Article originally posted on http://www.resumescripter.com
Resume Scripter Blog – Resume Scripter
As a professional resume writer and career counselor, I’ve helped thousands of clients improve their resumes. In that time, I’ve also identified five common types of resumes that actually prevent people from showcasing their best selves.
Are you using one of these self-sabotaging resumes? Find out below: Resume No. 1: The Task Rabbit – Your resume includes details without context or outcomes. How Does This Resume Hurt Your Chances? The purpose of a resume is to showcase not only the responsibilities that you’ve had, but also the value you’re capable of producing. A great resume can accomplish this by including rich, informative details about both the context of the work performed and the results that you accomplished. Resume No. 2: The Illustrator How Does This Resume Hurt Your Chances? Quick Fix: Develop a new draft that includes less than 10 percent graphic elements, and then keep track of which version is getting you more calls for interviews. Resume No. 3: The Jargonist – A reader would need an advanced degree in your field to understand your resume. How Does This Resume Hurt Your Chances? Quick Fix: Pare down the language by including one comma per resume bullet. Remember that the HR team is likely not trained for your role. Ask someone who is not in your field to cross out any words that they don’t understand. You can get technical about your accomplishments during the interview. Resume No. 4: The Historian – You’ve included each and every role that you’ve ever held – and you’re not in your early twenties. How Does This Resume Hurt Your Chances? By giving valuable resume real estate to tasks that you performed more than 15 years ago, you are raising red flags that you haven’t kept up with how the industry has changed. Plus, think about it: If you sat down in front of a computer program that you used more than 15 years ago, would you even remember how to use it? Resume No. 5: The Jack of All Trades – You have degrees and/or training in multiple very different fields. How Does This Resume Hurt Your Chances? An example: I completed a furniture-building degree in my early twenties. If I’m applying for a career-training role, I probably won’t include this degree unless a.) the role I’m applying for is part of a vocational training program, or b.) I think it will provoke an interesting conversation during the interview. And even then, I would only allocate one or two lines to the degree. Quick Fix: Visualize the role. Print out your resume and review each line, asking yourself “Is this directly relevant?” for each item. If it is, great! If it’s not, is there a way that you can add details to tie the item and the role together? |