Let’s face it, writing a good resume is hard. One of the most difficult things about the process is that it requires intense attention to detail. In fact, 76 percent of executives surveyed by Robert Half said just one or two typos in a resume would remove applicants from consideration for a job; 40 percent said a single typo was enough to ruin your chances.
When looked at in this light, writing a good resume really means writing a clean resume. One of our favorite tips for producing an error-free resume: Print it out and use a ruler to go through your resume line by line. This will make it easier to focus on each word and spot mistakes.
Our founder, Robert Half, coined the term “Resumania™” to describe the errors job seekers make on their resumes and cover letters. Another key to writing a good resume is avoiding these real-life examples of “Resumania™”:
RESUME: “Actively seeing a new job.”
What does it look like to you?
RESUME: “Referees available upon request.”
They could come in handy during tense negotiations.
“JOB DUTIES: Cashier: Help ding up people.”
That doesn’t sound like great customer service.
“OBJECTIVE: I need a possible as soon as possible.”
It’s possible you overlooked something.
“QUALIFICATIONS: Perfectionist. I understand that paying attention to the exact way things need to be done is inportant.”
Apparently, it’s not that important.
COVER LETTER: “You need to be carefulll about who you hire.”
We agree.
