Recruiters' Top Ten Resume Pet Peeves
Here are the top 10 pet peeves from organizational recruiters and some advice in effectively helping towards eliminating them from your resume:
- Spelling Errors, Typos and Poor Grammar
Of course, you want to use spell check, but that won't catch every mistake. "Manger" is a correctly spelled word, but it means something very different from "manager." Be sure to pay close attention to those buzzwords related to your field. Read and re-read your resume many times and give it to a friend to read as a fresh set of eyes may catch something you have missed over and over. - Too Duty-Oriented
"If you're using the company's job description, you're missing the point of your resume," says Paul Schmitz of Hufford Associates. Recruiters already know what the job is; your resume should highlight your accomplishments in that position. Schmitz advises you show what you've really done by outlining the process, outcomes and results that are specific to you. - Inaccurate Dates or None at All
Recruiters need to know when you worked where to get a better understanding of your working history and to use the dates for background checks. Missing dates or gaps, especially for long periods of time, could send up a red flag, and the resume may be discarded as a result. Include specific ranges in months and years for every position. If you do have gaps, explain them either in your cover letter or introduction, but not in your resume. It always helps to continue your education and training and to list any volunteer work during a slow period. Listing these under education or volunteer work should explain some of the gaps. - Inaccurate or Missing Contact Information
You create a resume for one reason: To get a phone call for an interview. How can someone contact you if the phone number is missing a digit or your email address is incorrect? Be sure every resume you send has your correct contact information, including name, phone number, email address and street address. This needs to be easy for recruiters as they will not look you up or chase you down but instead, simply move on to the next candidate... especially in this economic climate where the competition is strong. - Poor Formatting
Different typefaces, underlines, boxes, italics, etc... may look nice on paper, but if the resume needs to be scanned, they can cause confusion. Recruiters suggest keeping your resume in plain text and keeping the frills to a minimum. The content is the important factor in getting you the interview! - Functional or Chronological Resumes
Whenever possible, recruiters advise you go with a chronological resume and focus on the skills and accomplishments that pertain to the job you're seeking. But if you're concerned about a past or recent layoff, be assured that as unemployment is quite prevalent, recruiters regard it quite differently today and with less of a stigma as they have in recent years past. Most people in "slower" times find it is helpful to do something to keep their work [skills] going. This learning of new tools and information is useful to help fill in the gaps and it may benefit in the networking arena too...! - Long Resumes and...
- Long Paragraphs
Most recruiters and hiring managers are bombarded with applications and solicitations. Many will simply say they do not have the time to read them thus it has to be an easy read, focused and with relevance to the potential employer. Focus on the skills and accomplishments that directly apply to the job you're trying to get. Every word counts, so don't dwell on the specifics of each job, but rather the highlights specific to you and their transferability. - Unqualified Candidates
You may want a job, but if you don't have the skills and experience needed, recruiters will feel you're wasting their time. Look at the job description. Be sure to highlight the skills they are looking for with the text or descriptions of events from your past. - Personal Information Unrelated to the Job
With the limited time recruiters spend on your resume, you don't want to distract them with your age, height, weight and interests unless they're directly related to the work you want to do. You need to make the link between what a recruiter needs and what you bring to the table. Anything personal that is not directly linked to the position takes away from the point of the resume.