Optimal Copy - SEO Copywriting Blog

By Lisa Peyton

When it comes to writing a resume, most of us know the basics – Name, Contact Information, Experience, Education, etc. But are you aware that even top-level executives make fundamental resume blunders? Our executive recruiters see hundreds of resumes a week and here’s what they DON’T want to see on your resume:

1. “Don’t provide a resume that simply lists job description versus highlighting accomplishments and results. Be sure to provide context so the reader knows the exact role you played in achieving each accomplishment.” Roy Notowitz, Generator Group - Partner/Recruiter

Carla Vaughan echoes this sentiment in her article, “Why is It so Important to List Accomplishments on Resumes?

“Your accomplishments are what distinguish you from your competitors in the job-search process. All things being equal, if a hiring manager were looking at two identical prospective employees who could handle the tasks of the job perfectly well, but one had accomplished more than the other, who do you think is going to get a phone call? Obviously, the person who accomplishes the most “wins”.”

2. “Writing in the third person, so annoying! I just want to scream, ‘You’re not that cool!’” - Vince Amela, Generator Group - RecruiterIn her article “The Six Cardinal Rules
   Of Resume Writing,” Wendy Enelow at careerjournal.com agrees with Vince.“Write your document in the active first-person tense, never the third person, and choose language that’s appropriate to the type of position you’re seeking. If you’re a mid-level manager, don’t use “Ph.D.” language. If you’re in line for CEO, COO or other top operating slots, use words appropriate to that level.”
3. “Don’t put hi-res images or graphics on your resume that takes forever to load, I want to see your information, not fancy clipart.” Lisa Peyton, Generator Group – Marketing and Recruiting CoordinatorWeird or “creative formatting” makes it difficult for an employer or recruiter to identify pertinent information. Stick to a traditional chronological format. Also, PDF documents do not work well in resume databases – they are not easily parsed. Stick to text or MS Word Docs when applying for jobs online. In a recent study of Fortune 500 companies it was discovered that 36% currently are using automated systems to parse resumes and about 40% plan on moving in that direction in the near future. This calls for guidelines that are automation friendly, according to professor William H. Baker: “Job applicants ought to stay within certain guidelines. Graphics should not be included, and the applicants ought to use dark type and white or off-white paper so there is good contrast between the type and background. Also, use standard-sized paper and between 9- and 13-point type.” More information can be found on the aforementioned study in Stephanie Tripp’s article, “Fancy Resume? Fortune 500 Study Says Think Again.”
4. “Don’t use more than one font – intentionally or unintentionally, it just looks bad” Jesse Connell, Generator Group - Executive Recruiting ManagerJesse’s not alone, according to the General Resume Guidelines at sampleresumes4free.com . It’s wise to “try to use one type, avoid using more than two font types. Suggested fonts are the Times New Roman, Arial or Verdana. Font size should be no larger than 12 point and no smaller than 10 point. Font color must be black always. Do not use colored font.”
5. “Don’t Include photos – prove that you ARE qualified for the job. Not that you look like you’re qualified.” Kevin Servino – Generator Group – Consumer Products RecruiterIn fact, Career Services at Virginia Tech claims photos should never appear on a resume ”unless you’re applying for an acting / theatrical position where appearance is a bona fide occupational qualification. Therefore the best approach is not to provide a photo in any form (on-line or otherwise) in connection with your job search. Employers are prohibited from making hiring decisions based on appearance or other factors not relevant to the job qualifications; therefore employers want to avoid seeking out information that is not appropriate to consider.”
6. “Never include incomplete employment dates, like not including months. This makes it hard to determine exactly how long someone is at a company.” Roy NotowitzWhile it may be important to list detailed and complete information, you don’t want to over do it. Keep your resume clean and uncluttered by deleting any dates that aren’t meaningful to the employer. In “Ten Easy Ways to Improve Your Resume” ,
   Katherine Hansen provides this advice: “Don’t list dates that don’t add anything to your resume; for example, dates you spent involved in college extracurricular activities. If you were involved in these activities during college, the reader can pretty much guess your dates of involvement, and listing the dates will just clutter up your document. Same with dates of involvement in professional or civic organizations; ask yourself if those dates will be meaningful to the employer reading your resume.”
7. “A resume does not have to be one page but it does not need to be 6 pages either. Make it appropriate length for your experience with enough detail but also use an efficiency of words as much as possible.” Roy NotowitzSo how long does your resume need to be? Monster Resume Expert Kim Isaacs offers these guidelines in her article ”How to Decide on Resume Length False”
   :
   “The new guideline is: A resume should be long enough to entice hiring managers to call you for job interviews. That may sound vague, but there is no hard-and-fast length rule that works for everyone. Factors to consider include career objective, occupation, industry, years of experience, number of employers, scope of accomplishments and education/training.Consider a One-Page Resume if:
   • You have less than 10 years of experience.
   • You’re pursuing a radical career change and your experience isn’t relevant to your new goal.
   • You’ve held one or two positions with one employer.

   Consider a Two-Page Resume if:

   • You have 10 or more years of experience related to your goal.
   • Your field requires technical or engineering skills, and you need space to list and confirm your technical knowledge.

   Consider a Three-Page Resume or Longer if:

   • You’re a senior-level manager or executive with a long track record of leadership accomplishments.
   • You are in an academic or scientific field with an extensive list of publications, speaking engagements, professional courses, licenses or patents.”
8. “Vague ass-kissing ‘career objective’ responses–e.g. ‘I’d like to work for a company that appreciates hard work and personal commitments and allows me to be who I really am.’ ” Eric S. Gregory, Optimalcopy.com – CopywriterThe ass-kissing can be saved for the cover letter according to tutoriallist.com, where one of their lessons “ will teach you how to get the attention of any prospective employer by constructing a cover letter with charm, competence, and the all-important ass-kissing.”

This entry was posted on Friday, June 22nd, 2007 at 3:25 pm and is filed under Resume Tips, SEO Careers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.