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Writing a resume is not a great deal of fun. There are the old ways of doing things, the new ways of doing things, and a dozen different "expert recommended" ways of doing things. In today's times it pays to have your resume stand out. After all, you usually need to rise to the top of a stack of hundreds of resumes. However, you don't want your resume to stand out in the ways that the ones I am about to share with you do. Don't make these best of the worst resume mistakes on yours.
Sue Campbell, a resume and career strategist, shares the eight worst resume mistakes people make when preparing their own resume. In the "avoid gimmicks" category she shares this gem:
One of my favorite possessions is a resume that was given to me as a birthday gift. It's an actual resume, submitted for an actual position. It's printed on heavy fluorescent-pink paper, 9x11, with a full body shot of the candidate - in thigh-high black boots. I'm not kidding. I'm also certain that its creator didn't plan for it to become the treasured possession of a professional resume writer. This particular candidate did manage to make herself unforgettable.
Hmmm, I wonder what kind of position that person was applying for?
This worst resume ever from the blog What Would Dad Say is a gem. You have to read the whole thing and some of the comments to get the full appreciation of this one. This person is probably kvetching over a cold beer about why he/she cannot find employment rather than perhaps getting some assistance with his job search.
Another doozy worst resume can be found here. The typos are truly stellar. I share the opinion of the author on my favorite part of the resume being:
"Taugted children basic skills in reading , writing"
The worst resume bloopers at Yahoo hotjobs are hysterical. The article doesn't just laugh at the unfortunate, though, it also gives you solid advice on how to avoid become one of the laughed at. I love this:
1. Language Blunders
Blooper: Spelling and proofreading errors.
Example: "Pubic Relations." And its related runner-up: "I'm good with the pubic."
The lowdown: If you didn't catch the problem with those words at first glance, you're not alone. "It's the most consistent and unfortunate mistake I see time and time again," says Allison Hemming, president of The Hired Guns talent agency.
A few "what not to do's" from Young Money and CareerBuilder.com as well as what to do can be found in their take on worst resumes ever. I laugh at these and then get sad because real people wrote them!
"When I’m not programming, I perform magic. I like solar applications, optical stuff, cool technology and anything to do with radio waves. I juggle and twist balloon animals. I bungee jump on occasion, and I would like to experience skydiving soon."
This might explain why some applications crash randomly, huh?
Next comes a very funny resume from the Resume Doctor in which the applicant cites his reason for quitting each job he held. Well, at least everything is out in the open, right? You truly have to look at the original, but here's a sample:
"I gave my two week notice because I was constantly being put down for refusing to take customer service to a level that would degrade my character."
I'll wrap up this walk through the awful resume playground with a link to a Forbes article on the nine worst resume mistakes.
While resume best practices may change from time to time, some lessons are truly timeless -- don't become part of the blooper reel.
Paula Gregorowicz, owner of The Paula G. Company, offers life and career coaching for women to help you figure out what you want to do with your life and career and cultivate the confidence to be the person you most want to be so you succeed on your own terms. Learn more about The Life Alchemy Success Formula™ and Get the free eCourse "5 Steps to Move from Fear to Freedom & Experience Greater Confidence" at her website.
