Resumes: The good, the bad, and the ugly, and how to tell the difference.

Resumes: the good, the bad, and the ugly, and how to tell the difference.

The resume, arguably one of the most important tools recruiters and hiring managers utilize to separate their ideal candidate from the throngs of job seekers whose applications litter the HR department's in-box and can number in the hundreds (per week, depending on the size of the company). HR reps use your resume in much the same way that a search engine can apply a filter to narrow down search results. And, using just your resume, a hiring manager can whittle down the list of possible candidates (this is done by tossing all the bad resumes straight down the garbage shoot).

But how can they tell which resumes are keepers and which resumes will be lining the litter box at the end of the day? First, let’s start with the elements that make up a good strong purposeful resume. Every resume is divided into sections, with a title and content and maybe a couple of bulleted lists thrown in for good measure. This formatting is important not only for readability but it is the first clue the HR rep gets as to your suitability for a position in a professional environment. The resume and cover letter format is a well-known professional standard that employees in a business setting are expected to know (along with a host of other business etiquette issues). Resumes that aren't formatted correctly or consistently, are the number one on our list of Good vs. Evil.

It is also worth noting that if your resume contains typos, grammar errors or misspelled words you can kiss any hope of a job interview goodbye. This may seem like common sense but hiring managers see typos and blatant mistakes in resumes all the time. And, You can clammour on in your resume about you exellent convursational skills (and perhaps do so honestly) but all the HR rep will see is that your writing skills could do with a bit of work. Take time to edit and re-edit and have a friend proofread the final copy of your resume before you send it off.

A hiring manager only has a few seconds to devote to reviewing each resume they receive. This means that its very unlikely that your resume will get read in its entirety, so it is important to make sure the opening paragraphs are especially polished and powerful. Which brings us to the next point on our list: Bad objective statements. I think it is important to consider the meaning of the word objective and what it means in the context of a resume. Obviously, as a job seeker, your goal is to obtain gainful employment with a company that you feel you would enjoy working for. This is a goal and your dream job with the company of your choice is a desire. Your true objective then is to advertise yourself in such a way, as to make that company desire to have you working for their team. You need to express a passion for the company's values, or products, or services, etc. while demonstrating your value to them as an employee. The objective statement shouldn't be focused on what you want from them but on what you can do for them. Try to keep the mentality of selling yourself throughout your resume.

Any aspect of your resume that is unprofessional in any way is BAD and as such should be removed or revised where appropriate. To clarify: unprofessional meaning, anything that would be inappropriate for a business setting. If your life quote or your motto to live by would be better suited to a bumper sticker than a board meeting, then that's where it should stay. Look over the info in your resume carefully and objectively.

One area that is often overlooked, is your email address. You can have a supercharged work experience, ivy league education, and an error-free resume, but if your contact info lists you as LadiesMan214@email.com, or YourNameIsHot4Real@email.com, it's unlikely any HR rep would call you (or email you) in to sit for an interview.

A good resume is filled with content that is directly and expressly related to an applicant’s value as an employee. Good resumes use every section of the resume to illustrate their worth to a company. You can even use volunteer work or a company sports team on your resume. Just be sure to illustrate precisely how throwing around a ball with co-workers after hours, demonstrates your value as an employee. Perhaps by connecting the sporting event to your own set of personal values and drawing connections from your values to the company’s corporate culture or ethics statement, this can help the hiring manager get to know you. This also allows you to show a time when you electively displayed a trait or core value that you already know the company looks for in prospective employees (this is where researching the company comes in handy). This can be a powerful tool if used correctly. Be sure to make it relevant, be direct and connect-the-dots for the reader, don't assume they will come to the desired conclusion organically.

If you're something of a veteran in your field, with many years experience and you're not looking to change fields, then you can skip the Objective Statement and open with a Summary section that highlights your best and most relevant creds and places them at the begining of your resume. You can label this section as a Professional Summary, Summary of Qualifications or even Career Highlights. You can write this section as a paragraph or even a bulleted list. Whichever format you choose, be sure to avoid the following pitfalls and all-to-common mistakes:

1. Try to avoid being 'duty focused'. This means don't simply list your duties. Focus more on your achievements, on the things that set you apart from other applicants. And as always, use examples that will illustrate your value as an employee, show how your achievements have benefited your employers in the past.

2. Don't turn this section into a wish-list by focusing on what you're looking for in terms of a prospective job. You should stay focused on relating what you can do for the company.

When describing your achievements and extolling your virtues, it is a good idea to illustrate the positive effects of your efforts with a numerical value such as "Increased sales for the region by 6% within the first quarter" or "Instituted a new file system which allowed your employer to cut over-head costs by $3022 annually."

In the Work Experience section: you list your previous employers with a few bullet points describing your responsibilities. Here is where a lot of resume writers go wrong. This section shouldn't read like a boring job description from a Help Wanted ad. This section should give some idea of your day-to-day activities, but it should do even more. Instead of listing your responsibilities, try listing the things you were responsible for, something beneficial for the company or for the well-being of other employees, clients, vendors, etc. be specific, describe what you did using action verbs and describe the result of your action. make sure to include how the company etc. benefited from the result. Actions-Results-Benefit. As before, connect the dots for them.

In the Education section, as a rule, the longer it has been since you've been in school, the less emphasis you need to place on this section.

For recent grads, this section should probably come first, unless they have something relevant to flesh out the Experience section. Remember, you can include ANY relevant experience, paid or not. Volunteer work, internships, even helping a family member set up their website or troubleshoot their new Android phone. Just make it relevant and connect those dots!

Here are somethings to keep in mind when composing the Education section of your resume:

List your highest level of education first.

- Don't include your high school if you have a college

degree or higher.

- Spell out the school name ( e.g., University of

Massachusetts, not UMass).

- Don't lie about or exaggerate your education.

- Leave out the graduation year if you wish, but be

prepared to provide it if your're hired, so your employer can verify your background.

All-in-all, drafting an effective, professional resume can be a daunting task but with a little planning, some careful thought and a lot of effort you can avoid these pitfalls and mistakes and create a resume that will get you noticed by recruiters and employers.

One final tip: Never put "References available upon request" at the end of your resume; it's an outdated practice which only serves to fill space on the page. It goes without saying that you will provide them with references should they ask for them!

References

resource found at https://www.pongoresume.com/articles/56/good-and-bad-https://www.pongoresume.com/articles/56/good-and-bad-resumes-want-to-see-the-difference-.cfmresumes-want-to-see-the-difference-.cfm

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