If you’ve been submitting lots of resumes and haven’t been getting responses, I have some bad news. It’s probably your fault. You’ve likely committed one or more of the 7 Deadly Sins of Resume Writing.
The good news is that you can turn it all around without too much drama and I’m going to show you how.
Here’s what I want you to do. Pull up a copy of your resume and compare it to the following list. Use a critical eye or, better yet, enlist the help of an observant friend who you can trust to give you honest feedback. Then identify which of the 7 Deadly Sins you have committed. Once you’ve identified where your weaknesses are, you can begin to write a more effective version. Or, if you’re still having trouble, Dark Horse has your back. Contact me by clicking here for a free consultation.
THE 7 DEADLY SINS OF RESUME WRITING
1) YOU’RE WASTING PRIME REAL ESTATE
When I review resumes I often notice is that the top 1/3 of the first page is all fluff and no substance. Stop it! This section of your resume should be the equivalent of an elevator pitch. Under your name and contact information you should write a brief paragraph that includes all of the information the reader will need to quickly determine, in 15 seconds or less, whether you meet their basic qualifications. When doing this, avoid common word tracks like “excellent communications skills” and “proven leadership abilities”. Folks who do lots of hiring tune this language out. It’s fluff. It’s meaningless. Instead, find creative language and concrete examples to describe who you are and what you’ve accomplished. Be sure to include:
Position Currently Held
Position You Are Seeking
Years of Experience
Most Relevant Degrees or Certifications
A Brief Description of Any Specializations
A Brief Description of Accomplishments
2) ESSENTIAL CONTACT INFORMATION IS MISSING OR INCOMPLETE
I have reviewed, literally, hundreds of resumes that don’t have phone numbers, emails, or locations listed at the top and it never fails to blow my mind. You must include ALL of this information if you want to have the best odds of being contacted for an interview. I understand if you prefer to communicate by email, but if a recruiter prefers to speak via phone and you haven’t included your number, you’ve already done yourself a disservice. If you have privacy concerns, create a Google Voice number or a burner email specifically for your job search and be sure to check for messages on a frequent basis. At a minimum, include the city and state where you live. If you’re open to relocating, make sure that you’re clearly communicating this to the reader in the top 1/3 of your resume.
3) THE LENGTH OF YOUR RESUME IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR YOUR EXPERIENCE LEVEL
Should you limit your resume to 2 pages? Not necessarily. If you have 35 years of progressive experience in your field, I’d suggest that 3-4 pages is likely more appropriate. On the other hand, if you’re a recent grad with no experience outside of a few internships, you’re going to want to stick to 1 page. Most folks fall somewhere within the realm of 2-3 pages. Use your best judgement and, as a general rule, don’t exceed 4 pages.
4) YOUR SPELLING, GRAMMAR, OR FORMATTING IS FLAWED
Any resume that is rife with spelling or grammar mistakes is going to be first in the rejection pile. Use spell check and ask at least one friend to proofread your work. Also, whatever formatting you choose to use, make sure that it’s consistent throughout the document. Consistent formatting is critical as it helps the reader’s eyes to move around the page efficiently. If your reader can’t locate the information they need in 15 seconds or less, you’re already dead in the water.
5) YOUR RESUME IS TOO WORDY
I received some of the best writing advice of my life in High School from a friend who, to this day, is one of the smartest people I know. She once told me, “Don’t use 5 big words where 2 small ones will do.” I’ve applied this advice throughout undergrad, law school, and my 15+ year professional career and I am here to tell you that she was right. Skip the big words. Brevity is your friend. Be clear and concise in your language.
6) YOU’RE NOT WRITING FOR AN INCLUSIVE AUDIENCE
Did you know that your resume is likely to be read by at least 2 very different types of audiences? Obviously you’re writing to persuade the hiring manager. The hiring manager is likely to understand industry terms and acronyms and should be able to read between the lines in the event you fail to describe your experience in detail. Your 2nd audience is the resume screener. Screening resume is tedious, monotonous work, which is why you’ll usually find HR Managers assigning this task to the most inexperienced members of their team. Resume screeners likely don’t have the same industry knowledge as hiring managers or HR Managers. They aren’t able to read between the lines, which is why you must provide them with the explicit information they need to determine you’re a fit, even if that information would be obvious to someone with even a modest amount of industry experience.
7) YOU’RE IGNORING THE 4-CORNERS RULE
Don’t expect that your reader will inquire further if they have questions about your resume. When in doubt, they will rule you out. Make sure that all of the information your readers need to get to a “YES” is contained within the 4-corners of your document. This means that short tenures and gaps in employment should be explained and all other idiosyncrasies should be accounted for.
So, there you have it. The 7 Deadly Sins of Resume Writing. If you’re not getting responses, one or more of these is likely tripping you up. See is you can identify which apply to you, make some edits, and try again. If you’re still not successful after that, or if you want to make sure you get it right on the first try, get in touch. I’m here to help.
Keep going, friends. You’ve got this.