Is Your Resume Ready?

There are oh so many Resume Dos and How Tos but what about checking out the most common resume DON’Ts?  Before YOU move forward to finalize your resume, let’s look at the biggest mistakes that we all should consider.

1.       Don’t include an OBJECTIVE and try using a short (10 to 15 words or less) SUMMARY instead to help convince the employer of your well rounded talents.  Often objectives only serve to knock you out of contention for a position.  For example;

Example:  

SUMMARY:  Bilingual public accounting professional with 3 years of progressive experience and excellent computer proficiencies including QuickBooks.

2.       Don’t use the same SUMMARY each time; reorder the words to match each and every job description.  This will pay dividends in insuring you have analyzed each job that you are applying to.

3.       Don’t forget to include your “LinkedIn” profile which is listed on the bottom of your resume instead of writing “references available upon request” which is considered outdated by most human resource professionals.

4.       Failing to customize each resume and updating your bulleted points, which often results in losing out on a possible job interview, is a big Don’t on the list.  Most companies use resume screening devices and check for key words to insure that applicants have the appropriate experience before a candidate moves into the interview phase.    

5.       Forget about too much embellishing or outright lying about your education or experience.  Companies can and will check your previous employers for job verification and it is worse to have a job offer rescinded because you went overboard in writing out your responsibilities.

6.       Don’t forget to use key action verbs that will showcase your accomplishments.  Ask Career Services for a great list of action verbs to assist you in improving your bulleted points. 

7.       Never list job descriptions on your resume instead of action oriented bulleted points.  Simply writing down lists of things you did at your job only takes away valuable space on your resume.  This means little and will not assist you in scoring the interview. It would be better to enhance your resume with Volunteerism or Student Government/Club offices you held or contributed to. 

8.       Don’t list degrees that you haven’t completed; simply write “Candidate for Bachelor of Science Degree or Candidate for Associate in Science Degree and list your expected graduation date. 

9.       Especially important, don’t forget to check and recheck dates of employment and if you can’t recall the correct dates, check with the company to verify.

10.   Each and every time you send out a resume don’t forget to make sure your contact information, email address and phone number is correct and in working order.  Recheck your phone message and email address and ensure professionalism. 

REMEMBER IT IS YOUR TIME TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD WITH A GREAT RESUME SO REMEMBER YOUR DON’TS AND CALL CAREER SERVICES FOR HELP!!!!

Written by:

Lynn Page