5 Resume Mistakes To Avoid

EDINA, Minn. - Is your job search going nowhere?

It could be if your resume is marred by one or more of the following errors, according to a recent survey of 2,500 recruiters and hiring professionals conducted by MSN Careers.

How many of these mistakes is your current resume making?

1. Spelling Errors, Typos and Poor Grammar Of course, you want to use spell check, but that won't catch every mistake. "Manger" is a correctly spelled word, but it means something very different from "Manager."

2. Too Duty-Oriented "If you're using your company's job description, you're missing the point of your resume," says Paul Schmitz of Hufford Associates. Recruiters already know what the job is; your resume should highlight your accomplishments instead.

3. Poor Formatting Different typefaces and boxes may look nice on paper, but if your resume needs to be scanned, they can cause confusion. Recruiters suggest keeping your resume in plain text.

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4. Functional Resumes

Whenever possible, recruiters advise you go with a chronological resume and focus on the skills and accomplishments that pertain to the job you're seeking.

To most recruiters, a functional resume is typically used by job seekers with something to hide. It's a big red flag that could cause your job search to come to a screeching halt.

If you're concerned about a layoff, be assured that "nowadays, unemployment is quite prevalent, and recruiters regard it differently," says Jeanne Pace of Pace Search Services. "Most people do something to keep their work [skills] going."

Use that information to fill in the gaps.

5. Long Resumes

"I simply don't have the time to read them," says Bob Moore of Computer Recruiters Inc.

Focus on the skills and accomplishments that directly apply to the job you're trying to get. Every word counts, so don't dwell on detailed specifics of each job, but rather, focus on the highlights specific to you.

To avoid these 5 mistakes, which can delay your job search by weeks or even months, many job hunters have turned to the newly revised edition of "Resume and Cover Letter Secrets Revealed."

With copy-and-paste examples of more than 24 job-winning resumes and 21 cover letters, along with hard-won advice on job hunting tactics that are proven to work, it's become an underground Internet best-seller.

Copyright © 2001-2003 by Kevin Donlin

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Kevin Donlin is Managing Editor of 1 Day Resumes. The 1DR writers provide same-day, one-on-one resume writing assistance. He is also author of "Resume and Cover Letter Secrets Revealed," a do-it-yourself manual that will help you find a job in 30 days ... or your money back. For more information, please visit Resume and Cover Letter Secrets



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