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Resume Worst Practices: How NOT to Get an Interview
Introduction
One of my goals for writing briefs is to help young professionals start, improve and advance their careers. One big area for improvement is found in self-presentation; the resume.
In the last few years, I have seen literally hundreds of entry level resumes that get minimal or no consideration due to easily rectifiable issues. Unfortunately, many of these resumes are from skilled candidates who simply do not understand effective techniques for presenting themselves.
This brief will outline some of the worst, corniest and most unprofessional things you can do on your resume.
Review
- Bad formatting. Before reading any details on a resume, I simply look at it like a painting. If the painting is ugly, I want to look away. Bad formatting on a resume, regardless of what the details say is a killer; some employers will toss it aside, others will read it with a sharper eye. Do not try to stretch the length with bigger font, narrower margins or more spacing (like you did on college papers). Do not send a resume where the font size and type are non-standard. If you use bullets or other formatting, make sure the text lines up and each area looks uniform. Space your employment history so each job is distinct; no one wants to read a page long paragraph with no clear delineation between new subjects.
- Erroneous mission statement. The quickest way to get your resume tossed aside is proving in the first sentence that you have no attention to detail. I hate when an applicant applies for a sales job with a mission statement that details their desire "for growth in the accounting department."
- Highlight your low GPA. First, GPAs have no place on a resume; if your employer wants your GPA they will ask you for a transcript. Second, posting a sub-par GPA at the top of your resume will only highlight your lack of effort, lack of intelligence or the amount you partied in college. Do yourself a favor and eliminate your GPA. If you MUST have a GPA on your resume (as a point of pride), please be above 3.5.
- Elaborate explanations of simple jobs. If you were a waiter do not say anything to the effect of: "professionally accommodated guests," "thoroughly exhibited product knowledge," or "masterfully suggested menu items." Being a waiter is a hard job, but it does not deserve Shakespearean language in its description. If you want to include additional information, it should be substantive; employee of the month, promotions, etc.
- Overuse of thesaurus, descriptive adjectives and generic industry jargon. Found in the same class as the overly elaborate job description, is the overuse of a thesaurus and/or perceived industry jargon. I find the overuse of non-conversational language in resumes unbelievably corny. This is not a suggestion to be unprofessional when building your resume, only to tone it down. Remember, this is not your creative writing thesis, it is a presentation of your skills. Avoid corny descriptions of your experience such as "ambitiously," "skillfully," "fanatical," and "world-class." Similarly, do not attempt to trick your potential employer by trying to use industry jargon when your work history gives no reference to your background in the industry.
- No attention to detail. Check over your resume several times, send it to a friend, then check it again. Some of the most common, yet easily avoidable mistakes I have seen are due to a lack in proofreading. Make sure all your contact information is present and correct. Ensure that spell-check has not changed misspelled words into completely different meanings. As stated above, make sure your mission statement is in line with the job you are applying for.
- Lying. Finally, don't lie or stretch the truth too much. If your lies are not discovered through the first screen, they almost certainly will be discovered in your interview. If you are that good and get the job, your lies will most likely manifest in your performance.
Conclusion
The job market is really rough right now, and you don’t need to set yourself back a step by submitting a poor resume. There are many resources online that can help with formatting and proofreading, and if you’re a recent grad, you might consider using the resources in the career center at your Alma Mater too.
If you have suggestions for additional Resume Worst practices, I would love to hear them. Feel free to post below and I will make additions.
Events
- Marketing Thought Leaders: A Conversation with Julie Fajgenbaum May 25 @ 11 am PT
- The Do’s and Don'ts of Small Business Marketing May 29 @ 11 am PT
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6 Comments
From a person who has read and reviewed many resumes over the course of 25 years I find this very enlightening for this era. Great article!
The importance of bullet point 6 about typos cannot be overstated.
In a job interview several years ago, I had the simplest of typos -- saying I had started college one year later than I had -- making it look like I graduated in 3 years...and my interviewer caught the error. Fortunately, I still received the job offer but a 2nd, 3rd and 4th set of eyes are invaluable.
Great article- informative and honest. Helpful to those potentially sending out a resume, but definetly puts into words that intangible "thing" that makes me toss resumes without reading
Hi Chris,
Thanks for sharing this valuable and practical information. There is a point that I would like to share with you when it comes to fresh graduates entering the job market, with little or hardly any job experience. A short description of the individual’s ‘aspirations’ would be a good addition to a resume, especially if these are in line with the job the person is seeking. It gives the reader some insight on the person’s ambitions, goals and passions which if written honestly and well could give the job candidate an interview.
Under the headline Aspirations; the individual can express in no more than 3 lines qualities, attitudes and talents that may be of special interest to the interviewer.
For a sales job for example, attitude, drive, communication and time management skills are highly sought after personality traits, selling the product or services can always be taught.
Chris, you've created an excellent list, I agree with every point. What's missing and in my estimation is the most fundamental flaw in just about 90% of the resumes I've reviewed is the content.
During the last several years I've reviewed several hundred resumes for individuals that needed to make significant changes. The most common error that's made is in listing your activities in each job that you held. The resume reads like a job description.
I've now added resume writing to a list of services that our company provides and have helped individuals articulate their accomplishments in a qualitative or qualitative manner, this separates them from the rest of the herd.
Employers should be interested in the problems you helped your previous employers solve, not the fact that you recruited employees or developed a hand book.
This is a very good list and I agree wholeheartedly about checking and re-checking for accuracy. I think as a general principle I might add brevity - both in individual sections of the Resume and in the overall end result.
Lying on a Resume is a completely foolish thing to do. Apart from the embarassment of getting caught out, the person could find themselves in serious trouble. In the UK there is an offence commonly known as "obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception" and there have been prosecutions in some particularly serious cases where people have obtained jobs with high salaries based on falsely claimed experience or qualifications.
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