Career Advice: Avoid these Mistakes in Your Resume

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Name Name, One of Thousands of ADD ADHD Coaches on Noomii.

Avoid These Mistakes in Your Executive Resume

Resume writing is very subjective. Everyone has personal preferences and resumes are no exception. Unfortunately, just as some people like blue and others like red, everyone has their own ideas as to what makes a successful executive resume. Since you can’t write a resume to suit everyone’s preference, your goal is to draft a document that appeals to the broadest audience possible while maintaining the focus on your target position.

Here’s a list of mistakes to avoid:

Your resume is too long or too short

The debate on resume length has been raging for years and, as with most other job search strategies, tactics can vary over time. Knowing the market is paramount to making the right decision for your own personal job search as demand dictates what strategies are best.In this competitive job market, executives typically require a 2-page resume whereas new college graduates and entry-level individuals are okay to go with a single page. Caveats to this strategy would include any special instructions specifically provided by the hiring employer. Rarely will anyone need a resume longer than 2 pages, but there are exceptions.

Too short of a resume will not provide adequate information to spur interest. Too long of a resume will tire the reader, may give the impression that the candidate can’t focus enough to prioritize and could encourage a quick entry into the round file.

Most individuals that insist a longer resume are more concerned with delivering all their background and credentials instead of focusing the draft on a target position. In today’s market, this is the kiss of death. Your resume should concentrate on how you can help employers solve their problems, not on presenting a laundry list of your entire career.

Your resume is too wordy

Even if your resume is the correct length, if your delivery is long and cumbersome to read, it will fall flat.Resumes should be written in short, concise statements, eliminating unnecessary words while providing valuable and compelling content. It should resemble a PowerPoint presentation more than a term paper, written in a bulleted fashion to help the reader quickly scan the document. Remove the word “I” from your resume and eliminate as many articles as possible (the, an, a, etc.) to preserve readability.

You forgot career accomplishments

Writing your resume from a responsibility perspective is outdated. Today’s hiring managers want to see results. Results communicate the value you can add to an organization by demonstrating how you have made a difference for past employers.Quantifying achievements gives your resume more credibility. Big-picture results that illustrate how you contributed to the continued success of the organization are ideal as they demonstrate your commitment to the advancement of the company as a whole.

How many accomplishments you use in your resume depends on a number of factors ranging from your current level to how many applicable achievements you have to pick from. Too many accomplishments can result in an unfocused resume while not enough may fail to position you strongly enough for the desired job. Anywhere from four and twelve accomplishments may be best for your particular situation.

You didn’t quantify your accomplishments

I’ve said it a million times – accomplishments are wonderful things! They give you the vehicle you need to communicate your story and value add with credibility.Quantifying your achievements allows the reader to put your experience in perspective. Increasing sales by $50K communicates one thing, whereas increasing sales by $5 million communicates something totally different. Likewise, managing a $50K project with 3 people is completely different than managing a $5 million project with 30 direct reports. Contrary to popular belief, bigger numbers are not always the best. As always, your target market dictates which numbers are best for your personal situation.

When you quantify achievements you take all the guess work out of the equation. Saying you “increased sales” in your resume is not enough because you’re allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions on how much you increased sales. Even a statement like “increased sales 40%” is suspect since it will only raise the question, “40% of what?”

Your resume doesn’t tell your story

Everybody has a story to tell. Sometimes, it’s difficult to hone and deliver that story. What do you want potential employers to know about you? What is it that makes you good at what you do? Your career more than likely has several distinct themes and your resume should shout them, leaving no doubt in your readers’ minds as to what makes you a success.Use a wide variety of words and phrases to communicate who you are and what you can bring to the table. It can be challenging to not overuse the same words, but leveraging a variety of words and expressions engages the reader, makes your story compelling and generates interest.

Remain flexible

Measure the results your resume produces. If you’ve sent out more than 50 targeted resumes (not just haphazardly applying to any open position) without any results, it’s time for a new strategy.Seek out others and listen and respond to what they have to say about your resume. Are they confused about what type of position you’re seeking? Do they understand your career progression? Pay attention to what readers repeatedly comment on in your document. Is it positive or negative? Emphasize the positive and reword the negative to improve impact.

Stepping back to objectively review your own resume is challenging, but if your resume is not generating results it’s time to reevaluate and update your strategy.

Join me next month for more common executive resume mistakes.

Best of luck!
Coach Regina

www.ReginaFasold.com
Email: Info@ReginaFasold.com
Phone: 321.246.7066

Contact me for a free consultation