by Becky Cole

Lately, I have seen several resumes that carried some common mistakes. With increasing competition for every opening that comes available, it is important to have your resume stand out – in a good way. Check your resume. If you have any of these things, consider re-writing it before you send it.

Starting off with an objective at the top

This just takes up space that could be used for more useful information. They already know you are interested in a job that will utilize your skills. You wouldn’t apply for a job you weren’t capable of doing.

Instead, summarize the skills you have that are relevant to the job for which you are applying.

Including your date of birth

Provide your actual date of birth when you get the job, not before. Again, this just takes up space that could be used for more useful information. Employers only need to know that you are old enough to do the job, and they should get that from your work history, not from your birth date.

Work history or skills that are not relevant to the job for which you are applying

Imagine it being the middle of winter and we just had 10 feet of snowfall. The job is for clearing the sidewalks for a large business. You know you can do it because you have shoveled walks before. Yet when you go to claim the job, you leave your snow blower at home and show up with your lawn mower. You aren’t going to get the job because you didn’t show the employer you had the right tools to do it. Make sure that the information you include reflects your ability to do the job.

For those who have a solid work history, but not always in the same field, there is a way to address this in the organization of your information. For example, you are interested in a bookkeeping job, but not all of your work history has included bookkeeping duties. Create two sections of information. Put a heading on the first section of “Bookkeeping Work History,” and list the job in which you utilized those skills. Then create another section and call it, “Additional Work History” and list your other work history there.

Misleading information

Don’t you love those weight loss commercials where they talk about how if you use their product, you will lose a great deal of weight in a short amount of time? At the end of the commercial are three words that make me wonder what is the point of the commercial – “results not typical.” Don’t you want to ask them if they would even be able to sell the product if the advertisement contained “typical” results?

Make sure you say what you mean and mean what you say. For example, if you are working on a certificate in computer repairs from a local community college, but aren’t done yet at the time you submit your resume, state your expected completion date on your resume.

Making the resume about what you did for someone else, rather than about what you are bringing to the table for the next employer

Think about how you describe what you did. Which one of these people do you think and employer would rather hire?:

Typing
or
Type legal documents

Everyone can type. Not everyone can type legal documents.

Cleaned floors
or
Used TurboJet 1000 to clean floors in 5 offices in less than 2 hours

Everyone can clean floors. Not everyone can use that equipment.

Your resume is a marketing tool. You have only 60 seconds to make sure they know why you should be considered for the job. Make that time count.