Resume Writing Mistakes - Make Them and You'll Regret

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Resume Writing Mistakes - Make Them and You'll Regret by Mr Benrick

Here on Free-Resume-Samples.blogspot.com, I try to make every of my resumes as perfect as possible. Many people have asked me how I do it. Well, I always tell them to avoid the top 10 mistakes when writing their own resumes.

1. AVOID THE "FRESH GRAD" FORMAT - The old resume, or block style, with "Objective" and "Education" listed on top are not appropriate for anyone with more than two years of work experience. Try to include a 3- to 5-line summary of your professional strengths.

2. NOT PUTTING DATES ON RESUME - If you think you can escape explaining why you have been job hopping all this while by not putting a date beside your job description, you're wrong. Leaving dates off your resume will surely cause eyebrows to raise and make people wonder what you've been up to lately.

3. NOT BRAGGING ABOUT ACHIEVEMENTS - A great resume should include not only include plain general facts, but also glittering numbers to show off your achievements. Increased sales by 50% in five months! Brought in new contracts worth $255,000 for company! Don't be afraid to brag a little -- but remember to be honest.

4. AVOID "JOB CLUTTERING" - I've seen people who have changed fields more than models changing outfits at a fashion show. His resume looks like a messy clutter of job listings. If you have experience in more than one field and it needs to be included on the resume, consider grouping the types of jobs together under specific headings such as "Instructional/Training" or "Customer Service/Sales."

5. STOP COMPLAINING PLEASE - Don't include the reasons you've left or are leaving your job. Don't mention about sexist environment, low salary, or "boss is no good." Some situations are better explained during an interview, if at all.

6. PERSONAL INFO - No one cares if you are single, married, play the trombone, or enjoy league bowling. Personal information does not belong on a resume. Do not include your age, race, gender, or blue ribbons for gardening.

7. LONG-WINDED HISTORY - Hiring managers only have time to skim through the first 2 pages of your resume. All they want to know is the relevant experience you've had in the past 10-12 years. Try to highlight the most recent jobs and consolidate the past into several lines on a strong 1- or 2-page resume. I would not advice writing a resume that is more than 3 pages long.

8. AVOID SLOPPINESS - Looks count! Print out your resume on good printers using high quality paper. Avoid creases/stains/marks on your resume. It's all these nitty gritty details that counts towards your success in being called up for an interview.

9. NO APPROPRIATE TARGET - Do not send a resume to every ad that appeared in the Sunday classifieds! Take the time to target the jobs for which you really have a chance of being interviewed. It's better to have three targetted jobs then to have thirty unrelated ones.

10. NOT EXPLAINING WHY YOU'VE SENT IN RESUME - Please, please do not forget one of the most important item besides a good resume - the cover letter. In the cover letter, you have the chance to state why you are sending your resume and for what job position. This would ensure that your resume would not be dumped into the rubbish bin.

About the Author
Mr Benrick is a professional resume writer who has been writing resumes for several years. He has set up a blog to provide free services to people who want to update their resumes - http://free-resume-samples.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=382997