Resume Mistakes That Keep Hiring Managers Amused But Cost You the Interview

[DainBramaged]

Think resume typos are no big deal? Last year, Accountemps, a temporary staffing firm, interviewed 150 senior executives from some of the nation's largest companies. Forty percent of the respondents said that just one typo on a resume would cause the candidate to be eliminated. Thirty-six percent said it would take just two mistakes before the resume was put in the "no" pile.


Objective: Seeking a party-time position with room for advancement

Professional headline: 1 year old marketing executive

Achievement: Planned new corporate facility at $3M over budget.

Explanation of employment gap: career break in 1999 to renovate my horse

References: Referees available upon request

Skills: I am a rabid typist

Strengths: Impersonal skills

Hobbies: Enjoy cooking Chinese and Italians

Education: College: August 1880 to May 1984

Cover letter: I would like to assure you that I am a hardly working person.


And just how much information on a resume is too much?
Objective: To have my skills and ethics challenged on a regular basis

Personal Information: Married, eight children, prefer frequent travel

Language Skills: Exposure to German for two years-but many words are inappropriate for business

Reason for leaving last job: the owner gave new meaning to the word paranoia

Achievements: Nominated for prom queen

Education: Finished eighth in a class of ten

Interests: Gossiping

Awards: National record for eating 45 eggs in two minutes

References: Bill, Tom, Eric - but I don't know their phone numbers

Salary: The higher the better

Cover letter: Please disregard the attached resume; it's totally outdated

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/05/05/resume-mistakes/?icid=main

[HopeHoops]

1. I got one that said "I know CRT and database" - that was NOT a typo.

This particular resume had a huge graphic of a computer terminal centered at the top of the page. I would rate the overall writing level at about 3rd grade. The reference to "CRT and database" most likely meant that she had been parked in front of a terminal with a remedial data entry assignment.

[Whisp]

2. lol. funny stuff, thanks.

Salary: The higher the better.


:rofl:

[Historic NY]

3. People wonder why they are unemplyed..

[uncommon]

4. For real - obviously this is not true all around, but when we were hiring for a new admin assistant

in my office, the resumes ranged from pretty good (none of them looked or read great) to atrocious.

One of the cover letters said, "I have have frequently caught mistakes that saved time and money," lol. I think we actually hired her (but it's not working out).

[DainBramaged]

5. I'm hearing from people we recently hired that many many places don't want to hire you if you are

unemployed. We haired three people this month (I am sure the tax credit was the reason) but none the less, they all side they had a difficult time because employers want people in the current work force.

[unpossibles]

7. you haired people?

:P

Sorry - could not help it.

[DainBramaged]

10. I did that porpoisely

:rofl:

[unpossibles]

11. well, were I your boss you'd be fried

:D

[Statistical]

6. Even funnier is the followup. 43 things actually said in an interview.

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/12/28/43-things-actually-said-in-job-interviews/

Including this gem:

What are your hobbies and interests?
4. 'Well, as you can see, I'm a young, virile man and I'm single -- if you ladies know what I'm saying.' Then he looked at one of the fair-haired board members and said, 'I particularly like blondes.'" - Petri R.J. Darby, president, darbyDarnit Public Relations

[uncommon]

8. Aw, these two are just sad, not funny:

38. " guy said he did not have a mailing address, as he was living in a gypsy camp at the airport." - Sandra L. Flippo, SPHR

39. "I went into the lobby to pick up a candidate. As he stood up, his trousers fell to the floor! 'Oh, my gosh -- they told me I needed a suit for the interview. I've got no money -- so I borrowed this thing. It's too big!'" - Beth Ross, executive and career coach

See, I would be likely to try to hire one of these people assuming they didn't blow the rest of the interview. Too often being poor makes it 100x harder to get a job to stop being poor.

[fasttense]

9. Of course the mistakes made by Hiring managers are not consolidated

and distributed.

I once had a hiring manager ask me what was wrong with me that I was so dedicated to the Navy.

Then there was the guy who e-mailed me and wrote the corporation was only hiring people. (I assumed he left off an adjective somewhere because I am human and look it.)

One rejection letter said they would keep my resume for around file.