The Top 10 Pitfalls in Resume Writing
1. Too long. Most new graduates should
restrict their resumes to one page. If you have
trouble condensing, get help from a technical
or business writer or a Career Services
counselor.
2. Typographical, grammatical or spelling
errors. These errors suggest carelessness, poor
education and/or lack of intelligence. Have at
least two others proofread it before submitting.
Don’t rely on your computer’s spell-checkers
or grammar-checkers.
3. Hard to read. A poorly typed or copied
resume looks unprofessional. Use a plain
typeface, no smaller than a 12-point font.
Asterisks, bullets, underlining, boldface type
and italics should be used only to make the
document easier to read, not fancier. Again,
ask a professional’s opinion.
4. Too verbose. Do not use complete sentences
or paragraphs. Say as much as possible with as
few words as possible. A, an, and the can
almost always be left out. Be careful in your
use of jargon and avoid slang.
5. Too sparse. Give more than the bare
essentials, especially when describing related
work experience, skills, accomplishments,
activities, interests and club memberships that
will give employers important information.
Including membership in the Society of
Women Engineers, for example, would be
helpful to employers who wish to hire more
women, yet cannot ask for that information.
6. Irrelevant information. Customize each
resume to each position you seek (when
possible). Of course, include all education and
work experience, but emphasize only relevant
experience, skills, accomplishments, activities
and hobbies. Do not include marital status, age,
sex, children, height, weight, health, church
membership, etc.
7. Obviously generic. Too many resumes
scream, “I need a job—any job!” The employer
needs to feel that you are interested in that
particular position with his or her particular
company.
8. Too snazzy. Of course, use good quality
bond paper, but avoid exotic types, colored
paper, photographs, binders and graphics.
Electronic resumes should include appropriate
industry keywords and use a font size between
10 and 14 points. Avoid underlining, italics or
graphics.
9. Boring. Make your resume as dynamic as
possible. Begin every statement with an action
verb. Use active verbs to describe what you
have accomplished in past jobs. Take
advantage of your rich vocabulary and avoid
repeating words, especially the first word in a
section.
10. Too modest. The resume showcases your
qualifications and abilities in competition with
the other applicants. Put your best foot forward
without misrepresentation, falsification or
arrogance.
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The 3 R’s
The 3 R’s of resume writing are Research, Research, Research. You must know what
the prospective company does, what the position involves and whether you will be a good fit,
before submitting your resume. This means doing research—about the company, the position and
the type of employer the company typically hires.
Research the company. Read whatever literature the company has placed in the Career
Resource Room. For additional information, call the company. Ask for any literature it may
have, find out how the company is structured, and ask what qualities the company generally
looks for in its employees. Ask if there are openings in your area, and find out the name of the
department head and give him or her a call. Explain that you are considering applying to their
company, and ask for their recommendation for next steps. Thank that person for the
information, and ask to whom your resume should be directed.
The Internet is another key tool to utilize in your research. Most companies have Web
sites that include information regarding company background, community involvement, special
events, executive bios, or even past annual reports. Be sure to take advantage of the Internet
during your job search.
Research the position. The more you know about the position, the better able you will
be to sell yourself and to target your resume to that position. If possible, interview someone who
does that same job. In addition to finding out the duties, ask if there is on-the-job training,
whether they value education over experience (or vice versa) and what kind of turnover the
department experiences. Ask what they like about the position and the company; more important,
ask what they don’t like about it.
Finally, research yourself. Your goal is not just to get a job. Your goal is to get a job you
will enjoy. After you find out all you can about the company and the position, ask honestly
whether this is what you really want to be. The odds are overwhelming that you will not hold this
position for more than two or three years, so it’s not a lifetime commitment; however, this first
job will be the base of your lifetime career. You must start successfully so that future
recommendations will always be positive. Furthermore, three years is a long time to spend doing
something you don’t like, working in a position that isn’t challenging or living somewhere you
don’t want to live.
One last word of advice: Before you go to the interview, review the version of your
resume that you submitted to this employer. The resume can only get you the interview; the
interview gets you the job.
