6 Signs of a Bad Resume - Glassdoor - FlexJobs

6 Signs of a Bad Resume - Glassdoor - FlexJobs6 Signs of a Bad Resume - Glassdoor -Throughout my professional career of both departureing and bankrupting businesses, and just about everything in between, Ive scanned over 1,000 resumes, many of which are very poorly written. I like to think Im a pretty positive person, but I know what it is like to read abad resume, I will illustrate below seven ways in which you can improve a bad resume.Here are six signs of a bad resume1. Highlight specificsTo avoid writing a bad resume, start by describing your background and skills in as much detail as possible. Rather than mentioning e-commerce, be specific as to whether it was Business to Consumer (B2C) or Business to Business (B2B). If youre proficient in accounting software clarify which programs by listing either Quickbooks or Great Plains Software for example. Instead of highlighting open-source tools if youre a programmer, you could say Python or Ruby to showcase your specific skill set.It would be beneficial to adopt a similar attitude to Google when using keywords to list your skill set. Try and find a balance between using enough specific keywords to send potential employers to your web page, while not over utilizing buzzwords to describe your skills unless you are truly experienced.2. Focus on and Quantify Your AchievementsA bad resumes often times lacks both measurable and individualized results.Recruiter Jason Weber says it drives him crazy when candidates highlight their companys accomplishments rather than their personal contributions. Here are a few examples to help integrate concrete results into your resume and change a bad resume into something an employer will noticeRecruited five people for sales and marketing.Increased sales by 25% in the first year.Led 6-month launch of internal Web site.Unless Im strictly hiring an artist, if I dont see numbers on a resume, Im unlikely to read any further.3. Dont Leave out Any Date/Time Items in Your Work History Ive identified the three most important time/date items to be sure you include on your resumeBe mindful of your time spent at past jobs. If I see that on average you only stay at a job for a year or less, a red flag goes off. If this is the case, its wise to reveal this, but too little time at each job can have an impact on your chances of getting hired.Be sure to list the month along with the year. The reason behind this being, that if you list your dates of employment as 2008 to 2009, recruiters can determine whether you worked there for two years (e.g. Jan. 2008 to Dec. 2009) or just once month (e.g. Dec. 2008 Jan. 2009). The latter of which would be a bad move.I want to hire someone, not play hide-and-go-seek, so be sure to list consistent work history, and avoid any gaps of time. If you have a good chunk of missing time, Ill wonder what youre trying to hide.4. Keep It Professional There is nothing more off-putting than a cutesy resume. For example, Social Recruiting Report expert Jason Webster, says hes turned off by resumes that have a logo or picture of the candidate, revealing that many of the images dont even show up, and it looks strange on the resume. My suggestion is if you want to include a picture, your best bet is to use a professional photo that you know will show up in an email. Alternatively, you could simply include your LinkedIn profile link, where you can guarantee that they will be able to view your picture.5. Use Attention Grabbing IntroductionsHuman resources expert and friend Lisa Youngdahl says that a lot of the objectives or introductions that candidates list on a resume can be painful to read. She has seen this dull introduction style in a range of applicants from recent college graduates, My objective is to obtain a challenging positions with a high growth company where I can grow my skills and career, to seasoned professionals, Talented, self-motivated leader with a track record of success. Both being equally boring.6. Triple-Check Y our FormattingYou can transform a bad resume into one that gets noticed by ensuring that it is correctly formatted as your future employer already has enough on his or her plate to have to struggle through reading a poorly constructed resume. Below are some things to double check before submitting your applicationAre you trying to cram everything onto one page? It is often best to utilize a second page to avoid squeezing in or omitting pertinent information.How is the structure and flow of your resume? I remember one finance professional sent in a resume with the job responsibilities for each job displayed in one very long sentence, separated only by semi-colons.Check that your resume is formatted in a way that can be opened by multiple applications. An engineer once sent me a .txt resume, and upon opening I was met with faint text and hard to read bullets. Its unsightly, really. Better to keep the paragraphs brief, and the bullets simple.If youd like more help with your job search materials, check out4 Simple Reasons Youre leid Getting Hired5 Uncommon, Excellent Career Tips5 Tips for Career ChangersCustomized Resumes and Cover Letters are Better for Your Job SearchReaders, have you written a bad resume before, or seen someone elses? What are your best tips for avoiding writing a bad resume?