The Top 5 Resume Killers

It wouldn't take you long to find a Top Five List about the workplace or resume writing. Yet, I feel compelled to write my own. Over time, I'll probably write several. With this blog, I hope to showcase my unique perspective developed after many years of staring in disbelief at the things going on around me. I hope to educate, inform and prompt thought. I also hope to make you smile, and hopefully laugh. So without further ado, I give you my Top Five Ways to Ensure that Your Resume Will Wind Up In The Trash:

#5 - No Cover Letter. Your resume will summarize your accomplishments and highlight your skills and competencies. Don't miss the opportunity to tell a perspective employer why you'd be perfect for the job. Craft an energetic, concise cover letter written specifically for the role and take the opportunity to tell the hiring manager exactly why they should hire you.

#4 - Hobbies and Interests - A waste of valuable resume space. There is no question that collecting Russian nesting dolls is a fulfilling pastime but unless it tells me about a skill that will add value to my organization I don't want to read about it. Never put hobbies and interests on your resume!

#3 - An inappropriate email address - I don't want to look at the top of your resume and see VetteMiesterGeneral@ or BooTayShkr@. This immediately calls your common sense into question! There are countless free email services available to you. If you don't already have one, create one specifically for your job search. Jane.Doe@, or use your own name.

#2 - An Objective - Another waste of valuable resume space. If your resume is in my hands, I already know that you're "Seeking an exciting and challenging job with room for growth". Lose the objective and replace it with a Personal Branding Statement or Professional Profile. More on these later...

And the Number One surefire way to guarantee that your resume winds up in the trash is....ERRORS! Never....let me say that again. Never, submit a resume with errors. This should go without saying, but I recently deposited a resume in the trash when the candidate wrote that they were "deetail oriented" Proofread, proofread, proofread. Ask a friend or relative to help. Don't rely on spell check. Grammar and punctuation count!

Remember...A resume can't get you the job, but it can definitely eliminate you from consideration.

Jeffrey Metzger is Owner and Chief Resume Architect at Your Resume Consultant. Find out how Jeff can create a resume for you that will attract the attention of recruiters and hiring managers. Visit us at http://www.yourresumeconsultant.com/.

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4 Biggest Resume Killers (and How to Avoid Them)

Developing an effective resume can be a daunting task. How do you summarize the most relevant aspects of your career within 1-2 pages? Which details should be included and which saved for the interview? How do you know if your document is really working or getting rejected out-of-hand? The following 4 "Resume Killers" are common mistakes I've encountered in working with clients as a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). If your resume suffers from one of the following, I'd recommend a re-write before continuing with your job search:

1) LACK OF RELEVANCY

Some jobseekers are so eager to demonstrate what makes them unique they forget a resume's chief purpose: to underline your SUITABILITY for a particular position. Read through job postings you're interested in submitting to. Which skills pop up time and time again? Which of these have you excelled at? These attributes should be the "theme" of your resume, touched upon in an opening paragraph and expanded upon within your work history. Above all, keep this in mind: the resume is where you demonstrate what a good fit you are for a particular job. The interview is where you demonstrate what sets you apart from the competition.

2) MISSING CAREER INFORMATION

The work history section of your resume needs to be structured in reverse chronological format, starting with your most recent position and working backwards in time to least. While it's perfectly acceptable to consolidate older positions (those dating past 12-15 years) within an "Additional Experience" or similar section, leaving off crucial information for more recent positions sends up a big red flag in the eyes of recruiters and hiring agents.

Be sure every position detailed in your resume includes the following:

-Company name and location
-Exact Job Title Held
-Dates worked

While it's perfectly okay to include a brief "Career Note" within your work history that addresses a time gap, fudging employment dates is not an acceptable substitute. Career Notes should be succinct and focus on positive results, such as any additional training you may have taken, etc.

3) LACK OF QUANTIFIABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

While it's easy to tout skills, actually backing them up with quantifiable accomplishments is another matter entirely. However, the latter is the SINGLE MOST POWERFUL STRATEGY you can use to get that phone ringing. Take the extra time to dig up career successes, checking documentation and reports, conferring with past colleagues, and even contacting previous employers if it's acceptable. Now create a "Key Accomplishments" section following every job listing them (in bullets).

4) FLASHY RESUME FORMATTING

Be conservative when it comes to formatting your resume, steering clear of fancy logos, templates, and colors. While these tricks do call attention to a candidate's resume, they do so for all the wrong reasons, and constitute easy grounds for a rejection. Remember that a resume lives and dies on the strength of its CONTENT. Choose a simple layout and a standard font such as Times New Roman, Courier, or Arial.

Anish Majumdar is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Owner at Resume Orbit. 95% of clients report a significant increase in interviews within 30 days, and all work comes backed by a 100% Satisfaction or Money Back Guarantee (in writing).

Please submit your existing resume for a FREE CRITIQUE spanning structure, language, and content.

Read more ...

4 Biggest Resume Killers (and How to Avoid Them)

Developing an effective resume can be a daunting task. How do you summarize the most relevant aspects of your career within 1-2 pages? Which details should be included and which saved for the interview? How do you know if your document is really working or getting rejected out-of-hand? The following 4 "Resume Killers" are common mistakes I've encountered in working with clients as a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). If your resume suffers from one of the following, I'd recommend a re-write before continuing with your job search:

1) LACK OF RELEVANCY

Some jobseekers are so eager to demonstrate what makes them unique they forget a resume's chief purpose: to underline your SUITABILITY for a particular position. Read through job postings you're interested in submitting to. Which skills pop up time and time again? Which of these have you excelled at? These attributes should be the "theme" of your resume, touched upon in an opening paragraph and expanded upon within your work history. Above all, keep this in mind: the resume is where you demonstrate what a good fit you are for a particular job. The interview is where you demonstrate what sets you apart from the competition.

2) MISSING CAREER INFORMATION

The work history section of your resume needs to be structured in reverse chronological format, starting with your most recent position and working backwards in time to least. While it's perfectly acceptable to consolidate older positions (those dating past 12-15 years) within an "Additional Experience" or similar section, leaving off crucial information for more recent positions sends up a big red flag in the eyes of recruiters and hiring agents.

Be sure every position detailed in your resume includes the following:

-Company name and location
-Exact Job Title Held
-Dates worked

While it's perfectly okay to include a brief "Career Note" within your work history that addresses a time gap, fudging employment dates is not an acceptable substitute. Career Notes should be succinct and focus on positive results, such as any additional training you may have taken, etc.

3) LACK OF QUANTIFIABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

While it's easy to tout skills, actually backing them up with quantifiable accomplishments is another matter entirely. However, the latter is the SINGLE MOST POWERFUL STRATEGY you can use to get that phone ringing. Take the extra time to dig up career successes, checking documentation and reports, conferring with past colleagues, and even contacting previous employers if it's acceptable. Now create a "Key Accomplishments" section following every job listing them (in bullets).

4) FLASHY RESUME FORMATTING

Be conservative when it comes to formatting your resume, steering clear of fancy logos, templates, and colors. While these tricks do call attention to a candidate's resume, they do so for all the wrong reasons, and constitute easy grounds for a rejection. Remember that a resume lives and dies on the strength of its CONTENT. Choose a simple layout and a standard font such as Times New Roman, Courier, or Arial.

Anish Majumdar is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Owner at Resume Orbit. 95% of clients report a significant increase in interviews within 30 days, and all work comes backed by a 100% Satisfaction or Money Back Guarantee (in writing).

Please submit your existing resume for a FREE CRITIQUE spanning structure, language, and content.

Read more ...

4 Biggest Resume Killers (and How to Avoid Them)

Developing an effective resume can be a daunting task. How do you summarize the most relevant aspects of your career within 1-2 pages? Which details should be included and which saved for the interview? How do you know if your document is really working or getting rejected out-of-hand? The following 4 "Resume Killers" are common mistakes I've encountered in working with clients as a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). If your resume suffers from one of the following, I'd recommend a re-write before continuing with your job search:

1) LACK OF RELEVANCY

Some jobseekers are so eager to demonstrate what makes them unique they forget a resume's chief purpose: to underline your SUITABILITY for a particular position. Read through job postings you're interested in submitting to. Which skills pop up time and time again? Which of these have you excelled at? These attributes should be the "theme" of your resume, touched upon in an opening paragraph and expanded upon within your work history. Above all, keep this in mind: the resume is where you demonstrate what a good fit you are for a particular job. The interview is where you demonstrate what sets you apart from the competition.

2) MISSING CAREER INFORMATION

The work history section of your resume needs to be structured in reverse chronological format, starting with your most recent position and working backwards in time to least. While it's perfectly acceptable to consolidate older positions (those dating past 12-15 years) within an "Additional Experience" or similar section, leaving off crucial information for more recent positions sends up a big red flag in the eyes of recruiters and hiring agents.

Be sure every position detailed in your resume includes the following:

-Company name and location
-Exact Job Title Held
-Dates worked

While it's perfectly okay to include a brief "Career Note" within your work history that addresses a time gap, fudging employment dates is not an acceptable substitute. Career Notes should be succinct and focus on positive results, such as any additional training you may have taken, etc.

3) LACK OF QUANTIFIABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

While it's easy to tout skills, actually backing them up with quantifiable accomplishments is another matter entirely. However, the latter is the SINGLE MOST POWERFUL STRATEGY you can use to get that phone ringing. Take the extra time to dig up career successes, checking documentation and reports, conferring with past colleagues, and even contacting previous employers if it's acceptable. Now create a "Key Accomplishments" section following every job listing them (in bullets).

4) FLASHY RESUME FORMATTING

Be conservative when it comes to formatting your resume, steering clear of fancy logos, templates, and colors. While these tricks do call attention to a candidate's resume, they do so for all the wrong reasons, and constitute easy grounds for a rejection. Remember that a resume lives and dies on the strength of its CONTENT. Choose a simple layout and a standard font such as Times New Roman, Courier, or Arial.

Anish Majumdar is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Owner at Resume Orbit. 95% of clients report a significant increase in interviews within 30 days, and all work comes backed by a 100% Satisfaction or Money Back Guarantee (in writing).

Please submit your existing resume for a FREE CRITIQUE spanning structure, language, and content.

Read more ...

4 Biggest Resume Killers (and How to Avoid Them)

Developing an effective resume can be a daunting task. How do you summarize the most relevant aspects of your career within 1-2 pages? Which details should be included and which saved for the interview? How do you know if your document is really working or getting rejected out-of-hand? The following 4 "Resume Killers" are common mistakes I've encountered in working with clients as a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). If your resume suffers from one of the following, I'd recommend a re-write before continuing with your job search:

1) LACK OF RELEVANCY

Some jobseekers are so eager to demonstrate what makes them unique they forget a resume's chief purpose: to underline your SUITABILITY for a particular position. Read through job postings you're interested in submitting to. Which skills pop up time and time again? Which of these have you excelled at? These attributes should be the "theme" of your resume, touched upon in an opening paragraph and expanded upon within your work history. Above all, keep this in mind: the resume is where you demonstrate what a good fit you are for a particular job. The interview is where you demonstrate what sets you apart from the competition.

2) MISSING CAREER INFORMATION

The work history section of your resume needs to be structured in reverse chronological format, starting with your most recent position and working backwards in time to least. While it's perfectly acceptable to consolidate older positions (those dating past 12-15 years) within an "Additional Experience" or similar section, leaving off crucial information for more recent positions sends up a big red flag in the eyes of recruiters and hiring agents.

Be sure every position detailed in your resume includes the following:

-Company name and location
-Exact Job Title Held
-Dates worked

While it's perfectly okay to include a brief "Career Note" within your work history that addresses a time gap, fudging employment dates is not an acceptable substitute. Career Notes should be succinct and focus on positive results, such as any additional training you may have taken, etc.

3) LACK OF QUANTIFIABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

While it's easy to tout skills, actually backing them up with quantifiable accomplishments is another matter entirely. However, the latter is the SINGLE MOST POWERFUL STRATEGY you can use to get that phone ringing. Take the extra time to dig up career successes, checking documentation and reports, conferring with past colleagues, and even contacting previous employers if it's acceptable. Now create a "Key Accomplishments" section following every job listing them (in bullets).

4) FLASHY RESUME FORMATTING

Be conservative when it comes to formatting your resume, steering clear of fancy logos, templates, and colors. While these tricks do call attention to a candidate's resume, they do so for all the wrong reasons, and constitute easy grounds for a rejection. Remember that a resume lives and dies on the strength of its CONTENT. Choose a simple layout and a standard font such as Times New Roman, Courier, or Arial.

Anish Majumdar is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Owner at Resume Orbit. 95% of clients report a significant increase in interviews within 30 days, and all work comes backed by a 100% Satisfaction or Money Back Guarantee (in writing).

Please submit your existing resume for a FREE CRITIQUE spanning structure, language, and content.

Read more ...

4 Biggest Resume Killers (and How to Avoid Them)

Developing an effective resume can be a daunting task. How do you summarize the most relevant aspects of your career within 1-2 pages? Which details should be included and which saved for the interview? How do you know if your document is really working or getting rejected out-of-hand? The following 4 "Resume Killers" are common mistakes I've encountered in working with clients as a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). If your resume suffers from one of the following, I'd recommend a re-write before continuing with your job search:

1) LACK OF RELEVANCY

Some jobseekers are so eager to demonstrate what makes them unique they forget a resume's chief purpose: to underline your SUITABILITY for a particular position. Read through job postings you're interested in submitting to. Which skills pop up time and time again? Which of these have you excelled at? These attributes should be the "theme" of your resume, touched upon in an opening paragraph and expanded upon within your work history. Above all, keep this in mind: the resume is where you demonstrate what a good fit you are for a particular job. The interview is where you demonstrate what sets you apart from the competition.

2) MISSING CAREER INFORMATION

The work history section of your resume needs to be structured in reverse chronological format, starting with your most recent position and working backwards in time to least. While it's perfectly acceptable to consolidate older positions (those dating past 12-15 years) within an "Additional Experience" or similar section, leaving off crucial information for more recent positions sends up a big red flag in the eyes of recruiters and hiring agents.

Be sure every position detailed in your resume includes the following:

-Company name and location
-Exact Job Title Held
-Dates worked

While it's perfectly okay to include a brief "Career Note" within your work history that addresses a time gap, fudging employment dates is not an acceptable substitute. Career Notes should be succinct and focus on positive results, such as any additional training you may have taken, etc.

3) LACK OF QUANTIFIABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

While it's easy to tout skills, actually backing them up with quantifiable accomplishments is another matter entirely. However, the latter is the SINGLE MOST POWERFUL STRATEGY you can use to get that phone ringing. Take the extra time to dig up career successes, checking documentation and reports, conferring with past colleagues, and even contacting previous employers if it's acceptable. Now create a "Key Accomplishments" section following every job listing them (in bullets).

4) FLASHY RESUME FORMATTING

Be conservative when it comes to formatting your resume, steering clear of fancy logos, templates, and colors. While these tricks do call attention to a candidate's resume, they do so for all the wrong reasons, and constitute easy grounds for a rejection. Remember that a resume lives and dies on the strength of its CONTENT. Choose a simple layout and a standard font such as Times New Roman, Courier, or Arial.

Anish Majumdar is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Owner at Resume Orbit. 95% of clients report a significant increase in interviews within 30 days, and all work comes backed by a 100% Satisfaction or Money Back Guarantee (in writing).

Please submit your existing resume for a FREE CRITIQUE spanning structure, language, and content.

Read more ...