Résumé Help: Out of the Running before She Started
;)
Today’s résumé example demonstrates the importance of the beginning of a résumé. As a reader scans your résumé, he may eliminate you after finding one mistake. Even if she let’s one goof slide, as the errors and poor writing continues, he must eliminate you in favor of a candidate with stronger
writing and presentation skills. You are out of the running for your dream job even before you started to tell your story. Lets look at Caitlin’s résumé as an example of how this can happen.
At first glance we see that the document is very bland. Caitlin would benefit from a better font choice, more sophisticated category headers, and perhaps a page border. This would elevate the aesthetic appeal of the document and make a better overall impression. As we continue to read the résumé we
see a typo in her contact information. The “Summary” and “Strength” sections are filled with unnecessary “fluffy” language and poor grammar. If you read more closely, you will see that three of lines don’t make sense.
All of these errors could be easily corrected with proper proofreading and editing. For a document as important as your résumé, always have another person proofread your résumé after you have proofread it. If you would like more tips on résumé writing, check out these blog entries.
Résumé Help: Excellent English Skills Are Essential
Résumé Help: Common Résumé Mistakes
Résumé Help: Common Mistakes That You Must Avoid
If you would like a résumé critique, please contact Debra Wheatman at debra@careersdonewrite.com or visit us at http://careersdonewrite.com.