Five resume tips to ensure you Do Not get called for an interview

Many years ago when I first started out in my career, I was a professional singer. My parents were musicians and I had the opportunity early on to sing with their band. When I was 16 years old, I started filling in for my mom and by the time I was 20, my dad and I had formed a duo and performed full time. It was one of the best learning experiences of my life. My dad gave me some great advice. He said in show business the goal is to always leave the audience wanting more. It ensured future work.

Fast forward to now. I am a corporate speaker, trainer and coach. I have always been good at job searching and helping others prepare for and find jobs they want. The same advice is true. Job seekers want to approach a job search in the same way. I have a saying- “Resumes get you interviews, interviews get you jobs.” The resume is just a sampling of who you are and it should be just enough to have hiring agents wanting to know more about you. I have seen some glaring mistakes that job seekers make. 5 of them are listed below.

1. List your high school graduation date. I totally understand why people would be proud to list that they graduated from HS- after all for some that is a huge achievement. Simply adding, HS diploma under “Education” is enough and if you have any college credit at all, it isn’t necessary to even add “HS diploma” since it’s implied. You cannot go to college without having first obtained a diploma or a GED. Save the room for more relevant information.

2. Add dates to your education. Unless you just completed a degree, do not put a date on your resume and depending on what you’re applying for, I would not put a date at all. Remember human beings will ultimately be looking at your resume and as much as people say they are impartial, people are not. Do not be taken out of the running before you’ve had a chance to prove yourself. Age discrimination in either direction is unfair and it happens. Don’t let it happen to you.

3. List every single job you’ve ever worked. Again, people are very proud of what they’ve done. I get it. However the resume is a snapshot and highlight of your best work. You also want to only add work that is relevant to the position you’re applying for which means you might have more than one variation of your resume. The great thing about Word, and other programs, is you can easily change out jobs and even tasks to match the wording of the job you’re applying for. The recommended timeline is to only go back 10 years.

4. Write paragraphs instead of bullets of tasks. As soon as I see blocks of words, I usually decide before even looking at it that I’m not going to read the whole thing. If reading becomes too difficult, I usually set it aside and switch to a document that is easier to read. Everyone I know is too busy to read entire blocks of information, most people are scanning it and bullet points make it much easier to review. They’re easier to read and also ensures that it will get read, at least more so than a block of text will.

5. Use small font so they can cram every bit of information onto one page. Again, as the 4th tip points out, people are busy and the harder you make it for them to scan and review, the less likely your resume is to end up in the “call for an interview” pile. If you must use a 2nd page, then do it. That is better than using such small font that it makes your resume unreadable.

Searching for a job is very similar to being a free agent on the market. You have to hold a belief that you have something to offer to the company you are applying to. Your resume is your flyer or cover sheet. It is the tickler that gets your name on the “Call for an interview” list so you can then sell yourself in the interview. Remember, “Resumes get you interviews. Interviews get you jobs.” Leave them wanting more.