I review a lot of resumes. At least once a week, I’ll come across one that was obviously carefully written. The job seeker has great credentials, an impressive work history, and a solid understanding of his or her value to the organization. S/he has clearly put a lot of time and effort into the resume. Unfortunately, this talented job seeker has gotten some very bad resume advice.
Many of the problems with these otherwise great resumes can be corrected within just a few minutes. Here are my Top 10 Quick Fixes for common resume problems:
NOTE: Not every strategy will be appropriate for every job seeker. These tips were compiled with the “average” job seeker in mind.
- Create an eye-catching header. Your name should be in a larger font, and your contact information should be easily found. Remember that first impressions are critical.
- Don’t use a PDF version of your resume. .Doc or .docx remains the format of choice.
- If your resume is in Times New Roman font, ask yourself if that’s the best font choice for you. Maybe it is, or maybe you’re just using it because that’s the font in the Word template you’re using.
- Don’t use a Word template.
- Do you have work experience from the 1980s? Delete it. Does your work experience from the 1990s support your current career goals? If not, delete it.
- Is there a section titled “Hobbies” in your resume? Delete it.
- Did you include any personal information, such as your religion or marital status? Delete it.
- Are references listed on your resume? Delete them.
- Read the first half of the first page of your resume. Can someone get a good sense for who you are, what you offer, and why you’re a good candidate? If not, why not? What’s missing? Add that information to your summary.
- Don’t have a summary? Write one. Don’t use an objective statement.