After a recent blog about resume tips, I realized there's so much more I could have included and this addendum will cover more areas but there's always more!

More things to Avoid

Before we get to writing content, let's start with more things to avoid when writing your resume.

• Microsoft templates, skip them.  Make your resume pop.  Lose the built-in template everyone else has and come up with something unique.
• Stretching the truth.  You can be called on your bluff. Write what you know instead.
• Attempting One Size Fits All.  Whenever you try to develop a one-size-fits-all resume to send to all employers and recruiters, you almost always end up with something that will end up in the recycle bin.  Recruiters and Employers want you to write a resume specifically for us. We expect you to clearly show how and why you fit the position in a specific organization.
• Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short.  Despite what you may read or hear, there are no rules governing the length of your resume. The one page or two page rule does not exist.  Understand my frame of reference, I deal mainly with Technical Professionals and Executives.  We need details.  The point here is, don't cut your resume short just to keep it under two pages.  Give us all the details necessary while balancing length versus readability.  You don't want to write a novel either.  This also goes back to the point above with writing customized resumes for every job you apply for. 

Quantify Achievements

I can spot bull excrement at 100 yards, just like the rest of the intelligent world.  Statements with quantifiable achievements aren't just easier to read, they make for stronger points.  

For example: Instead of this:I am a talented and popular writer dedicated to writing good documents fast.

Try this:Wrote upwards of eight articles per day and can attract an audience of over 30,000 unique visitors.

Which of these sounds like the better deal to you? Showcase what you can bring to your prospective company.

Keep It Simple

Expect your resume to be skimmed.  Make it as easy as possible for us to see why you are so special.  We tend to read lists and skip over paragraphs. So, when it comes down to a choice between the two, keep the most important information in a bulleted list.  You can scan a list much quicker than a paragraph, this way we will take away more raw information from your neatly listed resume, helping you stand out. 

Keep this in perspective.  Too often I find resumes that are basically a bulleted resume.  Everything is in bullets.  Including boring details that read like job responsibilities.  I don't care about that!  I want to know what make you different, list your accomplishments, not your responsibilities. 

Something else to keep in mind and this goes back to writing a customized resume for every job... you must have pertinent information on the first page of your resume.  You must catch the readers eye with the first page if you have multiple pages.  Otherwise, all the great details will not be read if your initial page is full of fluff.

It's like watching the news and they say red wine is good for your heart and suddenly you switch to a red wine diet.  Common sense rules apply here too!

Include key terms

Increasingly, resumes are entered into systems that scan them for key terms applicable to the job. This is especially true of resumes submitted in soft copy, whether to a recruiting site or directly to a prospective employer. These systems weed out any that don't contain the right trigger words. Employers don't mind if this costs them a few good candidates, since they still have more than they can talk to, but it doesn't have to affect you. Make sure the key terms are in your resume somewhere - and that they're spelled right, especially if they're technojargon or product names that a spell-checker can't check

When you send Perito Eleven your resume, it's read by recruiters, not machines.  It's more important for us to able to see key terms on a skim.  Believe it or not, I actually prefer to work with candidates that will pick up the phone and call!  Let me know you exist so we can get down to business!

Edit Ruthlessly

Keep everything important both on the first page and up high. Don't give us a chance to skip your most important selling points.  Take a very hard line on clutter.  If there's anything that detracts from exactly why you'd be perfect for the job, remove it. 

Searching for a job is not always easy, no matter what state the economy.  When you're on the hunt, your best weapons are your resume and network but this blog is about your resume. This document must emphasize the best of your experience, education, and skills.  Don't let your effort go to waste by having these glaring red flags on your resume.

Fancy Fonts, Glitter, Images, etc

In an effort to make your resume stand out, you may find that it gets thrown out or deleted.  Less extreme attempts such as including image files or using non-traditional symbols or fonts should also be avoided.  While it may be a nice break for a recruiter reading through hundreds of Times New Roman documents, you run the risk of the fonts or images not loading properly.  In fact this happens quite often, and your resume will most likely be deleted or tossed in the shredder.

Listing Your References

Listing your references on the resume is a definite no-no, yet I see it all the time. References should always appear on a separate page, and should only be produced when asked for.  Besides do your references want to be called by random potential employers without warning?  Wouldn't you rather tell your references that someone really important is calling today, have a moment to tell them about the job, and remind them how awesome you are?

Another oddity that won't go away is the line - "References Available Upon Request."  It's understood that you will, so save some space and your potential employer's time. 

It's Written in Full Sentences

We receive dozens if not hundreds of applications -- help us out!  Your resume should be short and sweet and strategically bulleted (more on this on another blog).  You aren't writing a novel, you are trying to catch a skimming employer's eye and prove you are worth a second look -- and an interview.

There Are No Numbers

One of the worst things you can do on a resume is to be vague.  Don't just list your accomplishments in a general way -- have the quantitative data to back it up.  If you exceeded a goal, by how much did you exceed it?  If you created and distributed company performance reports, how many did you do?  Adding numbers concretizes your accomplishments and paints a better picture of what you actually did. Also, make sure you are answering the "how" question.  If you completed five projects this year instead of the expected four, how did you do it?

It Includes the Words "Duties" or "Responsibilities"

When you are writing your current or former job description, focus on your accomplishments, not what you had to do.  As an alternative to "duties" or "responsibilities," flip your tasks into achievements.  For example, instead of being "responsible for the sales team," consider "directed the sales team to beat their repeat client objective by 10%" - numbers define and help paint a picture!

It Lists an Objective

For the most part, objectives sound insincere and, worse, can limit your options.  Let your cover letter do the talking when it comes to why you want that particular job.  Remember, each cover letter and resume should be individually tailored to a specific job -- not just a specific field.  Taking an interest in the specifics of the job makes you look professional and focused and not like you are mass-emailing anyone who might hire you.  Desperation is no more attractive to an employer than it is to a date.

It Contains Spelling or Grammatical Errors

We all know to avoid this one.  It makes you look sloppy and negates the part of your resume that proudly describes you as "detail-oriented."  The best things you can do for a resume is send it to a professional resume service or a professional editor.  If you are a student, your career center likely offers free resume counseling or at least free information to help you fine tune your CV before sending it out.  At the very least, have a friend look it over and check for basic language errors -- spell check just doesn't cut it.

It Lists an Unprofessional Email Address

In a world where email is free, and most of us have multiple addresses, make the effort to have a professional email address.  Keep it simple -- using your name is best. Just make sure you leave the spankme@naughtymail.com for personal use.  Don't use your current work email unless you are self-employed! 

It Includes a Picture

The ONLY time this is appropriate is if you are applying to be a model or an actor, and in both cases, a separate portfolio is preferable.  Including a self-portrait could exclude you for not being serious and may make you appear unprofessional.  Let your skills and experience speak for you.

It Is Too Personal

Resumes should demonstrate how professional you are -- that means the anecdote about the time you met Aerosmith backstage is not appropriate.  That being said, let your personality come through in your resume by including volunteer experience or a (very) short section about your interests.

Social Networking

Most of us live in cyberspace and if you can easily be Googled make darn sure that whatever we find is appropriate.  This is a common sense rule and shouldn't need further explanation. If it does, time to grow up!

The Bottom Line When times are tough, getting a job is a stressful undertaking. Don't sell yourself short. Instead, make sure your resume is the best example of you as a potential employee and before you know it, you'll be employed once again.