Start out 2018 job search with best-possible resume
Dear Sam
D ear Sam: What are some of the common mistakes you see on resumes that can be easily avoided as I embark on my job search in the new year? — Chris
D ear Chris: There are several areas on a resume to which candidates don’t pay enough attention. I’ve found this isn’t a result of a lack of effort; rather, it’s simply a lack of understanding about details that can distract a hiring manager and disqualify a candidate. Some of these problem areas include the following: Samantha Nolan
➤ Emphasizing job duties instead of achievements
Hiring managers are not that interested in what you were paid to do; they are more interested in how you went above and beyond and contributed to the success of your employer.
While you need to include some information about your daily responsibilities, emphasis should definitely be placed on the value you contributed to your employer. Be sure to distinguish achievements from responsibilities through a separate subheading or formatting selections.
➤ Using a cookie-cutter design
Try to create a unique look for your resume, avoiding templates that hundreds of other candidates have used. Think about it: If a hiring manager is reviewing the 50th resume of the day and your resume looks like 20 others, it won’t stand out from the crowd, regardless of the content. Developing a unique and professional design will go a long way in compelling the reader to spend more than the standard four to seven seconds on your resume during the screening process.
➤ Selecting the wrong format
When considering a reverse chronological, combination or functional format, choose wisely. You may want to present your experience in a certain way, but keep in mind that most hiring managers prefer reverse chronological or combination resumes and traditionally dislike functional formats.
I see a lot of job seekers using a functional format who instead could have used a savvier combination format. This would have been more appealing to the hiring manager while still achieving the focus the candidate was seeking. While combination resumes can be more difficult to write, the fact that they are a hybrid of two formats makes them a wiser choice. A combination format can be particularly effective if you want to focus the hiring manager’s attention on certain aspects of your career (possibly by pulling out related achievements and responsibilities in a Career Highlights section that appears before the Professional Experience section) while minimizing potentially disqualifying factors (such as limited related or recent experience, large employment gaps or frequent job hops).
➤ Unprofessional or incomplete section headings
As simple as it seems, you need to review your resume’s main heading.
Never include a work phone number, as this could imply to a potential employer that you do not value your company’s resources; the hiring manager will not know whether your employer is aware of your search or not, so don’t assume that anyone will think this practice is acceptable. Include your cellphone number only if you can answer it professionally every time. Review your outgoing voicemail messages for all the numbers listed on your resume, and make sure they reinforce your professional (not your personal) image.
Lastly, make sure you have a professional email address. Don’t use email addresses that include your graduation year, birth year, etc.; these are very easy to spot and can destroy any strategic efforts to minimize a candidate’s lack or abundance of experience.
➤ Spelling mistakes, typos and poor grammar
Proofread, proofread, and then proofread again! Overlooked mistakes send a message to the reader of your attention to detail — or lack thereof. Have someone else proofread your resume to be sure you are submitting an error-free document.
I hope this helps get you started in the right direction. Good luck with your job search.
— Samantha Nolan is a certified professional resume writer and the owner of Nolan Branding, a full-service resumewriting firm. Email resume or job-search questions to dearsam@nolanbranding.com. To find out more about Nolan and her services, visit www.nolanbranding.com, or call 614-570-3442 or 888-952-3928.