A Short Guide to Common Resume Writing Mistakes to Avoid

1. HOW NOT TO WRITE A BAD
RESUME ™
A Guide to Common Resume
Writing Mistakes to Avoid

2. WHAT TO EXPECT
For a really bad resume:
WRITE AS FAST AS YOU CAN
CREATIVE CONTACT INFORMATION
“I” FOCUS
SLAPDASH FORMATTING
TOO MUCH INFORMATION
Ms. or Mr. COUCH POTATO
OOOPS! FORGOT EXPERIENCE
POINTS for a SOLID RESUME THAT WORKS

3. WRITE AS FAST AS YOU CAN
Write your resume in a hurry
Overlook spelling errors
Inaccuracies related to your background
and experience
Omit Skills and Accomplishments
Show a lack of Creativity

4. WRITE AS FAST AS YOU CAN
Do not take the time for thought or preparation
‘Speed’ gives the impression of a lack of interest
Just write as fast as you can!
And Get It Done!

5. UNUSUAL CONTACT
INFORMATION
Use a nickname for your resume
heading.
Include a colorful e-mail address
describing a personal habit or state of
mind.

6. EXAMPLES
crazyfordogs@email.com
lovestodrink@email.com
partygirl@email.com.

7. “I” FOCUS
Write your resume in the first person
Use ‘I’ with impunity
Focus on what is important to you
Disregard the needs of the employer

8. SLAPDASH FORMATTING
Write your resume just like all other applicants
‘Follow the pack’ in your presentation
Do not show imagination or creativity
Be afraid to be different or unique
Use a lot of abbreviations and commas

9. TOO MUCH INFORMATION
Gives the appearance of being ‘crammed’
Write in a very small font making a resume
difficult to read
Contains more information that the
employer really wants to know

10. And MORE INFORMATION
Not focused leaving little or nothing to the
imagination.
Answers any and all possible questions an
employer could ask.
An employer might ask, ‘This is more
information than I really want to know.
Why do I need to interview this applicant?’

11. Ms. or Mr. COUCH POTATO
Where are your Accomplishments?
What are your Skills?
Shows a lack of Initiative.
Or the ability to make a Difference
Or the willingness to step or think ‘out
of the box’.

12. OOOPS! FORGOT EXPERIENCE
Insert the job description into your
resume
Copy the job summary into the body
of your resume
Reads like a job description
Use ‘Work History’, ‘Work Experience’
vs. Professional Experience

13. A SOLID RESUME THAT WORKS
CLARITY AND FOCUS
TIMEand THOUGHT
INSPIRED
PROFESSIONAL YET INSPIRED PRESENTATION
HIGHLIGHT ACCOMPLISHMENTS, SKILLS
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

14. CLARITY & FOCUS
Convey the message for any prospective
employer
Be Clear, Concise, and Communicate clearly
your Accomplishments, Skills and what you
bring to your next job
Focus on the needs of your audience
Not a medium to express your needs or
expectations
All about your future employer and the
expectations and what you bring to the table

15. AN INVESTMENT
Crafting a good resume takes time, patience and
thought.
Rome was not built in a day and neither will a
good resume.
Writing a resume might take several days and
might often take weeks.
Why? To give you time to remember what you
have done, reflect on your experiences and
focus on where it is you want to go.

16. INSPIRE YOUR AUDIENCE
First impressions are important: your resume is your
introduction to a Recruiter or hiring manager.
Be professional, but be individual.
Your resume should be easy to read, easy for the reader to
find your skills sets and accomplishments and how they
relate to the job to which you are applying.
Use spacing, bold lettering, and bullet points to highlight
your skills and accomplishments.
The reader’s eye will follow the use of spacing, bolding and
bullets.
Avoid italics as this style may be difficult to read and de-
emphasizes vs. an emphasis.

17. HIGHLIGHT ACCOMPLISHMENTS & SKILLS
Convey with Conviction and Enthusiasm:
What have you Accomplished?
How you have made a Difference in the
workplace?
What you are most proud of?
What have been your most significant
Contributions?

18. HIGHLIGHT ACCOMPLISHMENTS & SKILLS
Which of your ideas have been adopted at
work?
List your Awards no matter how insignificant
you may believe them to be.
Awards and Recognition matter and is a great
way to showcase your talents and skills.

19. GOOD EXAMPLES
­Name
Anywhere, Ca. 12345 You Call Me (Cell)
guesswho@gmail.com I Call You (Home)
Legal Services Professional specializing in Litigation with greater than ten (10) years
experience within global legal environments including Go Here and Went There with
the proven ability to optimize legal services with application of reliable and consistent
administrative support.
•Exercises independent judgment and decision-making abilities with discretion and
confidentiality.
•Recognized for an ethics-oriented and professional working style applied to wide-
ranging responsibilities with accuracy and effectiveness.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
•Executed ‘practice management software’ to accurately capture sensitive and crucial
information related to case management, financial reserves and resource allocation.

20. GOOD EXAMPLE
MIKE SOMEBODY
Some Place, USA| 123-456-7891 | mikesome12@hotmail.com
ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL
OPERATIONS | HUMAN RESOURCES | FACILITIES
Performance-driven Administrative Assistant professional with expertise in
providing support services to multiple internal client groups including Human
Resources, Operations, Finance, and Facilities. Demonstrated commitment
to organizational objectives within a highly competitive and rapidly changing
work environment.
•Trusted as an advisor to management and employees with the ability to
respond to urgent situations in a professional and understanding manner.
•Outstanding ability to plan and execute assigned projects without direct
supervision.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

21. EXAMPLE
Your Name
Somewhere, Ca. 12345| 123-456-7890 | professional1@comcast.net
SENIOR LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT | ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
Business-focused Organizational Development Professional with extensive experience
guiding Executive Leadership in diverse industries including Retail and Healthcare.
•Optimizes the performance capacity of employees in consultation with organizational
leaders then exceeding business goals.
•Outstanding communicator who excels in the facilitation of small-to-large group
collaboration and involvement of all stakeholders to implement changes effectively.
•Leader in the development and management of Human Resource programs targeting
key business initiatives then aligning processes with human capital.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: Revitalized Performance Management system to
include on-going performance feedback embracing peer reviews as an integral
component to the process.

22. THOUGHTS
Professionalism is a universal quality that if you
possess, will move you forward on whatever
path life leads you.
Your resume can be the means to a more
professional you.

23. ‘"The achievement of your goal is assured
the moment you commit yourself to it."
Mack R. Douglas

24. RESUME 911
Marcia Hancock
marcia@thejobsearchadvisor.com
http://thejobsearchadvisor.com/