With so many job seekers looking for employment, the competition is steep, and many hiring managers see hoards of resumes at a time. Presentation is everything, and those who put top-notch efforts into their resumes get prime attention, while others might see the bottom of the trash bin. To be sure your resume avoids demise, we asked Aisha Taylor, co-founder of TAYLORmade Career Consulting, to give a check list of top things that turn off prospective employers. See her tips here, and be sure to enter here to Win a Resume Makeover with TAYLORmade courtesy of BlackEnterprise.com.
Misspelled Words/Typos — The last thing that a potential employer wants to see is that you don’t care enough to use spell check and carefully proofread your resume. Evidence of your ability to pay close attention to detail is extremely important to employers.
Missing Contact Info — While it’s important to protect your identity online, potential employers won’t even bother to look at a resume that doesn’t contain at least a phone number and an e-mail address. It’s sometimes OK to skip the mailing address, but there are no exceptions for phone number and e-mail address. Make it as easy as possible for the company to get in contact with you.
Damaged Goods — It’s never OK to hand in a resume that has spills, rips, or looks like it’s been balled up in your front pocket. Always keep hard copies crisp and neat in a portfolio or folder.
Templates — Cookie-cutter resumes that have been populated with basic information aren’t the best way to get an employers attention. Templates are dull and often limit your ability to create a resume that speaks directly to your individual skills and accomplishments.
The Art Project — Many professionals think that their resume is the best time to display their free spirit, artistic abilities, and winning smile. On the contrary, you should never include pictures of yourself, your family, or your cute dog on your resume.
The Missing Piece — One surefire way to have your resume ignored is to miss the instructions given on the job posting. Many job seekers forget to attach a cover letter or put the wrong verbiage in the subject field. When there are specific instructions on what documents should be submitted or how they should be submitted, be sure to carefully follow every direction. This again is an opportunity to show a potential employer that you pay attention to detail.
The Dissertation — There aren’t enough hours in a day for hiring managers to read every resume that comes across their desks. This is further complicated by those dreaded three-, four-, and five-page resumes. Generally speaking, your resume should never be longer than two pages. One page is actually preferred.
Font Fiasco — Your resume isn’t the time to experiment with that cool font that you’ve always wanted to use. Calibri, Arial, Verdana, and Franklin Gothic Book are the best fonts to use on your resume. Consistency in font usage is also important. Try not to use more than two fonts on your resume.
The First Person — One of the biggest turnoffs to hiring managers is when job seekers speak in the first person. Never use the word “I†in your resume. If your name is on the top (as it should be), they’ll know who you’re talking about.
Lost in the Layout — Resumes with confusing, unorganized, and overcrowded formats are likely to be thrown to the side. Your resume should be clear and concise with easily identifiable section headers, appropriate margins, and ample white space.
- For more job-seeking resources, look out for the rest of our Careers coverage this week in our Get Hired series.