Check out my thoughts and tips on what works (and what doesn’t) based on my years of experience reviewing thousands of resumes.
Speaking of Resumes!I was chatting this morning with a young lady who helps people with their resumes. This got me thinking about the thousands of resumes I’ve reviewed during my career as a manager and business owner. While there are Golden Rules like “don’t make your resume too long” (true, I don’t even look at resumes longer than two pages), are all the Golden Rules universally accurate? For example, do you really need a photo? Probably not—I’m going to Google you anyway—but it’s a nice touch.
I thought I’d jot down my personal thoughts on resumes. This is NOT a ‘how-to’ guide—just my perspective!
Definite No’s:~ Any typos at all. Attention to detail is critical.~ Signs of carelessness. Examples include inconsistent fonts, dates out of order, or obvious copying and pasting. These scream, “I didn’t pay attention.”
Annoying (But Not a Dealbreaker):I might roll my eyes at these, but I’m still willing to consider the candidate if they have the right experience and explanations:~ Boilerplate objectives: “To find a job with a company that utilizes my skills…” Blah, blah, yadda, yadda. Is that really your goal, or just what you think people want to hear?~ Wordy McWordy: Less is more. Say what needs to be said—concisely.~ Over-fancifying roles: Example: You were a server. That’s great! It shows you’re hardworking and capable of long hours. But don’t tell me you were a “liaison between the kitchen and the customer.” I know what a server does. Instead, focus on why you enjoyed your job and what you learned from it.
The Ideal Resume (In My Opinion): A great resume gets straight to the point:
Who are you?
What is your experience?
How can points 1 and 2 help my company?
Edited to add: For those of you who let ChatGPT write your entire resume … I see you! 😁