Unless you’ve lived the life of a recruiter, knowing how to write a resume isn’t instinctual. We all know to avoid the typical mistakes like grammatical blunders and typos, but there are some pet peeves that we never talk about…
Resume file name is Resume.doc or Resume.pdf
Your resume was amazing and the hiring manager thought you were a fantastic candidate. They remember your name was John but they misplaced your resume so they need to print it out again.
How will the hiring manager ever find you again if you named your resume file “Resume.doc?”
We suggest using your name in the file and the date when it was submitted. For example. JohnDoeResumeMay30.doc. Or if you want to keep it simple, John-Doe-Resume.doc.
Passive language
Passive language makes for a boring read. For a stronger effect, career experts suggest using an active voice to avoid jumbly prepositional phrases.
Passive: “…A sales growth of 20% was realized in our team over two years.”
Active: “… My team achieved a 20% sales growth in two years.”
Passive: “…promotion to Executive Director was given to me after one year of working at the company.”
Active: “…promoted to Executive Director after one year.”
Third-person
Again, not an actual mistake, but an extremely overrated practice. There have surprisingly been several surveys that indicate that this resume affectation is considered “irritating”. Although the pronoun “I” is generally not used, it is understood. Here is what we are talking about:
“John Smith is an Executive Director with 10 years of experience developing strategies to develop the mission of the organization…”
Instead, just say:
” Executive Director with 10 years of experience developing strategies to develop the mission of the organization….”
No phone number
Everyone is so caught up in keeping the email address professional, that many people forget the phone number. In the age of tech submission, many candidates seem to think decision-makers will want to communicate by e-mail only. Nope! Some jobs need top talent quickly and the phone is the way to do that.
No results
You should highlight the results you have obtained, your accomplishments, and the value you have added to previous employers. Provide the metrics.
Some examples of relevant metrics are:
· Sales volume
· Size of teams led
· Amount of money you’ve saved previous employers
· Number of people you’ve hired
· Results of revenue-generation projects or initiatives
· Results of process-improvement
TOO much information
Many people struggle to find that resume sweet spot. Your resume should have accurate, verifiable content, but it must also be concise and readable. Don’t write long paragraphs. Instead, opt for bullet points, or add more paragraph breaks. The name of the game: scannable. Make your resume as scannable as
Do you need help perfecting your resume? JDI Search knows which resumes get results. Contact us today and we can help you get started on the ideal resume to land you the job.