It can be really challenging to craft the perfect resume. It’s hard to convey your skills, why you would make a great employee and stand out amongst the crowd at the same time.
According to resume writer expert Chris Fields, “Recruiters get on average 86 resumes per open position. You only get about 10 seconds to make a positive impact. In order to make the cut, your resume needs to be attractive yet professional and the content needs to be on point.”
If you need help writing your resume, we recommend checking out our guide to the best resume writing services.
If you would rather write your resume yourself, make sure to avoid these common pitfalls. Here are 10 ways to determine if your resume is bad.
10 Ways To Determine If Your Resume Is Bad
Using The Wrong Resume Format
When writing your resume, make sure you use the correct type of resume. There are five common resume formats:
- Chronological Resume
- Functional Resume
- Combination Resume
- Mini Resume
- Targeted Resume
The best resume format will depend on your career goals and work experience. Chronological resumes are the most common format and perfect if you have a long work history with no gaps. If you don’t have much work experience, a functional resume may be a better option. Choose the resume format that matches your career history best.
Using the words “I, She, He, Him, Her”
Writing your resume in 1st or 3rd person can be very confusing for the reader. Avoid sentences like, “I was promoted.” or “Jamie was promoted.” Instead use “was promoted” or “led a team of 9.”
Spelling and Grammatical Errors
Be sure to avoid spelling and grammar errors. Thanks to autocorrect and modern technology, we are often alerted to spelling errors before it’s too late. However, spelling and grammar are something that you should always double-check.
Submitting a resume with obvious spelling and grammatical errors to a potential employer could instantly land your resume in the trash.
Incorrect Resume Length
Most resumes should be two pages long. Two pages is the standard length to fit all your keywords, experience, and skills on your resume, according to career expert Caitlin Proctor.
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Your resume should not be longer than two pages. When writing your resume, be concise. If you need to elaborate further about specific skills or details, your cover letter is the place to do so.
There are certain instances, such as just graduating college, when your resume can be one page. There are also instances when potential employers may request longer, more detailed resumes. A general rule of thumb is two pages, but be aware that certain situations may require different resume lengths.
Including An Objective Statement
Including an objective statement in your resume is considered to be an outdated practice. Objective statements tend to be generic and used a space-filler.
If you feel the need to include some type of statement, consider adding a professional summary or a branding statement. A branding statement could be described as an elevator speech. This statement is a quick summary of your experience, skills and features that describe your career and qualifications. Here is an example of a branding statement.
Missing and Incomplete Contact Information
You need to list your current contact information on your resume. This will allow recruiters and hiring managers to reach you. Be sure to include your name, the best phone number to reach you and your email address. If you are missing information or do not include all of your information, this could result in recruiters not getting in touch with you or not being able to get in touch with you.
We would also recommend adding your LinkedIn profile URL and your mailing address. Many potential employers will be interested in learning more about you on LinkedIn. Displaying your address allows potential employers to see where you are located. Some companies may be willing to let you work remotely, while some want you to be in a specific office. Many, but not all, employers offer relocation assistance. Your address provides crucial information to hiring managers about whether they should consider you and what logistical questions they need to ask.
Here is an example of a resume with complete contact information.
Fluffy Language
If you have the phrases “Results-Driven” or “Goals Oriented” on your resume, what you are saying basically is that you love old workplace clichés. Every manager and director on planet earth is “Results-Driven”. It’s plain and adds no flavor at all to your resume. Recruiters and hiring managers have seen it a million times. The English language is broad, use other words.
Missing Employment Information
Missing dates of employment or company names is definitely something you want to avoid. Chris Fields has seen this happen. “True story, I had a client with no dates of employment on their resume. They were trying to conceal their age but it looked more suspicious than that. I had another client that had no company names or dates of employment. Both were not getting calls for interviews,” said Fields.
If you worked some short-term jobs, you will need to decide whether to include it on your resume or leave it off. If you had a short-term job that gave you experience in your field, it is likely worth keeping on your resume. Jobs you worked for longer than three months typically need to be included on your resume.
Poor Resume Design and Layout
Pay attention to your resume design and layout. Avoid excessive use of colors, too much bold text, etc.
Keep your resume looking neat and clean. One way to ensure a clean layout is to organize your resume into columns. Columns allow you to easily separate different sections. Some examples of sections would be: education, contact information, professional experience, etc.
Here is an example of a poor resume design. Avoid centering all of your text like this example.
If You Wrote It Yourself
According to Chris Fields, the number one way to determine if your resume is bad is if you wrote it yourself. Even if you write your resume yourself, have someone else look it over. This could be a friend or family member or a resume writing service like TopResume.
Looking to expand your job search scope? Refer to our comprehensive round-up of the best job posting sites for a diverse range of options.
If that all sounds too overwhelming, know that help does exist. CareerCloud has written extensively on:
