1. Resume is not properly focused

If you are applying for a specific position, your resume should specifically state the skills the position requires. Leave out old or irrelevant experience that does not demonstrate any of the skills and attributes the employer is seeking. For example, if you are looking for a position as a senior manager, your will not benefit from listing your internship from 1995 and your certification in Microsoft Word, but you should include accomplishments demonstrating any relevant technical and foreign language skills.

2. Experience section uses a passive tone

Avoid passive expressions such as “responsibilities included,” “duties included,” ” tasked with,” and “required to” when describing your work experience. Starting a description in this tone states what you were supposed to do instead of what you accomplished. Here are some examples of active expressions that work well: “managed,” “conducted,” “designed,” “implemented,” “maximized,” and “created.”

3. Resume does not present information effectively

A resume that is even a little more difficult to read than others will be tossed aside. Use bullet points whenever possible instead of long paragraphs or numbered lists. Information that is presented in small portions is more likely to be read than a string of sentences. Review the basic format found in sample resumes – your resume should have a distinctive look and feel, but the reader should not need to get accustomed to its structure. Avoid unusual fonts. A resume should ideally be one page long. Two pages can be acceptable for experienced candidates applying for senior-level positions.*

4. Resume is poorly organized

The person reading your resume will expect to see information in a certain order, with the most relevant information listed first. This means education and work experience should be listed in reverse-chronological order, with the dates included. The descriptions of your education and work experience should also follow this rule. If you have been out of school for a few years and have a lot of relevant work experience you should usually place the experience section before the education section, unless your academic credentials are particularly impressive or relevant.

5. Resume is not targeted to the reader

It is easy to forget that terms that are familiar to you can be completely new to future employers. Do not expect that anyone will recognize the name of a product or proprietary system you worked with in a previous position. This is an especially common problem in an international context or when changing careers. If you think you may benefit from some potential employers recognizing a name, include it, but explain what it is and why it is significant. For example, if you want to say you worked on “Data Center Pro,” you should explain what it is: “Developed all testing procedures for Data Center Pro, the company’s flagship data management product.”

6. Resume does not include necessary keywords

Imagine you are a hiring manager who needs to fill your desired position. Which industry keywords or buzzwords would you be looking for in a resume? Make sure they are included. This is especially important because many companies now screen resumes electronically for search terms that are important to them.

7. Resume is not properly proofread

A resume is viewed as an example of the most polished work product you can produce. As you might expect, typos, and other errors immediately make a negative first impression. The best way to avoid this is to print your resume and proofread it several times, ask a few people you trust to carefully review it, and then read it again yourself. Consider reading your resume backwards for a different perspective.

8. Resume is not personalized

Be sure to include some extracurricular activities, hobbies, and awards in a separate section at the end of your resume. Include only things that will make a positive impression and make you a more “human” and memorable candidate, but do not get too personal and informal. Expect to be asked about activities in this section at your interviews.

9. Resume uses an unprofessional sounding email address

The email address you specify on your resume is not the place to display your personality. It should be as boring as possible – ideally, some variation of your first, last, and middle name.

10. Resume includes a list of references

References should be listed on a separate list a potential employer may ask to see at a later point. Even stating “References are available upon request” is a waste of space because this is already assumed.

*Note the differences between a resume and a Curriculum Vitae (CV)!

A CV, which is more commonly used in Europe and Asia but rarely in the United States, is expected to be more detailed and can include information that is slightly less relevant to give the reader the full picture of the applicant. The differences between a CV and a resume make it important to find out which document a potential employer expects. Although a CV can be longer than two pages, be concise and exclude information that is not helpful to your candidacy. This means you generally should not write about your experience in a school band unless you are applying for a position as a music teacher.