Resume Tips

Common Mistakes On Resumes

1. Too Much Info About Job Duties
Your resume should not be a boring list of job duties and responsibilities. Go beyond showing what was required and demonstrate how you made a difference at each company, providing specific examples. When developing your achievements, ask yourself:
• How did you perform the job better than others?
• What were the problems or challenges faced? How did you overcome them? What were the results? How did the company benefit from your performance?
• Did you receive any awards, special recognition or promotions as a result?


2. General Objective Statement
Many candidates lose their readers in the beginning. Statements such as "A challenging position enabling me to contribute to organizational goals while offering an opportunity for growth and advancement" are overused, too general and waste valuable space. Try to replace what was once the ‘Objective’ to a PROFILE or SUMMARY narrative about you.


3. Too Short or Too Long
Many people try to squeeze their experiences onto one page, because they've heard resumes shouldn't be longer. By doing this, job seekers may delete impressive achievements. Other candidates ramble on about irrelevant or redundant experiences. There is no rule about appropriate resume length. When writing your resume, ask yourself, "Will this statement help me land an interview?" Every word should sell you, so include only the information that elicits a "yes."


4. Using Personal Pronouns and Articles
A resume is a form of business communication, so it should be concise and written in a telegraphic style. There should be no mentions of "I" or "me," and only minimal use of articles. For example:
I developed a new procedure that added $2 million in sales and increased overall company growth by 10%.
Should be changed to:
Developed new procedure that added $2 million in sales and increased overall company growth by 10%.


5. Listing Irrelevant Information
Many people include their interests, but they should include only those relating to the job. For example, if a candidate is applying for a position as a ski instructor, he should list cross-country skiing as a hobby.
Personal information, such as date of birth, marital status, height and weight, should not be on the resume unless you're an entertainment professional or job seeker outside the USA.


6. Using a Functional Resume When You Have a Good Career History
It irks hiring managers not to see the career progression and the impact you made at each position. Unless you have an emergency situation, such as virtually no work history or excessive job-hopping, avoid the functional format.
The modified chronological format is often the most effective. Here's the basic layout:
• Header (name, address, email address, phone number).
• Lead with a strong profile section detailing the scope of your experience and areas of proficiency.
• Reverse chronological employment history emphasizing achievements over the past 10 to 15 years.
• Education (new grads may put this at the top).


7. Not Including a Summary or Strengths Section
This is one of the job seeker's greatest tools. Candidates who have done their homework will know the skills and competencies important to the position. The summary/strengths should demonstrate the skill level and experiences directly related to the position being sought.
To create a high-impact summary statement, peruse job openings to determine what's important to employers. Next, write a list of your matching skills, experience and education. Incorporate these points into your summary.


8. Not Including Keywords
With so many companies using technology to store resumes, the only hope a job seeker has of being found is to sprinkle relevant keywords throughout the resume. Determine keywords by reading job descriptions that interest you, and include the words you see repeatedly in your resume or what you know is of importance in your chosen industry.

 
9. Referring to Your References
Employers know you have professional references. Use this statement only to signal the end of a long resume or to round out the design or leave it off altogether.


10. Typos
One typo can land your resume in the garbage. Proofread and show your resume to several friends to have them proofread it as well. This document is a reflection of you and should be perfect. Make sure you leave enough white space so that it is easy on the eyes.


Is a Combination Resume Right for You?

by Kim Isaacs
Monster Resume Expert


You may have grappled with whether to set up a chronological or functional resume. A chronological resume focuses on work experience, providing a reverse-chronological employment history and ample detail about job duties and accomplishments. This type of resume works for applicants on a steady career track, because it emphasizes work experience.


On the other hand, a functional resume highlights key skills and downplays work experience. Functional resumes are a good choice for career changers making a radical career shift and job seekers with sketchy work histories, including excessive job-hopping and employment gaps.


But there's another option: The combination (AKA “hybrid”) resume. The combination resume incorporates the best of the chronological and functional formats. Generally, it leads with a description of functional skills and related qualifications, followed by a reverse-chronological employment history.


This format allows you to state your most relevant qualifications up front, while providing the employment timeline that many hiring managers like to see. The disadvantage is that this hybrid format still includes a detailed employment history, so job-hopping, gaps and unrelated experience will be more apparent than they would be in a functional resume.


Who Should Use a Combination Resume?
Many job seekers would benefit from using a combination resume. The addition of a career summary pinpoints the candidate's top credentials so employers readily see it's a good match.


If you fall into any one of the following categories, you may want to consider going this route with your resume:
• Students, new graduates and entry-level job seekers: This allows job seekers to emphasize their skills rather than their short-lived employment history.
• Workers with a steady, consistent employment history: The addition of a qualifications summary pinpoints the top credentials for the job objective so employers readily see it's a good match.
• Career changers: Unless you're making a radical career change, in which case a functional resume probably makes more sense.
• Applicants reentering the job market: Again, this takes a little bit of emphasis off the fact that you have not been working for a while.
• Older workers: Workers with extensive employment history need to sell their strongest credentials; inclusion of a summary section provides that focus.

How to Create a Combination Resume
One of the advantages of a combination resume is flexibility to structure the document so that it works best for you. The main strategy is to lead with a career summary (also commonly called a qualifications summary or skills summary) that emphasizes your strongest credentials. By stating your key qualifications at the beginning of your resume, you will entice hiring managers to read the rest of your resume. You can incorporate your job objective, key skills, areas of expertise, accomplishment highlights and related training into the summary section. Use the "Objective" field on your Monster resume to present this summary section. Follow with a reverse chronological employment history; this keeps your resume in the chronological format most employers prefer.


Keep in mind that because you've included a career summary, you will have less room for your work history. Be clear and concise when writing your experience section. Focus on accomplishments rather than job duties, and avoid adding unnecessary information about jobs and tasks unrelated to your career goal. Other sections on a combination resume depend on your specific experience, but can include education, training, affiliations, languages and additional/miscellaneous information.


Test-Drive It
Whenever you change your resume's format, test-drive the document by posting it on Monster and distributing it to employers. See if the new format generates favorable feedback and more calls for interviews. You can always go back and modify your resume based on feedback and response rate. By taking the time to select the format that's right for your situation, analyzing the results and tweaking when necessary, your resume will be a more effective marketing tool for your career.


Check out these sample combination resumes: