| What you write: |
What you think it says. |
Why we don't call you back. |
What you can do about it |
| A resume that closely follows the same format as a thesis. |
You are an intellectual and we'd be silly not to call you. |
We don't understand how to read your resume to be able to match your experience to an open role. |
Dumb it down. Keep your sentences short, sweet and to the point. |
| The same descriptor words for each bullet point, like the word "expert" or "utilized". |
You are an "expert" at every single task listed. You have "utilized" everything, so you are the best person to hire. |
There are hundreds of other candidates that know how to sell themselves better. |
Use a thesaurus. Pick your most used descriptor word and change it up. |
| Your life story, how you became unemployed, why you didn't like your last placement, a personal appeal about your finances. |
Hiring Managers will make an emotional connection and will call you back because you "deserve a break". |
We have concerns that you have the potential to be an HR nightmare to our clients. |
Separate your personal life from your business life and focus on selling yourself based exclusively on your abilities. |
| Five different roles under the same client placement. You are a Project Manager... no a Business Analyst... no a Risk Specialist. |
Your professional abilities are limitless. You can easily transition from role to role and are flexible and adaptable. |
We don't know how to classify your skill set. We have doubts about whether you can perform all the different roles you claim. |
Create 2 or 3 different resumes to highlight your different skill sets. One resume for Project Management, one resume for Business Analysis and one resume for Risk. |
| References available upon request. |
That you have references lined up and are therefore trustworthy. |
Other candidates make it easier for us by providing three solid professional references. |
Obtain blanket permission from your references to use them and then provide us with the information we need to make an informed decision about your hiring potential. |
