10 Resume Errors To Avoid Like The Plague

iStockphoto.com | Bohdan Skrypnyk

When it comes to building an effective resume, the basics matter.

Two recent, very real, resumes reminded us that even great candidates with years of experience can have resumes that look like an afterthought. These resumes broke every rule and were replete with errors unacceptable for a professional resume - or any professional document, really. To be clear — there is no friendly audience for a resume with basic mistakes. Fair or not, in the mind of the recruiter or hiring manager, a sloppy resume can translate to the perception of a sloppy worker – and sloppy workers don’t get hired.

Here are some instant resume deal-breakers to avoid like the plague:

1. Punctuation errors. If you don’t end a sentence with a period, the perception is that you either do not know basic grammar or you did not bother to proofread your resume.

2. Misspelled words. You live in an era when a machine will check your spelling for you. The process is effortless. Combined with the aforementioned “proofreading,” there should never be a misspelled word in a resume.

3. Verb Tense Disagreement. If you are working, your current position’s description should be written in active present tense. Be consistent.

4. Using “I”. Your resume is not an auto-biography. It’s not even a work biography. It’s a marketing brochure with a singular goal — land the interview so you can tell your story in person and get hired. Your resume should not be personal and should be pronoun free, starting with “I”.

5. Non-uniformity. No matter what formatting style you choose, it should be used throughout the document. For example, if you choose to describe your work history with one or two lines followed by three bullet points, make sure ALL the positions have bullet points. You shouldn't have half with bullet points and half with small paragraphs.

6. Difficult to read. Even if your resume is the greatest resume ever written, it may be the 25th resume a recruiter has looked at in a given day and if it looks insurmountable – dense paragraphs, overly complicated verbiage – they won’t want to bother.

7. Insufficent White Space. White space is the space that contains no text, and it should be used generously. A resume should not look like a series of big, gray, long paragraphs. The intelligent use of separating important details about your achievements, work history, and skill sets more effectively communicates your professional brand. Scannability by the reader is the name of the game.

8. Repeating information. Every line of a resume is prime beachfront real estate that must be developed with the utmost care. Don’t waste precious space with the exact same thing instead of highlighting your many successes. Show something new throughout the text.

9. Being insufficiently specific. For example, “prepared reports for managers”, is generic, uninteresting, and does not help you. What type of reports? How often? Why? Now you have, “Prepared critical monthly investment reports for C-level executives who relied on data to make high-level long term strategic decisions for global operations.” Much better. I think I know more about who you are now.

10. Including too much personal information. Age and marital status come to mind. And for security reasons, do not put your full home address on your resume – your city, state, and zip code (optional) will suffice.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Keep That College Degree Working For Your Career – Long After Graduation

iStockphoto.com | Nutthaseth Vanchaichana

Many people out there want to help you with your career. The good news is that your college – from which you graduated long, long, ago – has an entire staff committed to just that.

Whether you’re a recent graduate or a professional well into your career, your alma mater may provide helpful career benefits long after it has stopped cashing your tuition checks. Successful alumni contribute to a school’s reputation and to its endowment, so it has a vested interest in aiding its former students.

Here are some potential lifelong career boosting benefits your college/university may offer:

Career Placement & Support: Most colleges have a career services office that provides everything from individual career coaching to career fairs. Advisors can facilitate connections to potential employers with whom they've built relationships. Some schools have their own job boards to which you can upload your resume. You might even be able to attend their career fairs, too.

Continuing Education: Many schools offer alumni classes at a reduced price through programs designed for busy adult professionals. Whether you want to earn an additional degree or audit classes, going back to your old school, so to speak, is a cost-effective way to bring your skills and knowledge up to date.

Digital Career Resources: You can find a wealth of webinars, podcasts,  virtual career fairs, and on-demand presentations with alumni, career professionals, and industry insiders. In fact, go to YouTube, and you can probably find these originating from a wealth of schools.

Professional Networking: Chances are there is an alumni group where you live that hosts mixers, seminars, fundraisers, or meet-ups for the big game (although these days, Zoom is the preferred platform). These events give you access to prominent alumni. A well-timed introduction can facilitate a career-changing conversation. Events like these are worth exploring post-pandemic.

School Reputation: A strong ranking enhances a school's profile, boosts enrollment, and improves the market perception of degrees conferred to students and alumni alike. If your alma mater has risen in the annual rankings, your earning potential grow with it.

College Friends: You may be surprised who you end up working with during the course of your career. It may be a fraternity brother or sorority sister, or the drummer in your college band. It may come in the form of a referral at a critical time or even investment money. The people with whom you went to college are an unofficial career services office dispersed through every field all around the world. 

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

6 Important Factors To Consider Before Accepting That Job Offer

iStockphoto.com | Feodora Chiosea

Oh, happy day! A job offer just rolled in and it’s everything you’ve ever wanted. Right?

A job is a long-term commitment that should not be entered lightly. It’s in your best interests to do some due diligence and really weigh all the different factors that make up a new job. Before signing on the dotted line, here some questions you may want to ask.

1. What is the true value of your compensation package? In the absence of a formal written offer that breaks down the various components of an offer, you’ll want to find out 1) the salary, 2) benefits, 3) 401K plans, 4) bonus structures, 5) vacation/sick time policies, 6) parking, 7) travel, and 8) other incentives. Look beyond the salary at the entire financial web the new job will bring. Be sure to research salary ranges on a validated compensation site (such as Payscale.com) for your job title and geography to ensure the offer is equitable and that you are being treated fairly.

2.  What is the reputation of the company? This may require some homework, but the more you know about where you are going the more informed your decision will be. Does the company have reputation as a springboard for rising stars, or as a vanguard of seasoned veterans? Think about how the company fits into your overall career plan. Ask around – you can probably find somebody you know who’s worked there or knows somebody who has. And be cautious about what you read in reviews online on sites like Glassdoor.com; you’ll get a sampling of people’s feedback, but not necessarily a representative data set – take what you see with a grain of salt.

3.  Do you want to do this job day-to-day? It’s difficult to predict what the routine of a new job will be until you’re doing it, but make all possible efforts to understand what your day-to-day duties will be. It’s possible to go through an interview process and field an offer for a job without knowing much beyond the job title. Or perhaps the job is at a prestigious company or firm, and you were so blinded by the firm’s reputation that you neglected to focus on the duties. You spend more time awake at work than anywhere else, make sure it’s not an unwelcome grind.

4.  Are you sure you want to deal with the commute? You’ve got to get there somehow, and it may take a while. Your monthly gas bill may double, as could your tolls and parking fees. If your offer comes with a serious commute, map it out, and give sober consideration to how it may affect your work-life. The worst commute can kill the enjoyment of even the best job.

5.  Are you willing to relocate? Some people will move in flash for a new job, but before you start packing ask yourself, “Where do I want to wake up every day?” Maybe you want to be close to family, or you’re the big city type. Maybe you’ve always wanted to live on the coast, or go place to place. Whatever your thing is, if possible, stick to it. If the relocation satisfies that primary question, keep in mind that smaller towns with a lower cost structure may allow a higher standard of living, but may have fewer professional options in the future; and let’s say you end up taking that position in a one-company town and the job fizzles out, you’ll likely need to move again. Conversely, a big city has more opportunities and tends to be more culturally vibrant, but tends to be much more expensive.

6.  What is the career growth and personal development potential? No, growth and personal development doesn’t pay the bills like say, your salary, but that allow for internal upward mobility and/or professional development can be intangible investments that pay dividends. A high-paying job without room to move may be less valuable than a job that pays less but creates the potential for greater accomplishments. Take a candid look at where the job may take you, your skills, and your ambitions.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.