In my over 15 years of Professional Experience, I've came across some pretty "special" (for lack of a better word) resumes. I've always told my friends and family that "There ought to be a class on proper resume etiquette". Well I've decided to create a blog and share some of the "Do's and Don'ts" of resume making instead.
Hopefully this will help those that may be creating a resume for the first time or updating their resume. Times are hard now so you have to stand out, there is no need for you not to get the job because your resume lacked the basic "Do's or Don'ts".
#1- My all time favorite- When taking the time to create a resume, please also create another email address. MsFruityTutty@hotmail.com or BigDaddy7702@gmail.com isn’t good first representations of yourself and quality of work. Also, try to stay away from a lot of numbers including birthdates or your age. Rule of thumb try using initials, first and last name with a period in the middle, etc. as email addresses instead. Perception is everything you want to stand out and not in a bad way.
#2- Choose a font and stick with it! In basic resume creation it is important to keep the same font throughout your resume. Consistency is key as well as enjoyable to the reader, and it means you care about your appearance and pay attention to detail, which is important in any organization. So, with that said the size of the font can change to bring out certain attributes of you, but the font shouldn't.
#3- Spell Check, Person Check, Momma Check, Everybody Check- When you have completed your resume it's best to print out and read it first before distributing to company prospects. You may not find errors while you’re on the computer but printing out the document will allow you to see your resume clearer. I know it sounds weird, but trust me on this. There is actually statistics out there that say you won't find errors sometimes by just using spell check or simply reading what you wrote. So print it out, read it, have a family member or friend read it as well. I've worked for companies that one spelling error meant you didn't get the job. Sounds crazy but to the employer it means you’re not detailed oriented or don't care about first impressions. This by far is worse then the other two believe it or not, so read, print, ask, and read again.
#4-"I don't like her" Reference- This doesn’t really deal with resume creation but its still part of the process, so I’d like to share. References are important to companies. They want to make sure the person they are hiring has good character, hard worker, reliable, and trust worthy. I know what you’re thinking all references will be good because it's someone that you've chose, right? Not necessarily true, I've came across some references that went bad. Either they didn't like the person and gave them a horrible recommendation or they didn't know they were being a reference for someone. Both are pretty bad and may cause you to not get the job. Be sure to think closely about your reference, remember there are sometimes the key of getting or not getting the job. Also, it's best to include a co-worker, manager, supervisor or teacher (for college students) when giving references. Family and friends are nice to but it’s best to have a mixture.
#5- Please, Please take the ring back tones off- It's nothing worse than calling a prospective candidate and listening to "Let's get it crunk" or "My baby dun left me now what I'm gonna do" as a ring back tone. Not only is it not my favorite genre of music or the person calling it's also very unprofessional. If you know you’re looking for work and have resumes out there to prospective companies then take it off. If not you stand the risk of a lot of hang up calls from employers, especially if you don't answer and they have to listen to the entire song. Keep it professional and put it back on after you get the job. :-)
#6- Margins, Colors, and Bullet points, Oh My- The key again is to be consistent and not all over the page. It's okay to splash some colors to you resume, nowadays you have to stand out but remember, to much may be a turn off from the content of your resume. Stay away from Orange's, Yellow's, and Light Pink Fonts. Not only can it be hard to read you may have misspelled a word and not even realized it because of the color. Again consistency is everything and if you’re questioning a color black is the best way to go.
#7- Are you a bill collector?? This by far is my most hated of all offenses. You reach out to a candidate and they answer the phone in a disguised voice, or very rude voice and when you ask for the person they rudely say "Who is this?" or "From where?" or "I don't remember applying for that?". First off the employer wouldn't have contacted you unless they had your resume or contact information from a referral or directly from you. Secondly, it's always best to answer the phone politely even if you think it's a solicitor, bill collector, an ex, etc. That first impression may ruin your chance of the company calling you back. Thirdly, wait until you get all the facts before you assume the worse. I personally have not called people back because of this one. Fourthly, when you apply for jobs online, it's best to keep a list of positions you have applied for along with company name and job description. I know it seems like a lot of work but it comes across as someone who is very organized and ready for an opportunity with the prospective company and it may pay off in the end. Remember "First Impressions" are the key to getting an interview. Some things to consider are: Would this candidate do well under pressure? Does this person have too many personal issues to work for the company and may result in days missed at work? Just something to consider when you answer the phone all willy nilly.
#8- Don't Lie, it doesn’t work- Resumes are good for displaying your current work and skill sets, not good for displaying what you wanna be. Lies never pay trust me, if you didn't get your degree it’s okay to put on the resume what your prospective graduation date is or that you’re "Currently Pursuing a degree". In addition, if you worked through a Temp Agency for a major company but only include the major companies name on your resume this can also look as being deceiving and untrue. It's best to put both names down then suffer the risk of not being considered due to falsification. Employers wanna believe you but they must follow their background screening process as well. I've seen it so many times where an offer is extended and the person submits false information during the screening process. They get all the way till the end of process of telling their current employer “Goodbye” and the other company ends up rescinding the offer. Not a good experience for anyone. Also, now you’re labeled in the system as "A LIAR" at that company. So maybe you've tricked the system somehow. Trust me what you sow is what you reap both good and bad. Is getting a job really that important to lie and get caught later only to be jobless again? I’ve seen companies terminate people after they have been with the company for quite some time because of this. Be truthful it’s worth it.
#9- Enough with the cardboard resume paper- Ok, in my earlier career I was also included in this offense. Going to your local supply store and finding the best paper out there. You purchase the perfect weight of paper (referred by the sales associate), color, and grid lines that makes is seem so impressive. While it is nice it's not necessary, the big part is the content of your resume. If you really knew what happened to that nice resume you'd be mad. A lot of times it's either shredded and printed out again on normal white paper or used for a special "Snowflake" airplane project in the HR department during a picnic gathering :-). Save your money just keep it basic!
#10- Saving your resume- So, you've completed your resume and it's to your liking. However when you send it out the employer can't read it. Please consider using PDF or Microsoft Word for all resumes you create. 9 times out of 10 the employer has it and if they don’t then you could always apply on their website. Speaking from experience if we can't read your resume then we won't see your resume. The employer receive so many resumes on a daily bases it is impossible to respond to candidates that don't use the proper saving methods. If you do not have this software, go to your local library and save it there. Also, remember to attach your resume to the email you send out to the employer. As per the above comment, the employer doesn’t have time to respond and say "Nothing was attached" if they did they'd never get their job done. Also it looks like you lack attention to detail.
So, those are my thoughts. Hopefully it has helped you if not maybe my other upcoming post will. I plan to tackle some of the other resume ponders or interviewing glitches that I have been in contact with or know someone who has been. If you have a H.R. questions that need dissecting, let me know and I’ll post what I know about that subject.
Happy Employment Searching
Sincerely,
MzVinaH
