You Did THAT on Your Resume? Really!?!
January 05, 2010 (10:00AM) by Julie O'Malley, CPRW
If these five resume errors were rare, there'd be no need to discuss them. Unfortunately, they're not only common, they're also forehead-slappingly obvious, once you think about it. So, in the sarcastic spirit of SNL's Weekend Update "Really!?!" segment, I give you five really common  resume mistakes that you really don't want to make.
- You listed your e-mail address as badboybob @ bobsbadboys.com. Really!?!
Great job, Bob! Personal branding is important, and every company needs a Bad Boy on staff!
- YOU WROTE YOUR RESUME IN ALL CAPS. REALLY!?!
NICE MULTITASKING! YOU ASSERTED YOUR AUTHORITY BY SHOUTING AT THE HIRING MANAGER WHILE DEMONSTRATING YOUR POOR TYPING SKILLS AT THE SAME TIME.
- You skipped the Professional Summary. Really!?!
Smart move! Make the hiring manager search for the stuff that's relevant. Your time is too important to spend it highlighting your unique value at the top of your resume.
- You crammed a 15-year career onto one page. Really!?!
Brilliant!WhatEmployerWouldn'tWantToReadASolidBlockOfTextIn8-PointTypeWithQuarter-InchMarginsAndNoSpaceBetweenParagraphs?WhiteSpaceIsSoOverrated.
- You copied your old job descriptions verbatim. Really!?!
Good idea! A detailed list of past job duties starting in the '80s or '90s will surely help the hiring manager assess the value you can bring to their company in 2010!
OK, just to be clear, those are all mistakes, and the congratulatory comments are jokes. Really.
What other resume sins have you seen (or committed) that you now realize deserve a big, fat Really!?! Leave us a comment below.
RELATED LINKS
5 Rules for Building a Great Resume
Good and Bad Resumes: Want to See the Difference?
Critique Your Resume Like a Hiring Manager
Resume Writing for the Clueless II: Your Summary
it's a very educational website for those who already had graet jobs,but what about those who only had fast food experience?
LOL! Just yesterday I was filling out one of those ho-hum on-line applications. I was strolling down through it and inadvertently marked that I was a convicted felon!!!!!!!! Do you know they will kick you right out of the system after marking that? Really. I called and they had a good laugh and reset so I could finish the application. Thought you would enjoy this one. Happy New Year! Now find me a medical transcriptionist's job. OK? :)
@SKIP -- Thanks, that's a great idea for a blog post! Keep your eyes peeled....
@JUDY -- Too funny!
@RICHARD -- Are you an English teacher by any chance ;)
@SHERRY -- Yikes, I think I might have given you the wrong impression in points #4 and #5. I didn't mean you should never list 15 years' worth of work history on your resume, just that it's fine to use a second page rather than squeeeeezing everything to fit on a single page.
And you shouldn't just list duties, like on a job description, but rather, show how WELL you did those duties.
For example, instead of saying "Accounts payable" you might say "Streamlined accounts payable process, resulting in highest collection rates of company's history."
NOTE: It is acceptable, but not required, to leave out your oldest jobs (beyond 15-ish years ago), since they probably are not relevant to the employer today. You can fill in the details if they ask at an interview!
Thanks for the comments everyone! Any questions, leave another comment!!!
--Julie
I've been a med trans for over 10 years. I am losing accounts at a fast pace thanks to the goverment mandating electronic medical records. If I were you, I would start training for a new field. Med Trans will be obsolete in the very near future!
Skip, Have you tried delivery jobs like vending machine companies. Vending machines are everywhere and people need to fill them with soda and stuff.
What about this one: You left your contact info off the resume. Perfect! They love you, but have no way to let you know they'd like to interview you!
I accidentally left it off, since I'd put my name in a header and the contact info in a footer. Somehow, the footer didn't get added in, so they would have had no way to contact me. Luckily, I noticed when I printed it off. That's one nice thing about posting online; they can still reach you. It just looks very unprofessional!
I have 10 years of working experience in different fields eg. team leader, QC., assistance supervisor and inventory controll but do not have any certified qualification to back it up now I am having difficulties in writing a cover letter and my resume since I never had to write one. I need help going about preparing one. Help please.
More grease to your elbow.Thanks for your kind gesture in directing poeple especially the fresh graduates in general,the job seekers to precise but myself particular.The magnitude of relief I got from your packages is immesurable.Thanks.I am just a fresher but my comments/contributions especially on commom resume errors and experiences shall reach you in my subsequent texts.Once more thanks.You are good.
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