5 Signs Your Resume Needs a Makeover
I don’t think I have ever met a single client who enjoyed writing their own resume. It’s that dreaded thing you have to do to get to the next-level but it can feel like such a chore.
The process requires you to be in a certain type of frame of mind. You need to be in the mood to brag about yourself. But far too often I find when people are writing their resumes, they aren’t usually doing it because they are feeling particularly inspired by themselves.
Most of the time, I find that people write resumes because they are on the job hunt. And although the job hunt can be a motivator, most people aren’t the best writers when in job hunting mode. That’s because when people are in job hunting mode they are either: (1) fed up with their current job, (2) desperate to find something better, or (3) bored and willing to do anything but what they are currently doing. Instead of really wooing your potential employer, your writing comes across a little too reflective of your current state: it makes your resume feel like you’re fed up, desperate, or bored with your current role.
Nevertheless, I’ve read resume after resume from either applicants at my current employer or from my clients that all feel very much the same. The sameness can be mind-numbing. And given that the average recruiter only spends 6 seconds looking at a single resume, the mind-numbing resume is not going to get you phone calls.
I’ll do my best to help you see where your resume may have succumbed to the numbness. Here are the most shockingly common five signs that your resume needs an overhaul.
(1) You have an objective statement.
1990 called and wants its resume format back. Objective statements take up valuable space on your resume and serve very little purpose. It’s obvious from the fact that you submitted your resume that you’re seeking a job, and in particular, this job. Including an objective statement that mirrors your cover letter or worse is used in place of one, is a bad way to go about making a good first impression.
Consider instead writing a summary statement or a profile statement that highlights at a high level why the recruiter or hiring manager should keep reading your resume. Think in terms of the value you bring to the organization.
(2)You start each bullet point off with “action word + task”
ZzzzzzZzzzz. I’ve said this a few times, but I’ll say it again. Writing a statement like, “Mary breathes.” is not impressive nor makes any hiring manager or recruiter want to call you back to learn more about how you breathe. I cringe when I see simple bullet points that don’t express the magnitude or the scope of the work you’re doing. Avoid this kind of lazy resume writing at all costs.
Instead, try writing a bullet point that expresses your value by using a stronger written bullet format, such as the Google Method. This method is simply: “Did X by doing Y resulting in Z.” Simple, right? Also, highly effective.
Example: Mary breathes by inhaling deeply resulting in her ability to maintain consciousness while performing her work.”
Now I can see why it’s important that Mary breathes, can’t you? I’m not presuming the reader knows the significance of Mary’s breaths and I am equipping them with the information for them to assess how impressive her breathing is.
(3)Your education is listed before your experience.
If you’re reading this blog, I am presuming you’re currently working in your chosen field. I presume this because I write for those looking to make the leap into senior leadership. Generally, it’s very difficult to be a senior leader without first being a leader. So, if you’re reading this blog and you’re a senior leader and your education is listed before your experience, you need to open up your MS Word or Google Docs and get to work ASAP on revising your resume.
When it comes to getting a job, your experience matters before all else – even if you’re transitioning careers. So, it’s so important that you outline your resume so it fits a format that makes sense to recruiters and hiring managers – and that means keeping your education after your experience.
(4) You’ve never optimized it with keywords.
Did you know when they submit their information into job portals and job banks it’s rare for a human to review them? Instead, applicant tracking systems (ATS) combs through all the resumes looking for the best matches. It then hand delivers those strong matches to the recruiter or hiring manager for review. This means that nearly 75% of resumes are eliminated through ATS. And this means you have likely submitted a resume at least once that was overlooked or eliminated for a lack of optimized keywords.
The best way to get past this to review in details the job description for the job you’re applying to. Look for common keywords and phrases throughout the job post that define and distinguish the job from others on the company’s job boards. These are very likely the keywords you want to include in your resume and optimize for.
(5) It’s only one page long.
Somewhere along the way in our professional development some highly respected expert must have said that a resume that exceeds one page is verboten and we all listened to our own detriment. You are a professional who has been working in your industry for some number of years. If you don’t have more than page’s worth of information to write about your accomplishments and the value you bring to your organization, then you have bigger problems than writing a resume.
In my experience, the one-page resume are usually the least helpful in assessing a candidate’s strengths. Experience professionals who use one-page resumes make me cringe a bit. The resumes are generally hard to read due to a lack of white space and small font size. Plus, they cut short the value of the employee by trying to squish everything great they’ve accomplished onto one sheet.
I promise you that I have never eliminated a candidate from consideration for a two-page resume, but I have eliminated several experienced candidates for terrible one-page resumes.
You made it through the list! How many of these are your guilty of? It’s okay. We’ve all been there. The most important thing is to make space for writing your resume. Don’t do it when you’re tired or exhausted after a busy day at work. Make it something you invest time in. I strongly consider a disciplined approach which includes keeping a detailed Brag Book. It really does make your life so much easier to have one.
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Hi, I’m Jessica
As an internationally recognized legal marketer and law firm executive, Jessica has spent her career helping attorneys pitch their services and their resumes to some of the largest global companies and CEOs in the world. Her specialty: Helping smart professionals be unforgettably hire-able. Whether you are seeking your first job or a career change, Jessica empowers you step-by-step. Execute simple, yet practical and actionable tasks to get your resume past the stack and into the hands of your next manager.
