7 Fatal Resume Errors - CareerAlley

7 Fatal Resume Errors - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. My company was recently recruiting for an experienced hire (5-10 years) and I was given the task of reviewing resumes and recommending a short list of candidates to interview. The vast majority of resumes were very well written and had good formats. There were a few, however, that were just scary. Misspelled words, missing punctuation, poor content. There was one in particular that read as if it was a very first draft. You dont want to just make a good impression, you want to make a lasting impression. Your resume is your first (and hopefully not your last) chance to do that. Get your resume right and you stand a good chance at getting an interview. Where can it go wrong? Read on. 1. Misspellings and Grammatical Errors There is nothing that will get your resume discarded more quickly than errors. There is really no excuse these days for sending a resume (or any document for that matter) that has misspellings or grammatical errors. Spell check has been around forever and most word processing programs include a grammar checker. Read your resume several times before sending. The best piece of advice is to get someone to proofread it for you. 2. Resume Writers Im not saying that you should not use a[easyazon_link asin=1593577338 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=no]resume[/easyazon_link] writer. Professional resume writers can be extremely helpful and many times make the difference between a great resume and a piece of, well you get the point. If you decide to get help in writing your resume, make sure that they know all about you. Spend time talking with them so that they get a good understanding of your experience and the type of job you want to get. Just sending your information to someone who you expect will produce the perfect resume is a big mistake. Engage and own the process. 3. Not Focused You need to be specific about what youve done (your accomplishments) and the outcome (such as savings, improved sales, reduced errors, etc.). Something like worked in marketing does not really say anything. A focused sentence might say Created cost effective marketing campaigns for the head of Marketing. 4. Gaps in Your Resume Many people have had gaps in their employment. Mergers, bankruptcies, discontinued businesses, there are many reasons why you may have a period of unemployment. There are several ways you can handle this. The easiest way is to not use a chronological resume format. Any volunteer work or contract work you did during your period of unemployment should be included as well. 5. No Keywords Todays tip of the day. Resumes are scanned by most companies and job search sites. Hiring managers will look for resumes that include many of the keywords that are included in their job descriptions. While its important that you include your accomplishments on your resume, it is also important that you include keywords for your industry and job title. 6. A Politically Incorrect Email Address: Ive seen (and given) this advice before, and you would think that it was not necessary. But believe it or not, this is a very common mistake. I usually suggest that you create a new email address just for job search. Using some variation of your name is the best way to go. If your personal email address is something like [emailprotected], I would suggest using something else (even if you are very proud of your beer drinking prowess). 7. What You Do in Your Spare Time: Hiring managers want to know that you have interests outside of your job. Sports, camping, travel, etc. are all great hobbies. Avoid anything that might cause discrimination. Political organizations is a good example and should not be included on your resume. Review your resume and dont be a victim of these resume errors. Resume Tip: Include Keywords in Your Resume- Leverage the same keywords in your resume that are used in job descriptions for jobs where you want to apply. Also take a look at 150 Funniest Resume Mistakes, Bloopers and Blunders Ever. Funny stuff and worth a read. Book Review of the Day [easyazon_link asin=1570231958 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=no]Best KeyWords for Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interviews: Powerful Communication Tools for Success[/easyazon_link] Keywords are key (pun intended) if you want your resume to show up in searches. This book, by Wendy Enelow, will help you identify all of the keywords that you should include on your resume. [easyazon_image add_to_cart=default align=none asin=1570231958 cloaking=default height=160 localization=default locale=US nofollow=default new_window=default src=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KNX8272GL._SL160_.jpg tag=caree07-20 width=109] We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ what where job title, keywords or company city, state or zip jobs by 7 Fatal Resume Errors - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Weve all experienced that yikes! moment in a job interview. Some question we could not answer or worse, giving some stupid answer. How about forgetting information on your own resume? These are the obvious mistakes which we will not soon forget (nor should we). Mistakes like this are always painful and very often they are fatal to our job search effort. So, just like Kaceys quote above, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. But what about the job search mistakes you didnt make yet? Or, maybe the job search mistakes you dont know youve made? 1. Not knowing anything about the company where you are interviewing Hopefully you are not just applying to every job that looks good. You should be focusing on the companies that are the best fit for your industry and job title (see # 10 below). Whether or not your interview is with a company that is on your job search plan or one that you had not considered, you must do your research on the company. In addition to getting some feedback on company culture and environment from your network (see #8 below), you should know as much as you can find out about the company and the interviewer(s). How to Build a Job Search Company Research Revisited 2. Not knowing why you are the right person for the job The hiring manager is trying to hire the best person for the job and if you are not it then you should not be on the interview. Youve read the job description and you think you are a great match be prepared to talk about that on your interview. Before the interview, you should cross reference your resume to the job description and be prepared to focus on your skills and experience that best match the job description. Think of specific achievements that will demonstrate you are the best person for the job. The Tough Interview Question: Why Should We Hire You? 3. Your references give you a bad reference Sounds crazy? Its not. You would be surprised how many people give references contacts that dont give them a good reference. Before adding contacts to your reference list you should have a conversation with them to ensure that they are comfortable giving a reference. No one should be surprised (least of all you) about a reference call. Needless to say, current managers and co-workers should not be on your list of references. Job Search Marketing Toolkit References 4. Giving out your work business card or using your work email address on your resume A job interview is not a business call, it is a personal career meeting. While the interviewer(s) may give you their business cards, dont give your business card (unless you own your own business). Additionally, dont use your work email address on your resume, cover letter or thank you note. And dont use your work email to correspond with recruiters and potential employers. 9 Reasons Why I Wont Hire You 5. Youve not googled yourself (lately or at all) While you might be very comfortable that there is nothing on any of your social networks that will embarrass you, you never know what might show up on the Internet with your name. Maybe youve been tagged in a compromising photo by a friend, or maybe you posted some political comment that might not be mainstream. There is also the possibility that someone who has a similar name to yours shows up when a search is done on you. While there is not much you can do (in the short term) about embarrassing information/pictures on the Internet, being aware of what is out there gives you the advantage of being in front of the issue and addressing it head on. Social Disaster is your Job Search Safe? 6. You did not spell check your resume There is no excuse for having spelling errors on any of your job search documents. While it is sometimes difficult to proofread your own work, not using the spell checker in your word processing software is just a really dumb mistake and may lead recruiters and potential employers to through your resume in the discard pile. Grammatical are more difficult to spot, but should also be absent from your resume. Ask a trusted friend or family member to read your resume. 7 Fatal Resume Errors 7. You spend all of your time applying to online jobs Job search engines can be addicting. While there is definitely a value to using job search engines as part of your job search plan (#10 below), they should not be the only tool you use. They tend to return lots of job openings that either exactly match or closely match your experience. If youve not properly filtered your results, there is a very real possibility that a not insignificant number of these opportunities do not actually exist or have already met their quota of responses (that is a topic for another post). 5 Tips to Help Maximize Your Job Search 8. You dont leverage your network Your network is your most important job search tool and should probably make up 30% to 50% of your job search plan. These are the people who know you best former managers, former co-workers, friend, business acquaintances, etc. Some of thee people will help you find leads and others will help with recommending your applications. Dont underestimate the value and power of your network. 5 Tips for Leveraging Social Media in Your Job Search 9. You dont sent a thank you note You may think that thank you notes are old school, but they are not. While a generic thank you note is a waste of time, a targeted thank you note can make all of the difference in you getting to the next round in your interview process. What, exactly, is a targeted thank you note? A targeted thank you note is a note that lets the interviewer(s) know that you listened during the interview (by repeating some of what you discussed) and its your opportunity to remind the interviewer why you are the best person for the job. Great Job Interview, Have You Said Thank You? 10. You dont have a job search plan You wouldnt drive somewhere without knowing how to get there and you shouldnt start your job search without a job search plan. Your job search plan should include a list of your target companies, your prioritized network (more on this in an upcoming post), recruiters who are focused on your industry and the overall approach to your job search. A focused job search plan will get you the best results in the shortest period of time. 5 Resources to get you Started on Your Job Search Action Plan Book Corner [easyazon_link asin=1440579059 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]Knock em Dead 2015: The Ultimate Job Search Guide[/easyazon_link] We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ what where job title, keywords or company city, state or zip jobs by