Revision Resume recently attended a career fair and offered free "At-a-Glance" resume critiques to a few dozen attendees. While there, we observed the same resume errors over and over. Read on to see if your resume includes any of the following common issues.
Objective statement
Many of the resumes we reviewed included an objective statement. Although this used to be common in resumes submitted to job openings in the 1990s, it is considered an outdated practice now. If your resume includes an objective statement, consider replacing it with an executive summary. Use 3-5 sentences to show how the unique skills and qualifications you have make you an excellent match for the job you are seeking. Use the executive summary to show the hiring manager that you are ready to step into the new role and be successful!
I/My
Using the words "I" and "My" in a resume is not acceptable. Although it is an awkward way to write, you must eliminate pronouns from your resume completely (it is acceptable to use them in a cover letter, however). We suggest you start your bullet points with an action verb instead of using "I" or "My." This is an easy way to re-write your bullets and make them more powerful for the reader.
Bullets without detail
Bullet points provide more impact when they include details. Often, we see people simply list responsibilities. They may say, "Responsible for laboratory testing" or "Responsible for holiday sales." These statements don't provide the scope of the work, how the task was accomplished, or if you achieved success in the role. A better bullet point might say, "Tested 50 widgets each week utilizing a high caliber digital microscope and communicating the results to upper management through a formal laboratory report," or "Developed and implemented a new holiday display case resulting in a 25% increase in sales over the previous year." These bullets highlight the action and the result, giving the hiring manager a clear picture of what you did and how successful you were.
Street Address
Although it used to be common to list your street address on your resume, it is no longer necessary. Now that resumes are submitted through online platforms, it is best to leave your street address off for privacy reasons. Your contact information should be listed at the top of your resume and should include your name, email address, phone number and the city and state in which you live. If you are moving to a new location, list the city and state where you will be relocating. This will give the hiring manager enough information to be able to contact you, which is all that is required. Later on in the hiring process, you will need to fill out your exact location for tax and payment purposes.
High School Information
If you have graduated from college or been in the workforce for a few years post-high school, you no longer need to include details about your high school experience on your resume. Hiring managers want to look at your most recent experiences, not your full history. Removing the high school information from you resume gives you the space you need to provide a quality executive summary and detailed bullets that show actions and results.
Correcting the common mistakes listed above will significantly improve your resume. Reach out to Revision Resume if you would like your resume critiqued so any other errors you may have made can be identified and corrected. We offer both at-a-glance and thorough resume critiques to assist job-seekers and would be happy to help you determine which would be the best for your specific situation. Email us at info@revisionresume.com to learn more!
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