5 Résumé Mistakes You're Probably Making

Great Advice!

This advice is priceless,

Considering the fact that employers will only look at a potential candidates resume for no more then 10 seconds and decide if it goes in the good pile or the recycle bin. The author of the article made a good point, if your colleagues could write a resume containing the same thing, your in big trouble. I advice my clients to write resumes that focus and include personal accomplishments and achievements. This is the key to a successful resume in our changing competitive world.

My firm has reviewed and critiqued hundreds of resumes, I will be happy to review yours for free. www.togoresume.com/resumecritique.html

Thanks!

Y.K

Yuriy K of CA @ Sep 28, 2009 21:40:32 PM

Right on the money!

I think this article is pretty good. It's really true what she says about everyone pretty much using generic descriptions to describe what they did in a job.

I also came across another really good resume advice column.

http://www.nextstepscareer.com/five-top-resume-mistakes.php

It talks about five other resume blunders people make. This author caught none of the ones in the linked article.

Katie L. of AZ @ Sep 07, 2009 22:31:24 PM

Resumes are for a Joke

Also, to follow-up the obsessive nature regarding spelling, coverletters, grammar all well in good in those conformity factories (school) are meaningless in the real world when it comes to getting (not earning) a job. Jobs are gotten by knowing someone. Rarely they are earned. It is simply knowing someone and then getting your foot in door, and them giving you a job to see how it goes. Have the right last name and your all set. You can be just short of an imbecile and remain employed. That is USA--hiring based on nepotism, creonims, last names, gender, race, and other non meritorious factors. Welcome to the USA workforce--any wonder why this country is a sinking ship? Make sure you get that extra thick resume and coverletter paper so they can make a paper airplan out of it as it is thrown in the basura.

Bill Tarr of CA @ Jun 15, 2009 23:30:18 PM

Nepotism, creonism, right last names all that matters

THe only that matters is who you know. Period. Having the right last name, connections, nepotism, creonism, etc.... The resume, CVs whatever are a complete JOKE. All that matters is networking (who you know) period. The rest is utter nonsense.

Bill Tarr of CA @ Jun 15, 2009 23:23:50 PM

Desperation

This job market is so bleak that I'm going to out myself. Thankfully I don't have a wife and kids to take with me too. I'm depressed.

Mr. Depression of FL @ Mar 30, 2009 22:41:30 PM

CoverLetters

Since you state most reumesmerely reflect wht your peershave also done, isn't the cover letter a way to differentiate yourself? Or are they even read?

Mark Blackman of NY @ Mar 15, 2009 21:42:07 PM

What happened to NETWORKING?

News reports over the years claim around 70% of jobs are due to networking. In the 30% of jobs that actually consider total strangers, the resume is the instrument to get your foot in the HR doorway. Having been on both sides of the hiring process, different "filters" are used to eliminate resumes to leave fewer potential candidates for a second read. It's impossible to know beyond the basic criteria such as one's resume showing skills, experience and education meeting the minimum criteria just what hiring managers really want as it depends on their organizational goals. Sometimes, one's experience is overkill and overqualified for what the company is considering the position is worth. Other times, they need people who are more team-oriented than self directive or they may be looking for a lynchman to chop heads in a troubled department. I think in the end, like most things in life, it's mostly a crap shoot and totally a numbers game - more resumes equals more interviews equals higher chance of landing a job. I've sent out as many ast 400 resumes leading to 10 interviews before getting hired during bad economic times. When the economy was good and companies were looking to hire, I've gotten hired after only 20 job applications. Go figure.

Tony Lee of CA @ Mar 09, 2009 21:46:39 PM

How The Resume Is used is Most important

If you ask for 10 different opinions about your resume, that’s just what you’re going to get. You can make yourself crazy trying to figure out what your resume should or shouldn’t be. When it comes to resumes, the only thing that is "always" has nothing to do with how the resume is written, but more and most important; how it's used. If you are sending your resume to the HR department along with the masses, your resume is pretty much like a billboard; HR recruiters are going by at 80 miles an hour and you have about three seconds to grab their attention!

Always, Always, Always, do what you can to get your resume to a hiring manager. Chances are it will be intercepted by the manager’s admin, and that’s a good thing. When you call to confirm that the manager has your resume it is quite easy to speak with the admin...More often than not, the admin will forward your resume to HR. After speaking with the admin, call HR and say you were referred by Sally Jones Ms. Smiths (hiring managers) assistant. When it comes to marketing yourself nothing is always, however, you can’t argue with taking extra steps to get noticed!

John Seraichyk of CT @ Feb 08, 2009 06:48:57 AM