By Anish Majumdar, Certified Professional Resume Writer
As the owner of a professional resume writing firm, I review thousands upon thousands of documents submitted by job seekers. Some err on the side of excessive wordiness, others have a cluttered structure, and then there are…”special” cases. Here are 3 of the craziest resume tactics we’ve come across as well as the solutions implemented:
1. Cartoon Man
Yes, it is important to highlight your suitability for a position straight off the bat. No, having a grinning cartoon version of yourself at the start of your resume with a thought bubble reading, “Dynamic, friendly and results-oriented sales leader” is NOT an effective strategy! Not only is it distracting, but it utterly removes the possibility of you being taken in a serious light.
Needless to say, the cartoon was removed. In its place was a 1-line quote from a superior at the start of the resume, followed by a 3-line opening paragraph highlighting key skills.
2. Death By Keywords
Believe it or not, there was a time not too long ago when most job seekers didn’t have the faintest clue as to what keywords were (FYI, they’re professional terms used by Applicant Tracking Systems to scan a candidate’s resume during the initial phase of submissions). Nowadays, everyone is aware of keywords yet few know how to integrate them correctly within a resume. The ultimate example of this came from a client who had an entire third page of her resume filled with nothing BUT keywords, an endless stream of terms such as Business Liaison, Project Management, Issue Resolution, Verbal/Written Communications Expertise, Strategic Planning, and on and on and on. Confusing, nonsensical and guaranteed to NOT land you interviews!
The third page was removed in favor of a concise “Core Competencies” section near the start of her resume only listing those keywords she actually possessed, and then making sure those same skills were DEMONSTRATED throughout her work history. This dual approach has been shown to be the most effective strategy.
3. The Health Nut
While ageism is a valid concern amongst older job seekers, trying to present a “youthful” image in your resume only calls attention to the fact that you regard your age as a negative. I recently worked with a senior-level executive who was so preoccupied with this that he’d listed things like jogging 5 days a week and playing soccer with colleagues in his work history, and, as a capper, included a comprehensive run-down of his health at the tail end of the resume, including cholesterol levels. Needless to say, his phone wasn’t exactly ringing off the hook with job offers.
By eliminating all health-related details and focusing on jobs held within the past 10-12 years ONLY, we were able to keep the focus on more recent work and safeguard against potential ageism concerns.
About the Author
Anish Majumdar is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Owner at www.ResumeOrbit.com. 95% of clients report a significant increase in interviews within 30 days, and all work comes backed by a 100% Satisfaction or Money Back Guarantee (in writing).
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