Resumes that are Brutal

OK, that's a harsh title, I know.

But, as a professional resume writer, I see SO MANY resumes filled with errors and ineptitude that I had to alert you to some of the worst.

Without further ado, here's how you can write a resume that works ... by NOT writing one that is brutal.

Typos in your resume can short-circuit your entire job search, because many readers have zero tolerance for them. One misspelled word or grammatical error can land your resume in the trash. Solution? Get a friend (or three) to read through your resume for mistakes. Because you're too close to the action to catch them all yourself.

Missing data in your resume is just as costly as wrong data. I'm always amazed whenever I see a resume with no dates or job duties in the experience section, for example. Again, show your resume to friends for input on this one.

You and your mother are the only two people in North America who will read every word of your resume if it's longer than two pages.

There are other resume writers who say a three-page resume is OK, but because I've offered my clients an unconditional money-back guarantee since 1996, I have to go with what works.

So I insist on two pages as the maximum length for 99.9% of all resumes.

As an experienced recruiter once told me: "The goal of your resume isn't to hit them over the head with everything you've ever done. The goal is getting a job interview."

You won't bore anyone into hiring you. Obvious, no? Then tell it to the writer of this:

"Utilize knowledge of established contracting techniques, principles, and practices, and utilize knowledge of procurement regulations to develop, coordinate and award a variety of concurrent or sequential contract actions."

To avoid plodding, preposterous platitudes, read your resume out loud. If you find yourself gasping for breath, break the offending sentence in two (or three).

Your resume should follow a logical sequence, from most important and most relevant, to least. For example, if you're just finishing school with a degree in the field you want to work in, put your education section near the top of the resume.

There are other errors to avoid, but these are some of the worst and most common. Here's hoping your next resume is a winner and not "brutal" :-)

Best of luck to you!

-- Kevin Donlin is the author of "Resume and Cover Letter Secrets Revealed," a do-it-yourself manual that will help you find a job in 30 days ... or your money back. For more information, please visit http://www.CollegeRecruiter.com/1dayresumes.html