10 RESUME RED FLAGS.
Resumes are defensive. The purpose is to get you an interview rather than being discarded within a 30 second scan. HR people are looking for red flags to cull through the applicants as efficiently and as quickly as possible.
There are many different priorities in Human Resource Departments. In researching and talking to HR personnel, they often contradict each other in what will get a resume tossed. Some love buzzwords, others will discard a resume simply based on the use of these words. “It favors style over substance.” Some say resumes should be no longer than one page, but most agree that two pages is now the standard. And some people find that mission statements are a very important part of any resume and a necessity, others intensely dislike the mission statement and say they are not needed unless you are submitting a resume without a particular job referenced.
The following list includes the “red flags” that most HR people seem to agree upon.
Spelling and Grammar Mistakes - this is the most obvious and the most damning, yet it frequently occurs. This is why it is so important to have others read your resume and cover letter prior to sending it anywhere.
Poorly Constructed Resume - it doesn’t matter if a resume contains the greatest work history in the world, if it is hard to follow the flow of information, no one will spend the time reading it.
Functional Resume - as we have reported in several previous editions, functional resumes are used by those who need to hide something in their employment history. Do not use a functional resume unless absolutely necessary.
Embellishment - either in facts or job titles. It is easier now to check on the facts on anyone’s resume. Many companies check resumes against the application and find a startling amount of discrepancies. And if the job title seems more impressive than the job itself… red flag.
Worked For Companies That No Longer Exist - companies do fail but if there is no or little history of the company, it becomes worrisome. Many restaurant workers “create” eating establishments to pad their resume, this practice has unfortunately spread to other industries.
Job Description - if a resume explains more about the job rather than one’s accomplishments while employed in the job, it is reasonable to infer there weren’t many accomplishments.
Qualifiers - if a description is qualified with “had exposure to” or other similar phrases, it may mean the person was a bystander and not actually involved in the process.
Out of Date Reference Contact Information - if the contact information provided for any reference is incorrect, the potential employee is either careless or trying to hide something. Either will get the resume tossed.
Job Hopping - short tenures at various jobs may create a problem; however, if the reasons are clearly defined and are reasonable, this problem may be avoided. But even in the most positive light of constantly being hired away, it does demonstrate a lack of loyalty.
Outsized Results in a Small Amount of Time - someone may be that good, but more frequently, the person has benefitted from good timing and just claiming ownership.
-By Guest Blogger John Cox via Cynopsis Classifieds. He can be reached directly at john@cynopsis.com.
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