Seven Deadly Resume Sins

From NJResumes | Oct 12, 2008

Too often, an initial review of your resume by a prospective employer
is more about uncovering liabilities and eliminating you from
consideration than it is about identifying why you might be a highly
qualified candidate for the opening.

For that reason, your resume should be constructed in a way that
eliminates mention (if possible), camouflages, or mitigates the impact
of such liabilities.  Let us consider some of the major liabilities of
prospective job candidates and what might be done to minimize their
effects.

1.  Age

If you are a seasoned employee, references to your age, including
graduation dates and an employment history that extends beyond fifteen
to twenty years, allow the individual reviewing your resume to establish
a clear sense of your age (at least to the extent of calculating a
minimum age).  While age discrimination is illegal, most employers view
more youthful applicants as being more desirable for a variety of
reasons.  Don’t give the prospective employer the opportunity to use
your age against you.   Provide only enough information about yourself
in your resume to interest the prospective employer in you and your
qualifications.  Leave the remainder for discussion at the interview.

2.  Current Unemployment

Current unemployment, no matter what the duration, is almost always
viewed negatively by a prospective employer – the longer the period of
unemployment, the greater the liability to the job candidate.  If you
have been unemployed for more than a brief period of time, the potential
employer can view your marketability as suspect, making the assumption
that companies are unwilling to hire you for whatever reason.  Since
most people (employers included) are influenced by the thinking of
others, a job candidate unemployed for a prolonged period of time is
viewed the same way as a house that has been on the market for an
extended period – “there must be a problem.”  Avoid, if possible,
putting a terminal date on your most recent employment, or prepare an
alternative style resume that does not display so prominently your dates
of employment.

3.  Gaps in Employment

If your resume displays significant gaps between previous jobs, then
your marketability and potential value come into question.  Either you
are taking extended vacations between jobs or are having difficulties in
finding new opportunities.  Neither of these scenarios enhances your
image as a job candidate.  If you are displaying month and year dates on
your resume, you may want to consider eliminating the months and using
only the year dates.

4.  Lack of Educational
Credentials, Certifications, or Licenses

Depending upon the field you are targeting, you may be required to
hold certain credentials.   If you do not possess these qualifications,
you prospects for securing an interview for an available opening will be
severely hampered.  If, nonetheless, you have done the job before or
believe that you are in some other way qualified for the position,
prepare a resume in a style that accentuates your experiences and
qualifications.  If the issue is lack of a degree, a listing of
professional development courses, seminars, and programs that you have
completed may bolster your educational credentials.

5.  Lack of Career
Progression

Longevity within a company, highlighted by attainment of positions of
increasing responsibility, is indicative of focus and drive on the part
of the job candidate. Conversely, prolonged existence in a particular
position depicts you as non-ambitious and/or ill qualified for
promotion.  Often, candidates who have been with an organization for an
extended period have, indeed, taken on more responsibility with no
corresponding change in job title.  If that is the case, the increases
in responsibility need to be incorporated into the resume to provide the
prospective employer a more accurate picture of the candidate.

6.  Too Many Employers

Although it is certainly possible that one might have valid reasons
for changing jobs rapidly (employers going out of business, etc.),
listing a number of employers within a short span of time on your resume
is another reason why someone reviewing your resume might discard it,
rather than contacting you to setup an interview.  Many employers
perceive job-hoppers as individuals lacking the skills or emotional and
psychological stability necessary to maintain employment.  If your
resume lists a number of short-term employments, consider eliminating
some of them.  Even if some gaps remain, the overall impression created
by your resume will be more positive.

7.  Incorrect Spelling,
Grammar, and/or Punctuation

A single word misspelled on your resume can signify disaster for
you.  We once had a client who, in rushing to prepare his own resume,
intended to type the word “warehouse”.  The copy he handed to the
potential employer actually read “whorehouse!”     Similarly,
infractions of grammatical rules and improper punctuation, including
capitalization and run-on sentences, can mean the difference between job
interviews and a phone that does not ring.  Of all the potential
liabilities, this is the easiest to correct.  Make sure you carefully
review your resume and any other documents you send to employers.  A
perfect resume dramatically enhances your potential for job-hunting
success.