Please Stop It! I'm Begging You!!!

I'm talking about submitting resumes that don't tell me anything. I'm talking about resumes that have incomplete information. I'm talking about... Well, let me explain...

I hear and read about people having trouble finding a job. They say they apply, yet hear nothing back. Part of that reason is because of the automation that companies use today. But the biggest reason is that most have no idea of how to write a resume that will get them an interview! I screen resumes for a living and have seen literally thousands throughout my career, so I think I can speak on this subject. Let's start at the top:

Your Info

Make sure you have all the information at the top. Stop trying to be fancy. Just put it all there. Some of the systems out there cannot find your info and you'll have a record with no contact info. Guess which record will be skipped? And when I say all the info, I mean ALL! I have come across so many resumes with just a name and a phone number, or sometimes, they'll have even a street address, but no city and state. If I'm looking for a person local to Dallas, and you're in Iowa, I don't want to waste my time or your time. I know people will say they want to go anywhere, but the reality is that companies often want a local candidate because they can interview them locally and get them to start quicker. Make sure your phone number and email address is correct while you're at it. If you can't be contacted, I'm moving on to the next resume.

Objectives

Stop. Just stop. I can't tell you how many resumes I've seen over the years that have been shot down by hiring managers because the objectives on the resume are not what this job is.

Summaries

A summary is a great place to start customizing your resume. If you're a .Net developer, start by putting the technologies you've worked with here. You'll need more in the body, but we'll get to that. Stop putting personal info here. No one whats to know how many kids you have, how long you've been married, or anything else personal. Plus, it's no one's business. Stop it.

Education

If you have a degree, or some special training, put it before your experience. If you don't have anything special, don't put anything. You want the training here because sometimes, the hiring company is looking for something specific. A degree for example, or some certification training. Don't worry that you do not have a degree. Not all companies require it, even if it's in the job description. But, please STOP putting down every university you've attended to take a class. Unless those classes have culminated in a degree or certification, trying to BS your way through will not get you an interview.

Experience

• Here is where a lot of people go crazy. Let's say I am looking for a widget sales person, Let's say the company where you sell widgets isn't a household name, say Bob's Company. Before you tell me your accomplishments, tell me about the company. For example, Bob's is a large widget manufacturer in the Northeast. Then start telling me about what you did there. I can't tell you how many resumes I have passed over because a person didn't tell me about the company. If I'm looking for a widget expert, and I can't tell you even know what a widget is, I am going to the next resume. Do not assume the person looking at your resume knows your company.
• Put your ego away. I see so many resumes with three or four jobs in a row starting with "recruited to come work for this company to (insert BS here)". Nobody cares you were recruited to do that. All you're telling me is that if you come work for my company, you'll jump ship as soon as the next recruiter calls you. Stop it.
• Along with the ego issue is this habit of putting your title as some 'C' level exec and you're a one or two person company. Stop it! If you're looking for a job as a Product Manager and that's what you do for your own company, putting "CEO" as your title will get the resume overlooked. Do you think a Fortune 100 company will be doing a search for a CEO and hire someone who has run their own company to come in to run their multi-billion dollar company? Nope. Stop it. Put the title that you are applying to, in this example, Product Manager, if that is an accurate title. You can explain everything else in the interview.
• Read the job description. Write your resume to match what they have there. If you have things in your summary, they better be somewhere in the body of the resume. No one reviewing a resume wants to try to figure out where the experience you have in a summary is. Make sure you have it where it can be seen. Even bold. Read the job description and match it up with your experience. Stop trying to make a square peg fit in a round hole. Or a round peg in a square hole... or whatever the saying is. Shoot, just don't force anything into a hole of any shape! Stop it.

Dates

Put when you worked at the company. I don't care if you just put what years you were there. I know some do, it's a preference I guess, but at the very least, put the years. Stop trying to BS someone who is reviewing a resume. You'll have time to talk more about your tenure in the interview. And stop explaining it in the resume. If I read there was a "mutual agreement" to leave one more time, I'm going to scream! Do you know what that says to a potential employer? I was fired. Stop it.

If you took the time to read the job description and wrote your resume to match it, you could get called in for an interview, or perhaps have a phone/video interview. Make sure you bring copies of the resume YOU SENT IN with you to the interview. If it's a video interview, for the love of GOD, wear pants. Seriously, though, treat it as an in person interview. Professional dress and be in a quiet room with proper lighting. Look into the camera, not the screen when you are talking to the person interviewing you. Treat it as a real interview because it is one.Stop doing phone and video interviews where kids or pets are constantly coming in.

Also, just as a bonus, make sure your LinkedIn profile matches your resume. Employers look. AND, set your Facebook to private. Many employers have found things they shouldn't see there. Did you vote for Clinton or Trump in the last Presidential election? It's none of their business, so keep it that way.

Good luck in your job search. If you ever need advice, you can always message me, or leave a question in the comments.

Yes, I was wearing a hazmat suit while typing this, so it is safe.