Wednesday, February 25, 2009

How To Write a Bad Resume

As a professional resume writer with more than 15 years of experience, I've seen thousands of resumes. Some are good, of course, but some are just downright horrific. We all know that a resume, no matter how great it is, isn't going to get you a job. Your resume only gives you a shot at getting an interview. A bad resume takes away the chance that you'll even get that far. So, I've decided to put together a list of just a few of the things that make for a really bad resume. By avoiding these pitfalls, you might improve your odds of getting in the door for an interview. Then it's up to you to seal the deal.

1) Focusing on responsibilities, not achievements. Your resume is a sales tool. It's your marketing piece. You're selling a product (you) to a buyer (employer). Get them to see the features and benefits you offer. Why should any prospective employer "buy" you as opposed to any of the other products (candidates) out there? By highlighting your achievements, in quantifiable ways, you give potential employers a reason to want to hire you.

Example: Resume #1 says, "Exceeded sales objectives"
Resume #2 says, "Delivered 137% of sales goal, outpacing 122 reps nationwide"

Which candidate do you want to interview?

2) Putting anything in your resume that you might have to back-peddle from in an interview. In other words, don't exaggerate, don't lie, and don't inflate your achievements.

Example: "Ranked in the Top 10 of all sales executives in the country". Great – now when the interviewer asks you how many sales executives there were, and you have to say "10", you look idiotic and there's zero chance you're getting that job.

3) Using acronyms like alphabet soup. Like everything else, there's a time and place for acronyms. Some have become a part of our business vernacular and it's OK to use them (i.e. HIPAA – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). But be careful about tossing around acronyms. Some can have several meanings, so it's probably a good idea to spell out your use of the acronym once in the resume (i.e. ABC – it can mean Activity-Based Costing, Always Be Closing, or Anything But Chardonnay – make sure a potential employer knows which one you mean).

4) Using different fonts. I have seen resumes with at least 10 different fonts, in 6 different sizes, and a wild array of bold, italics, small caps, colors, and even flashing special effects. Don't do it. Use one font, and make it one that most Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) will recognize – Times New Roman, Arial, and Georgia are all good, standard fonts. Use Bold and Italics sparingly – and some ATS have a hard time with Italics - so only use them if you think they're absolutely necessary.

5) Listing your reason for leaving each job. Just one word. Don't. No matter why you left, whether it was a layoff, downsizing, restructuring, firing, or voluntary, it's going to be perceived as a negative. Better to leave this discussion for the interview.

6) Using your current company email address or phone number as your contact information. No employer wants to think that you would use company resources for your job search, so don't use your current employer's phone number or email address on your resume. It will doom your chances of getting an interview. Make sure the outgoing message on your cell phone or home phone sounds professional, and open a professional-sounding gmail or hotmail account for your job search.

Today's job market is more challenging than ever before. If your resume isn't better than everyone else's out there, you don't stand a chance of landing the job you want. Make sure you're giving yourself every opportunity to sell yourself in an interview.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks it is a wonderful guide, now to write a bad resume is definitely easy with the help of your guidance. Thank you

    ReplyDelete