Getting your player ready...
If you want to improve your chances of landing an interview next time you send out your resume, consider these five common resume weaknesses and correct them.
Including low-level skills. Don’t pad your resume with expected skills; it just looks desperate.“Applicants continue to include proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint on their resumes,” says Maisie Devine, co-founder and CEO of job-search app Poacht. “In today’s world, those skills are a given. Instead, include experience with technical tools and languages including Salesforce, Google Analytics, SQL, Git, Responsys, Python and so on. Knowledge or skill in these areas are much more compelling to employers and, often times, part of the job description.” Including an objective. An objective statement at the top of your resume doesn’t add anything; it just makes your resume – and you – look dated. “If your resume has an objective statement, it’s likely older than a cassette Walkman,” says Brenda Collard-Mills, a certified resume strategist and owner of Robust Resumes and Resources. Instead of an objective statement, Collard-Mills recommends taking a marketing approach that describes the type of role you’re seeking. Under your contact information, she says, list something like “Senior Sales & Marketing Leader.” Not using keywords. If you’re submitting your resume to an organization that uses applicant tracking software, it won’t get a good read if you don’t use the keywords for the position. “The application is keyword based and scans each resume submitted online or via email searching for those keywords,” Collard-Mills says. “You could be the perfect candidate but if you didn’t match your resume with the keywords the company and job require, your resume has landed in the recycle bin.” Keywords are usually hard skills learned through experience and education – and they’re often mentioned in the job posting, Collard-Mills explains. “Industry-related associations are also useful resources to research keywords. For example, sample keywords for a sales role include: account management, contract negotiation, customer service and margin improvement. Not using metrics. It’s not enough to describe your skills. You also need to describe what you’ve done with them.
Applicants “may say they manage a team or have P&L responsibility but never say how much,” says E. Elizabeth Carter, president of Carter Consultants. “It is critical for the hiring company to know these numbers as they vet candidates.”
