It's valuable to know the elements that make a resume attractive to potential employers in order to get the job interview. However, it's also important to know some details that may take away strength, clarity and credibility from a professional resume or CV. Before going into my list of pet peeves, let me emphasize two assumptions:
The main -if not the only- objective of a resume during the recruiting process is to get the prospect an interview with the potential employer, andThe HR personnel receive and review many resumes, so they need to dismiss large quantities in a practical manner.Because of this last point, I believe you should avoid or carefully review the following details in your job search materials, based on my experience and listed according to my own criteria from least to most important:
5. Long descriptions of "standard" skills/ expect by the market. Unless the role you're after calls for specific technical skills, you don't have to enumerate all of the software packages and languages you know. For some positions, you should be punished if you mention Microsoft Office and Outlook as something distinctive, it's expected in many jobs as standard. In the language section you shouldn't add those that you barely know (e.g., "Two classes of Mandarin") or give out too much detail (e.g., where I studied, all of the tests I've done, etc.).
4. Information that is not relevant for the position. This is fairly frequent: there are many resumes that list every single course taken and certifications obtained throughout the candidate's life, from the Quality Seminar to the Football Clinic. It's also frequent to see interests mentioned having no relation with the job or the interview process. Your job search materials have limited space and if you use it in information that will not get you to the interview, it's wasted (or it becomes a fun story for the HR team). In addition, it's possible that these topics may come up during the actual interview, where you could give them more context and impact.
3. Descriptions of jobs (vs. achievements) or achievements from long ago. If recent skills are not highlighted, your resume won't catch employers' attention and may even raise suspicion (e.g., employment gap?).
2. Achievements or activities performed by a team (not by the owner of the resume). The recruiter is interested in knowing YOU as a potential employee. If the activities described in the experience section are not specific or have a scope that can't be attributed to you, they don't help to know you better.
1. Generic objective/ target or not related to the position. "Continue my development within a global institution in constant growth" may very well be a default text in word processors that I (fortunately) don't know given the frequency in which this phrase is used. The Objective or Summary section of a resume, and even more so for an experienced professional, is a vital component. The text should be specific to the match between the position and the potential employee. It's important to adapt the resume or CV to differ industries, companies, and positions; this is the section that should change the most.
In the job search, it's indispensable for the candidate to stand out. Having said that, this should happen for the right reasons: for his/ her skills and experience. Having some of the previous points in mind, the resume should not be discarded for communicating irrelevant or unprofessional topics. This way, it focuses the reader's attention on your achievements and skills as they bring value to the company you're applying to and will get you closer to the interview.
Hugo M. Breton is a business writer and job search coach specializing in resume writing, career coaching and B2B Copywriting. He holds an MBA and M. Eng. from the University of Michigan. Hugo shares his job search advice and provides services through http://www.resumesforimpact.com/, helping prospects improve the impact of their efforts.
No comments:
Post a Comment