Is your resume generating disappointing results? Have you
been sending your resume for positions that you know you
are qualified for, but the phone remains silent? If so, you
might want to check it and revise it against these ten
common errors.
1. Including an objective statement that tells the reader
what you want.
If there is one major rule to keep in mind as you write
your resume, it is that all of the content should be
written to be employer-centered. Objective statements that
tell the reader what you want are inherently self-centered.
The more modern way of providing focus for your resume is
to include a summary or profile section. A profile is
fundamentally different from an objective in that it is
employer-centered, conveying to the reader what you offer
them, rather than what you want from them.
2. Writing your resume to be intentionally broad in scope.
Many people will write a broad resume out of fear that
focusing too precisely will exclude them from certain
opportunities. Unfortunately, this strategy almost always
backfires. Resume readers are notoriously lazy and give
your resume only a few seconds at most before making the
decision to screen it out or screen it in. If you are lucky
you have 15 seconds to clearly convey your focus (level and
type of position you are seeking) and how you would add
value within their organization. If your focus is ambiguous
and you haven't made it crystal clear how you will "fit" in
the company, you certainly expect the reader to make the
effort to figure it out.
3. Including a generic profile/summary statement.
While it has become common and even expected that your
resume will include a profile/summary statement, far too
often they are just generic statements that do nothing to
differentiate the individual from their competition in the
job market. What is it that differentiates you and make
your contributions to the companies you have worked for
better and unique than your peers? What is the value
proposition that you are making to the reader of your
resume? What sets you apart from the competition and what
uniquely qualifies you to meet the needs and solves the
problems of the employer? Additionally, it isn't enough to
tell a reader that you have certain abilities or traits;
you must show them through examples of past achievements.
Prove impact! Forget about cliches and jargon. Soft skills
are often important, but even those should be backed up by
specific accomplishments that illustrate them.
4. Describing your job scope and responsibilities in detail.
Think about it: Being "responsible for" doing something
certainly doesn't mean a person does it. What a person is
supposed to do and what they actually do are two different
things. Many people make the mistake of selling features
(responsibilities) rather than benefits
(achievements/results) in their resume. It is very
important to place the emphasis on achievements,
quantifying results whenever possible. Document the ways in
which your work have benefited your employers and quantify
whenever possible. By including past achievements and
results, you demonstrate your future potential. Always
remember, you won't get hired for what you know how to do,
you will get hired for what you do with what you know how
to do.
5. Focusing solely on the achievement and forgetting about
the results.
Just telling the reader that you have achievements isn't
very effective unless you present them in terms of the
results and benefits they have produced for past employers.
You should always try to think in terms of the "so what" of
your achievement. What did you improve, save, increase,
enhance, etc? What impact did the work you do have on the
companies? At the root, every single job is designed to
solve a problem, save money, make money, or improve
efficiency. It is crucial that you understand and be able
to communicate the impact of your performance. Whenever you
can do so, you should use numbers to illustrate your
results, but even if you are unable to quantify
achievements, the emphasis should still be on the
results/benefits of your work.
6. Writing an autobiographical style resume.
Your resume is a marketing document. It is not an
autobiography. While the decision about how far back to
date your resume really depends on the individual
circumstances, generally it is standard to go back 10-20
years. If experience earlier than that is still relevant,
you can always summarize it in a couple of sentences
without the use of dates. Always think in terms of
relevance and impact. Does a particular piece of data or
achievement support your personal brand and value
proposition? Does it help promote your qualifications in
relation to your current career goals? If not, you probably
should not include it. In fact, by including irrelevant
data, you dilute your focus and make the recipient wonder
if you truly understand the position you are targeting. If
you feel really strongly that particular data may be
relevant to at least SOME recipients, you can always create
an addendum that you choose to use selectively.
7. Including personal information.
If your resume is meant for the U.S. market, it should not
include a photo, your birth date, mention of unrelated
hobbies or interests, info about your family, info that
reveals your religion, or any other similarly personal
data. Including such data in a resume meant for the U.S.
market may actually eliminate you from consideration, as
hiring decision-makers may be concerned about
discrimination suits.
8. Using a template design for your resume.
You should never use a template to create a resume. Your
resume should be uniquely designed to highlight your unique
qualifications and selling point and to set you apart from
other candidates. If you use a template (or a format that
looks like a template), you ensure that your resume will
simply blend in with all the rest. To really compel action,
your resume MUST attract immediate attention and present an
unquestionably professional appearance. Create an
eye-catching design, but forego the templates!
9. Using the same structure and resume writing techniques
that you were taught in college ten years ago.
A common error made by experienced professionals is
overemphasis of education. As an experienced professional
your history of accomplishments and proven ability to
produce and deliver results is far more important than your
degrees. Only new graduates with very little or no
experience should list education at the beginning of the
resume. The most important thing is that you prioritize and
organize your selling points, listing categories of primary
importance first. The best structure in almost all
circumstances is a combination reverse chronological order.
This includes a profile/summary section, a reverse
chronology of your work history and achievements,
education, and other qualifications such as professional
affiliations.
10. Listing all your achievements in a section separate
from your career history.
It is critical to show progression and a consistent,
repeated ability to produce results. By listing your
achievements separately from your career history, you lose
this. Go ahead and use specific achievements to illustrate
the value proposition and personal branding that you convey
in your profile. In fact, it is crucial that you do so.
But, for the most part, the majority of your achievements
are best presented within the chronological and situational
context in which they happened. In other words, go ahead
and include a SUMMARY of achievements that are selected to
illustrate your value proposition and brand, but the body
of your resume should also include achievements and results
that illustrate your impact in each company or each
position.
Do you still feel at a loss about how to improve your
resume, even after reading these tips? If so, consider
hiring a professional resume writer. Hiring a resume writer
is an investment, but it is an investment that will often
pay you back many times over by dramatically shortening
your job search, positioning you to win coveted positions,
and preparing you with the pitch you need to negotiate top
compensation.
----------------------------------------------------
Nationally certified resume writer and career marketing
expert, Michelle Dumas is the director of Distinctive
Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents
http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her Executive VIP
Services http://www.100kcareermarketing.com
Michelle has
empowered thousands of professionals all across the U.S.
and worldwide. Michelle is also the author of 101
Before-and-After Resume Examples
http://www.before-and-after-resumes.com
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