Which Bin Did Your Client’s Resume Land In?
All too often, a resume ends up in the Recycle Bin despite how highly qualified someone is for the position. So, how did this happen?
There are multiple potential reasons a resume might get eliminated by either an HR professional or a computer program. Here’s a list of common elimination factors:
- Improper spelling, grammar and type-o’s.
- No contact information (including a current phone #).
- Too long (over 3 pages).
- Employment gaps; dates missing.
- Too short; excessive use of white space.
- Lack of detailed career accomplishments.
- Lack of key words and key phrases.
- Created using a word processing template.
- Excessive use of unfamiliar acronyms and industry jargon.
- Inconsistent in format; uses multiple fonts.
- Lacks readability.
- No clear target.
- Appears sloppy and disorganized.
- Includes graphics and shading which can impact content interpretation by optical scanning technology.
Wow, that’s quite a list! I could keep adding to the list, however my goal is for you to take this information and review your clients’ resume against these elimination factors before asking them to deploy the resume for job search purposes. After all, isn’t the goal to have the resume land in the Inbox and not the Recycle Bin?
Brenda Collard-Mills, Owner of Robust Resumes And Resources combines her flare for business writing with the esteemed professional accreditation Certified Résumé Strategist. Brenda is a member of Career Professionals of Canada, the Wasaga Beach Women’s Business Association, BeAResumeWriter, and the American Society of Administrative Professionals. She is a regular guest on the Collingwood Rogers TV show “Georgian Bay Life” and is an invited Guest Lecturer at Everest College in Barrie. Email: brenda@robustresumesandresources.com