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Five Biggest Resume Mistakes You Can Fix Yourself
A career consultant can diagnose and overhaul a troubledresume. But you can check off the basics yourself. Mistake #1. "The mystery applicant." No contactinformation. Fix: List a daytime phone number and email address, right atthe top of the page. Create a professional-sounding messagefor your answering device. Mistake #2. "The scrunchie." Loads of detail crammedtogether in eight-point type. Fix: Add lots of white space, avoid tiny type and use bulletpoints instead of long paragraphs. If you've got a story totell, most reviewers will happily turn to a second page. Mistake #3: "List of tasks and duties." Obituary of a boringemployee. Fix: Sell yourself by focusing on accomplishments.Demonstrate the impact of your achievements. Describeactions, not obligations. Mistake #4: "The expressionist." Sets off alarm bells. Fix: Choose chronological rather than functional form,especially if you use traditional job-hunting sources: HRdepartments, recruiters, and advertisements. Off the beatenpath, use a sales letter or network your way to in-personpresentations. Mistake #5: "Creative language." Spelling, grammar andpunctuation errors. Proof-read and ask a friend to help. Computerized spellingand grammar checks won't catch everything. Acarefully-prepared resume will stand out more than you canimagine. About The Author Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com. "Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294
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