I asked recruiters, hiring managers, for their top “pet peeves” things they see on resumes that make them less interested in speaking with a candidate. Take these as great examples of HOW NOT to write your resume.
1. Writing the resume or cover letter in the third person. (my personal pet-peeve)
2. Too many grammar and spelling mistakes. (come on… seriously?)
3. Use of tiny, tiny fonts (10 pt or less)
4. Sending a resume attachment named 56897res.doc – use your name or descriptive label.
5. Writing the resume using table formats (columns).
8. Using a resume that is password protected (without sending the password).
9. Including references – but not professional ones – just friends and co-workers.
10. Having no contact information on the resume or including a phone number that is no longer valid.
11. When a candidate’s email address is not appropriate for the work environment.
12. Resumes those are way too long. (The last 10 years is sufficient.)
13. Resume stuffing. For example, listing of every software application you’ve ever touched as a “skill.”
14. Education written so it’s not clear if the degree was obtained.
15. Job hopping, which could be contract positions, but it’s not explained. (If you have been on short term contracts, make sure you clarify that they are contract jobs).