Number four is your resume heading.

Believe it or not a hiring manager or recruiter will judge you based on the heading of your resume. (You only get 6 seconds) If your heading it basic, boring and bland – that says a lot about the amount of work you put into your resume and your career. That does not mean you should add a bunch of colorful fonts and characters, it just means you want it to be visually attractive. In addition, this one really surprises me, but there are some people who do not put phone numbers or email addresses on their resumes? Why? I understand you want to protect your information but you have to have a number on your resume…come on people.

Number three is your email address.

For the life of me I can’t understand why people won’t get a simple email address without adjectives, street language or unprofessional nicknames. My friend Sarah Williams, who is an Executive Hiring Manager, has the best examples ever of real life crazy email addresses on resumes, things like “MsThickAndJuicy” or “2glocks”. Even some of my more professional clients are starting to have email addresses that don’t paint them as serious 6-figure potential talent. If you take your career seriously then get a professional email address. Something so small could cost you a big job.

Number two is resume format.

You have no format. You think because you are smart and that you can write it yourself but you just can’t. A resume is not a term or research paper or novel. You need a format and style that best fits your industry, career level and experiences. For instance you may or may not need a career profile or a skills section. The education section could anchor your resume or it could lead off your resume – just depends. Certifications are more important in some careers than others and you might want to highlight that a little earlier. Like I said earlier, you only get a few seconds so make them count.

Number one is you.

You are not looking. You may look for a week or so, get discouraged and get comfortable until your boss upsets you and then you are looking again. You are also too prideful to tell your friends and network that you are in the job market.  Also under the “it’s you” category, you need to stop being so defensive and nasty – I don’t care how gifted you are, no one wants to work with a jerk (that goes for you too ladies). Don’t believe me? Read this “How 5 CEO’s Hire for Personality”. And finally, you have the resources but you are reluctant to hire a professional for help. Trust me, it makes a difference. It’s why I continue to write resumes – because it is helping talented people get great careers - and that’s #winning!

 

- Join the Resume Crusade. Contact me ‘[email protected]’ -