HR UNCOVERED: 5 BIG (AND SURPRISINGLY COMMON) RESUME MISTAKES
Kent R.
This website's blog is mostly about what I know - and learn along the way - as a Resume Writer / Career Development professional. However, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I am often asked for insight into the baffling world of HR. I've gotten into "HR Uncovered" sorts of things a few times but recently made the decision to do so more frequently.
More than anything, people are always interested in hearing about the crazy things that companies / employees do - the behind-the-scenes stuff that most people don't know about. People also wonder about what kinds of mess-ups are commonly seen on resumes.
Although the following list is certainly not inclusive, it gives you an idea of some of the not-so-uncommon things that raise an eyebrow.
The "I'm an 'expert' in _______" syndrome.
I can't tell you how common it is to see a wonky, poorly formatted resume that says something such as "expert in Microsoft Word" at the bottom.
The "I'm from another world" syndrome.
We all know that it's effective to err on the side of professionalism when constructing a resume. Many people take this too far and end up employing a voice that makes them seem as though they are from another world. I saw this once:
"Utilization of enthusiastic entrepreneurialism, coupled with adeptness at developing synergies and promotion of team-play to commence and maximize profit attainment."
The "I'm all about accuracy" syndrome.
The best example I can give (because it happens all of the time)... Never say "detail orientated" when you mean to say "detail oriented" on your resume.
The "I know all about commas" syndrome.
Resumes are a place where candidates tend to want to pack in a lot of information. Commas become very common. Don't go too far, though. This, as an example, is always a bad idea:
"Initiated, architected, designed, developed, tested, implemented and evangelized the Q3 system upgrade."
The "I know how to copy and paste" syndrome.
Never use your past job descriptions as a basis for your bullet points. Especially, "other duties, as required." It happens all of time. I'm not kidding.