#1 - It HAS an objective. An objective is very 80's and if you want to make an immediate impression that are you not "with the times", put an objective at the top of your resume. (Don't let anyone tell you any different, there are many better options!)
#2 - It has no focus. If I can't figure out what you are wanting to do in the first 5 seconds that I read your resume, you can be assured that no one else is going to know either. Don't assume, tell us.
# 3 - Too much white space. If your key accomplishments are 3 words or the 2nd page of your resume is only 5 lines long, you have a problem.
#4 - It just doesn't look professional. I compare it to walking into an interview with your shirt untucked or with food on your face from lunch. If you screw up the first impression, you might as well pack it in. Your resume IS that first impression.
#5 - It's too long. I tell clients all the time......unless you are a C-level executive with 40 years of experience, there is rarely ever a reason your resume should be more than 2 pages. Always keep the reader in mind when you know they all have a short attention span. No need to tell us your life story, just need the highlights.
#6 - You mention "references available upon request" as the last line of your resume. Please, please, please - take it off it now. That is always assumed, if someone wants references, they will ask. It makes it look like you are trying to fill space on your resume - which is all you are doing.
#7 - Way overusing, fonts, bold, and italics. It's OK to use them, but use them sparingly and be consistent. Anything else and your resume can turn into a mess quickly.
#8 - Putting bullets on every single line of your resume. This one kind of cracks me up because if the point of a bullet is to highlight a key accomplishment, if every line has a bullet - how can I tell what's important? Bullets are great, but always save them for key specific details that you want the reader to find easily.
#9 - Putting months on a resume. This one is a personal preference, but when you tell me that you started a job in Jan of 1990 and left in Dec of 1991, that's a bit more information than I need to know. I think just saying 1990 to 1991 makes it much easier for the reader to determine time frames. You are still being honest, but if someone needs to know more specifics, they can ask.
#10 - Spelling and grammar issues. This could be the #1 killer mistake on a resume. If you can't put a sentence together correctly or figure out how to use spell check, I might question hiring you too. Proof read it over and over, have someone else read it and proof read it again. It's that important!
I hope this was helpful. If you have any interest in doing a one on one resume review with me, send your resume to me at mike@maetzresumeconsulting.com
#2 - It has no focus. If I can't figure out what you are wanting to do in the first 5 seconds that I read your resume, you can be assured that no one else is going to know either. Don't assume, tell us.
# 3 - Too much white space. If your key accomplishments are 3 words or the 2nd page of your resume is only 5 lines long, you have a problem.
#4 - It just doesn't look professional. I compare it to walking into an interview with your shirt untucked or with food on your face from lunch. If you screw up the first impression, you might as well pack it in. Your resume IS that first impression.
#5 - It's too long. I tell clients all the time......unless you are a C-level executive with 40 years of experience, there is rarely ever a reason your resume should be more than 2 pages. Always keep the reader in mind when you know they all have a short attention span. No need to tell us your life story, just need the highlights.
#6 - You mention "references available upon request" as the last line of your resume. Please, please, please - take it off it now. That is always assumed, if someone wants references, they will ask. It makes it look like you are trying to fill space on your resume - which is all you are doing.
#7 - Way overusing, fonts, bold, and italics. It's OK to use them, but use them sparingly and be consistent. Anything else and your resume can turn into a mess quickly.
#8 - Putting bullets on every single line of your resume. This one kind of cracks me up because if the point of a bullet is to highlight a key accomplishment, if every line has a bullet - how can I tell what's important? Bullets are great, but always save them for key specific details that you want the reader to find easily.
#9 - Putting months on a resume. This one is a personal preference, but when you tell me that you started a job in Jan of 1990 and left in Dec of 1991, that's a bit more information than I need to know. I think just saying 1990 to 1991 makes it much easier for the reader to determine time frames. You are still being honest, but if someone needs to know more specifics, they can ask.
#10 - Spelling and grammar issues. This could be the #1 killer mistake on a resume. If you can't put a sentence together correctly or figure out how to use spell check, I might question hiring you too. Proof read it over and over, have someone else read it and proof read it again. It's that important!
I hope this was helpful. If you have any interest in doing a one on one resume review with me, send your resume to me at mike@maetzresumeconsulting.com
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