Top 10 Things to NOT Put in a Resume

I once saw a resume that stated they were "In the business of selling grass"

It was later clarified that they meant landscaping!

Thanks Amy!

That brings up another good point: Do NOT write anything in your resume that may be taken the wrong way. For instance, if you're a photographer, don't say you like to "shoot people."

But what if you're applying for a position as a photographer for the syndicate? Now THAT'S what I call multitasking!

Hey Rick,

You just brought back a bad memory! I once submitted my resume for an entry-level *editorial* position, got called for an interview, met with the managing editor, then the editor-in-chief, and finally the publisher, who was kind enough to mention that I had a TYPO in my resume. Apparently I had impressed them in other ways, because they hired me as an editor even though my resume indicated that my background "emcompassed" certain skills (this was 1985 and my TYPEWRITER didn't have a spell checker).

Lesson Learned: Always have someone else proof your resume! -Julie

Thanks Julie!

Even editors arent *perrfect* with their spelling all the time. ;-)

Rick

I am currently a manager and one of the most annoying things I see in folks resumes is, " I am good with computers". That's funny I did not know that computers were bad! Then you find out later after testing their skills they can barely find the keys! Interesting.......

People shouldn't have to indicate on their resume that they're "good with computers" anymore. The only people who shouldn't have solid computer skills would be those raised in a cave by wolves. If someone wasn't raised in that fashion and doesn't have any computer skills, even the most basic of skills, that would indicate to me that they either skipped a lot of school when they were young or just plain didn't pay attention.

In either case I wouldn't want to hire someone like that!

Hi Felicia and Bill!

Thanks very much for your comments. You raise a good point about the job market today: When it comes to computer skills, you need to be specific, such as "Proficient with Adobe Photoshop" or "Expert with various desktop publishing applications" if you're an end user. On the technical end, you need to cite any certifications you might have, such as with Java or Microsoft's .Net, or maybe networking skills.

As we work in the Information Economy, you need to be very aware of your skills and determine which of them can set you apart from the competition. After all, most of today's jobs involve some use of information technology.

- Rick

I've been in the process of hiring for a data entry position for my company. The ad clearly states we're a medical billing company. Naturally it's important that the data be entered accurately. I emailed a candidate who had sent in a resume to ask if he was still interested in this position and if so what their salary requirement. On all my emails my signature line states my name, title, company name, company address with phone and fax numbers. The response to me email was...

"what hours is this for and where are you located.

Thanks"

Needless to say that resume went in the 'NO' file and I attached the email.
(No capitalization, no question mark, didn't address me, left out their salary requirements, obviously didn't read the signature line and considering they sent me their resume to ask where I am?)

Thanks Sherry!

Your story reminds me of two things:

(1) Don't be casual when responding to a potential employer. Always be professional in any correspondence.
(2) Log important information about every resume you send and each inquiry you make so that you can pick up where you left off more easily. The job seeker who does this well would have at least looked up your location, the things he or she stressed in the resume, and the information found in the job posting (Pongo users: The TRACKER tool records when and to whom you send all your resumes and cover letters, and which versions you send.).

As the saying goes: Proper preparation prevents poor performance.

- Rick

Excellent written and oral skills.

'nuff said yeah?

Application: "Why were you fired from your last job."
Response "to many SA's hanging around" I asked other mangers what does SA mean. Nobody knew but we had a laugh and threw out the application.

Slang on an application is inappropriate and so is having your friends "hanging out" with you while you are working.

If you have a disability, should you enter that somewhere in the resume? Or wait for an interview to disclose the information?
Disability would have nothing to do with the job.

Hi Edd!

You don't need to disclose a disability, especially if it has nothing to do with the job. What protects you is that federal law says, in most cases, an employer can't discriminate against a disabled person in its hiring decisions For more details, see this goverment document: http://www.ada.gov/cguide.pdf (It's also available in HTML). This comes from the document: The government "prohibits discrimination in recruitment, hiring, promotions, training, pay, social activities, and other privileges of employment. It restricts questions that can be asked about an applicant’s disability before a job offer is made, and it requires that employers make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of otherwise qualified individuals
with disabilities, unless it results in undue hardship. ..."

Some companies even go so far in their job ads to state what a job's requirements are so that the applicant can get a good idea whether he or she can do the job, even with a physical impairment.

Hope this helps!
~ Rick

Never disclose a disability on a resume. A resume is a marketing tool for your skills. They dont have to know about a disability until after they hire you and only if you need an accommodation.

I have epilepsy. For years, I made the mistake of disclosing in every interivew, or on the first week of the job, what to do in case I had a seizure. There was no need to because my seizures were years apart. However, when I asked for advice, every Joe Average American told me I was obligated to tell them I had epilepsy just in case. I didn't get any jobs until I stopped telling people I had epilepsy in the interview. When I told in the first week, I was often fired the day after I disclosed that I had epilepsy.

Your job in the interview is to demonstrate that you can do the job, not a full disclosure of every issue that might occur. Disclosure at this point makes disability the dominant status and an automatic discard. However, after they have worked with you for some time and viewed your personality and skills without knowing about a condition upfront, they will have something affirmative to compare with the disability.

Dont fear the possible reaction, "How DARE you not tell us?!?" If you ever are asked why you didn't disclose information, let them know there was no need to. Affirm that you are able to perform the job.   A response after this might start with, "But what if???" and then describing a hypothetical sitatuion. Continue to politely affirm your ability to perform the job.

Has anyone see someone put a quote on a resume? How is this perceived?

I send my resume to a couple of places, then and after that I realized that I miss spelled the word "skills" for "skils". I can't believe that my computer did not catch the mistake. It was too late when I found it later- I had already applied for a position that I wanted!!!

Hi Jazmin! Thanks for visiting!

Your story reminds me of a quote that came out of the Cold War: "Trust, but verify." Do the same after you have used a spell checker.

~ Rick

Another thing to watch is what is put on social networking sites, such as myspace. Potential employers will check these, and if there is talk of illegal activity or other questionable activity such as heavy partying, then you may not get the job.

Hi Jordan!

Yes, you are very correct. While social networking sites allow us enhance our professional credentials, it's the flip side that can get us into trouble. That's why we all need to think twice before we post. My colleague, Brianna Raymond, offered some excellent advice earlier this year about policing yourself online. Here's the link: http://www.pongoresume.com/blogPosts/136/5-ways-to-cover-your-web-tracks.cfm

Best,
~ Rick

I have no college education. I have had multiple skilled jobs over the last 15 years, but now I want to change to a different type of career, yet I don't have the ability to go to school at this time. How would I fill out a resume to let perspective employers know that I learn quickly, am teachable and at the same time, can still be an asset to the company? I have many skills, but don't know how to present them.

@ L Wantink: You pose a tough question, but here's what COULD be a good approach:

First, assuming you know yourself and your skills well, and what you want in a job or career, make sure each resume you send is tailored for a specific position that interests you. Use your Objective or Summary to highlight the skills you have that will make you a worthy candidate.

Second, outline your experience over the last 15 years, placing special emphasis on accomplishments that reflect those skills.

Third, if you have done anything even remotely related to the job you're seeking - either paid or volunteer work - make sure that's noticeable.

Since you're making a career switch, I would also advice you to have three or four professional and personal references who can be ready to vouch for your skills, your character and your work ethic. Someone who is going to *take a chance* on you would want to make sure you're worth the investment.

One more thing: Saying that you're "teachable" is fine, but in many cases, especially with larger firms, employers are skittish about hiring someone who needs a "long learning curve." Tell them very clearly that you will do whatever it takes to ramp up quickly.

Best of luck!
~ Rick

I can understand how putting that you were the president of your fraternity may not impress some, but having been there, it would definitely impress me. If you made it to that point, then you must have outstanding leadership qualities. Don't believe me? Try to assemble 100 drunk, rebelious 19 year olds and get them to do something productive for little more than pride. Oh yeah, get them to pay you for the chance to do it, too. Only someone ignorant of what it takes to make it in that position would pass it off as irrelevant. Or, it's for an analyst job or something which requires little interaction with or management of others.

SA's at my school mean Student Advisor. The position is similar to an RA at most other schools.

I have a serious problem, I have been in the navy reserves for 5yrs now, I wrote out some what of a resume the best way I know how , I;m despretely wanting to gain a ferderal job, the resumes are pretty difficult to make them presentable enough to be looked at..... I'm about 10 word a min. typist. how in the world does someone like me getr these kinds of jobs., with out going crazy !!!! please any help would be great !!!

Ironically, this comment about the importance of using spell check actually has two misspelled words in it. More accurately, the individual words are spelled correctly but their use is incorrect within the context of the sentence. Instead of "sent", the word "send" was used. Additionally, "miss spelled" was used instead of "misspelled." Because each of these words is spelled correctly, a spell check program would not catch these mistakes. It still pays (literally!) to have someone else proof anything that you send out. Just make sure that they know what they are doing!

While managing my husband's medical practice, I often had to review resumes and applications during the hiring process. Two applicants still stand out in my mind. The first wrote that she was "easy to get alone with." I did NOT hire her to work with my husband!

The second, when asked on the application to describe her best asset, wrote a detailed description of her pickup truck. I got a good laugh, but she did not get the job.

Hi Diane!

Thanks very much for dropping in. You can't overstate the importance of having your resume proofread (Check out Brianna's latest post - which went up today), as well as not leading your husband into potential temptation.

And I guess some people take the word "asset" literally. ;-)

Best
~ Rick

I have been working at the same factory for two years. The money is okay, but living "paycheck to paycheck" is getting old. I have NO computer experience and have a G.E.D.
(Did you cringe?) Lol.
I know I need to do something, but what?
Will anyone take the chance on me?

I look at dozens of resumes every day. I think you hot the nail on the head with 2 issues: 1. spelling/grammar; 2. odd email addresses.   Also, adding too many extracurricular activities such as coaching your kid's soccer teams. That scream, "I have to leave at 3:30 every Tuesday!"   

I have a great poem that will open the eys of those who rely on spellchecker. I wish I knew the author.

Spellbound

I have a spelling checker
It came with my PC.
It plainly marks four my revue
Mistakes eye cannot sea.
I've run this poem threw it,
I'm sure your please too no.
Its letter perfect in it's weigh,
My checker tolled me sew.

Hi Donna!

Thankks for the endorssmint and the poem, as well as the reminder that I need to coach socker practiss tonite (after 5:00)! :-))

Best,
~ Rick

Rick,

Thank you for the advise and overall this is a great post with valuable comments; all of which i can learn from. I do have some additional questions in which I could use some input.

1. Instead of using "reference upon request" what should I say?

2. My professional experience is limited. I am only 4 years out of college and maintained the same job throughout. However, during said time, I started 2 companies on my own (still active) and while they may not be cash cows, I gained a lot of experience that would be valuable to a prospective employer. My questions is. Do i include those 2 companies. I am wary a employer might see that as a time commitment issue or something like that. Any thoughts?

@ Justin --

In response to your questions:

(1) "References upon request" -- Don't say anything! You know they'll likely be asking for and checking references. Just be ready with the names and contact information for 3 or 4 people whom you know will sing your praises.

(2) It depends on whether and how the experience relates to the position you're applying for. If, as you say, they aren't cash cows, think of the products or services you deliver. Do you deliver on time? How are your customer service skills? How effectively have you marketed your businesses? etc. Think of the core skills that are required of you to sustain those businesses, and how those skills line up with the core skills of the position you're applying for.

Hope this helps!
~ Rick

Rick,
With regard to personal references, I'm old school and prefer to list. The field I am in Customer Service/Sales Account Manager I feel would respond well to the names listed as my references. Each will "sing praises" about me, as you put it. I feel listing my references may get added attention to my resume, as I'm experienced but lacking a college education. Do you still suggest not to list references?

Most sincerely,
Teresa

Hi Teresa!

I hear you, and thanks for the personal perspective from your industry. Unless the job ad specifically states that the company wants references, I'd still leave them out of the resume. Rather, if you're called in for an interview, prepare a sheet of paper with the names and contact information for three or four people who will "sing." Generally, employers will want to call them only if they would like to extend a job offer to you.

College education or not, your experience should be able to speak for itself.

Additionally, if you're into social networking at all - notably LinkedIn.com - try to score some recommendations from clients or former co-workers. They can speak volumes, especially for companies that would rather forgo reference checks in favor of doing web searches on people they want to hire.

Hope this helps!
~ Rick