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Top 10 Common Resume Blunders

Top 10 Common Resume Blunders

Kim Isaacs | monster.com

September 16, 2008

Make sure your resume is in top-notch shape by avoiding the top 10 resume blunders:

1. Too Focused on Job Duties

Your resume should not be a boring list of job duties and responsibilities. Go beyond showing what was required and demonstrate how you made a difference at each company, providing specific examples. When developing your achievements, ask yourself:

• How did you perform the job better than others?

• What were the problems or challenges faced? How did you overcome them? What were the results? How did the company benefit from your performance?

• Did you receive any awards, special recognitions or promotions as a result?

2. Flowery or General Objective Statement

Many candidates lose their readers in the beginning. Statements such as “a challenging position enabling me to contribute to organizational goals while offering an opportunity for growth and advancement” are overused, too general and waste valuable space. If you’re on a career track, replace the objective with a tagline stating what you do or your expertise.

3. Too Short or Too Long

Many people try to squeeze their experiences onto one page, because they’ve heard resumes shouldn’t be longer. By doing this, job seekers may delete impressive achievements. Other candidates ramble on about irrelevant or redundant experiences. There is no rule about appropriate resume length. When writing your resume, ask yourself, “Will this statement help me land an interview?” Every word should sell you, so include only the information that elicits a “yes.”

4. Using Personal Pronouns and Articles

A resume is a form of business communication, so it should be concise and written in a telegraphic style. There should be no mentions of “I” or “me,” and only minimal use of articles. For example:

“I developed a new product that added $2 million in sales and increased the market segment’s gross margin by 12%.”

Should be changed to:

“Developed new product that added $2 million in sales and increased market segment’s gross margin by 12%.”

5. Listing Irrelevant Information

Many people include their interests, but they should include only those relating to the job. For example, if a candidate is applying for a position as a ski instructor, he should list cross-country skiing as a hobby.

Personal information, such as date of birth, marital status, height and weight, normally should not be on the resume unless you’re an entertainment professional or job seeker outside the US.


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    berrymorin

    5 days ago

    2 comments

    I certainly appreciate this refresher. It's extremely important for one to make sure that their resume is updated and professional.

  • Photo_user_blank_big

    L_Desprez

    8 days ago

    2 comments

    Yes, this is very helpful. I have been working with a career growth counselor since I got down-sized and she taught me many of these things. You definitely should customize your resume for each job you are applying to to make it "speak to" the specific requirements of that job.

  • Photo_user_blank_big

    trinitenten

    13 days ago

    6 comments

    I am just three weeks away from grauduating, this article is very informative and will help me to upgrade my resume. I will earn an Associate Degree. Thank you and may GOD bless you

  • 108_max50

    ninaeve

    23 days ago

    40 comments

    Nice

  • I_did_it_3_max50

    JaniAniM

    23 days ago

    20 comments

    Since I am actively looking (right sized) I have redone my resume. Is there anyway to have it looked at to make sure it will at least get a second look when I submit? I have also been told that each position should have its own resume - is this correct? It does make it more difficult without a generic resume.

    I am being flexible and although I may apply for one position, I won't close the door if there is another one that suits. So I do have a concern with a specific position resume.

    Thoughts?
    Thanks!

  • Photo_user_blank_big

    catrina512

    about 1 month ago

    16 comments

    Great advice! I have just relocated and am searching for an executive position in the health care industry. Several people have requested a CV. The one I put together is 5 pages long. I invite some thoughts about CV vs. Resume'. My CV looks like overkill to me! Any thoughts or suggestions?

  • Forest_max50

    cece03

    about 1 month ago

    24 comments

    This is very helpful. My employer had just relocated. Even though they set up work shops regarding updating resumaes and key elements an employer looks for. The information has changed within 1 yr.

  • Emiris_max50

    PurpleIris

    about 1 month ago

    60 comments

    It just takes common sense, but I'm sure glad this article pointed it all out! :)

  • Professional_picture_20080428_max50

    TGamble

    about 1 month ago

    4 comments

    This is GREAT information!!

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    hbp310

    about 1 month ago

    2 comments

    I found this article helpful. I paritcularly liked the mention of the personal profile (something I was not previously aware of).

  • Ila_cute_max50

    z03r4

    about 1 month ago

    14 comments

    Really marvelous advice... Frankly I need such advice to improve my resume. Then surely I'll go with it. Thanks a lot... ;)

  • Me2_max50

    ShannonPDX

    about 1 month ago

    52 comments

    Excellent advice. As a hiring manager I can say all of the above play into decision making. Finding a good way ( there are bad ways to be unique, many of which are mentioned in the article) to stand out from a myriad of resumes helps. And please, if you don't meet the minimum requirements, don't apply. It may negatively impact future openings that you are qualified for. (IMHO)

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    LindaG

    about 1 month ago

    64 comments

    Excellent advice particularly #1. I've seen resumes that just have a list of activities with no indication of the impact of those activities on the business. You will stand out to hiring manager when you replace a statement that says you "created monthly sales reports" with one that says "the monthly reports you created made it easy for the sales reps to identify problem accounts".

  • Avatar_max50

    slic

    2 months ago

    8 comments

    I wish I would have had this advise when I was making my resumes and showing them for office jobs. At least someone posted it so now I know in the case that I may need it again. Big thanks

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    HMW

    2 months ago

    2 comments

    Great advice. I too am job hunting and have followed most of those rules. However, I was not aware of how important a summary could be in making someone interested. I've always stuck to a formal resume style which gets to the point. I will update my resume!

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