The “What Not to Do” in writing a résumé is as important as “How to Do” a resume. Job seekers must plan every step of their strategy, including writing their résumé. My hope is that this will help each job seeker avoid these common snags and snares, and stay competitive in this unpredictable job market:

1.       Alignment Issues. Resume templates suck, and this is why I don’t use them.  To realign and reformat is a waste of time. Try sticking to a simple format that is easy to read, and easy on the eyes.  No one wants to look at an ugly formatted resume.

2.      Lack of Keyword Usage. The first 30% of the résumé must display keywords that are industry related, and show relevancy to the job posting. The best place for the first keyword is within that 30% replacing the word “Objective”. Highlighted keywords will stand out, making the job seeker more visible.

3.      Spacing. In reviewing and writing resumes recently, it drives me nuts to see double and triple spaces between words.  Many employers consider it an error, and become permanently filed.

4.      Compensating for a lack of substantive experience. When a job seeker finds it necessary to change times and dates that are not true, it is time to re-evaluate goals and strategies. Changing facts will show up down the line, and the results will be catastrophic.

5.      Typos and Grammar.  A perfect résumé is the goal. Failure to do so will only result in being overlooked.  Proofreading is so crucial, having several people with good grammar skills read your résumé will only help.