the intended audience before you hit send.

GMH of WA 8:17PM April 02, 2011