Resume Help - Resume Help - Top 10 Problems Requiring Resume Help (page 2)

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Resume Help... Top 10 Problems

The 'Top 10' Problems Requiring Resume Help

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6) Not Targeting The Job Opening

The old ‘shotgun' approach is fading fast. To land an interview in this tough economic climate, seekers need to target a position opening and gently steer their resume toward that position. Beyond the obvious need to target the resume's objective, don't overlook the balance of the document – including the work history. Selectively highlight those skills and past job experiences that speak to the position you're seeking.

For example, if you're been in sales all your life but are seeking a job in mediation, you'll want to point out not that you "increased sales 150% of quota," but rather, that you: "negotiated complex contracts and facilitated buyer financing leading to an increase in sales of 150% of quota."

7) Lousy GPA

For new or recent graduates: If your overall GPA is less than 3.0 do NOT put it on your resume. If your major GPA is 3.0 or higher, while your overall is less than 3.0, include your major GPA only. You can include both your overall and your major GPA on your resume if both are 3.0 or higher, and your major GPA is stronger than your overall (say, two to three tenths of a percentage point higher).

For those 5+ years into their profession, remember that experience trumps GPA. As you progress through your career and the years begin to add up, your GPA – and other educational details – can be gently phased off your resume.

8) Personal Information

Decades ago, it was more common than not to see resumes chock full of personal information like marital status, number of children if any, social security number, height and weight, health status and the like. No longer. Leave all of this information off the resume, as none of it is indicative of your value to the prospective employer, and any of it could be used–overtly, subtly or even unconsciously–to discriminate and screen you out.

Look here for more information on What To Leave Off Your Resume.

9) References

Keep references off your resume. References belong on a separate page, a page to be presented only upon request by a company official. At most, you can note "references available upon request" at the bottom of the resume, but even that is not necessary. The availability of references is assumed.

And regarding that separate page: three professional references and three personal references should be sufficient. Include only those individuals you're sure you can count on for a positive recommendation. That means 1) always asking permission to use an individual as a job reference, 2) asking politely what your references will say about you before including them on the list, and 3) keeping those individuals off your reference list who give a hesitant, tepid or qualified response when asked about your character or job performance.

10) Misspellings

Many hiring officials will toss a resume if they encounter even a single misspelling. Why? Because they've got too many resumes to plow through to bother with a candidate who apparently doesn't care enough about the job hunt to get the resume language spot on and accurate. Can you blame them? After all, the job hunt is your job for the time being. Treat it like it's a job, because you're being evaluated like it's a job.

Spell check, spell check, spell check. And when you're finished with the spell check, have at least two friends or family members comb the resume for grammatical errors or anything else that could be a problem. Don't blow an otherwise good shot at an interview by insisting on the resume that you're a "self-motivated individdle" with "excellent tim management skils."

Best of luck.

–David Alan Carter

David Alan Carter is a former recruiter and the founder of Resume One of Cincinnati. For more than ten years, he personally crafted thousands of resumes for satisfied clients from all occupational walks of life.

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