Linda Lupatkin, Career Counselor, Coach and Consultant

What is a resume? It’s a marketing tool and as such it should be the very best representation of you, the product. It’s really basic marketing and advertising and yet the biggest mistake job seekers make is they don’t think of it that way. Think about the commercials you see on TV. Are they telling you everything about their product? No, they’re telling you the highlights to capture your attention and imagination. To that end, the following are the five most common resume mistakes.

1. The resume is not targeted. When you write a resume, you should be thinking about your target audience. It’s not necessary to put every minute detail about your background on the resume, only share the experiences and accomplishments that support your goal. You also don’t have to go back to the beginning of time on your resume. Only go back far enough in your work history to hit the pertinent positions.

2. There are no key words highlighted in the resume. In today’s world resumes are scanned by computer software as well as people. Both need key words to jump out at them when they’re reviewing or scanning your resume. The scanning software is designed to pick up on key words and in our multitasking, information overloaded world, human’s also need emphasis on key words so they don’t have to work as hard to figure out what’s great about you.

3. There are no stories about your achievements in the resume. A resume should not just be a recitation of your job duties. It should include what you accomplished in the various positions you’ve held. The stories are what bring you and your experience to life. They’re what separate you from your competition. They can range from three lines to a one-line bullet. But make sure you’re highlighting the fabulous results you achieved.

4. You fail to highlight tangible assets and transferable skills. This is especially important if you want to move into a new industry. Think about what you’ve done in your career, what skill sets you have and whether they translate across industries. Then highlight the skills that will help you bridge that “lack of industry experience” bias.

5. The resume lacks quantifiable information. Numbers bring a resume to life. They help illustrate what you’ve achieved and add to your credibility. For instance, instead of just saying you managed a budget, if it’s an impressive size, share the dollar amount. If you’ve managed key accounts with industry leaders, namedrop, this sets you apart from others who don’t have impressive names to include in their resume.

Remember, it’s a competitive world out there and when you’re in the midst of a job search, you’re marketing the most important product there is, yourself. Your resume is your primary marketing tool so make it shine.

-Linda