SEVEN
SINS OF
RESUME WRITING

• EXECUTIVE RESUME WRITING
  
  An executive resume is the prime marketing tool during a job search. You expect it to do a lot for you – open up doors, convey your qualifications, guide interview and networking discussions, and provide solid evidence of the value you bring to an organization. Preparing your resume is an intense and sometimes exhaustive exercise.
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• How can you be sure you’ve done the best you can with your resume? Rather than presenting a basic “how to”-lesson, the following statements will zero in on the most common mistakes, oversights and missteps we have observed over more than 15 years of reviewing executives’ self-written resumes. These are the problems, small and large, that can keep your job search from getting off the ground, plunge in mid-flight, or torpedo the most promising lead.
  
  1. Poor Introduction
  A summary, profile or introduction that does not get clearly across who you are, your expertise and level of experience, and the value you offer.
  
  2. Wishy-washy Achievements
  A resume that lacks achievements or presents achievements weakly, without quantifiable results.
  
  3. Rote Responsibilities
  Over-reliance on listing the duties of your jobs at the expense of more relevant or more dynamic information.
  
  4. Unconvincing Strategy
  Lack of a strategic approach to presenting your career progression and record of accomplishments.
  
  5. Boring Details
  Excessive wordiness, information unrelated to your career target, unnecessary details about long-ago jobs or irrelevant personal data.
  
  6. Inconsistent Formatting
  Missed opportunity to use formatting enhancements to improve the flow, readability and overall appearance of your resume.
  
  7. Excessive Ego
  Overemphasis on what you want, what’s important to you or your family, and failure to view your document from the hiring manager’s perspective.
  
  If you want to discuss “THE SINS” in detail, if you are interested in how the same material can be made more dynamic, explicit and effective, just contact us. Because learning what’s wrong often isn’t enough, we invite you to bring up questions and situations relative to your own unique situation.