Feb
2013
Resume Blunders
Happy Valentine’s Day! This holiday snuck up on me and I’m embarrassed to report that I haven’t done a thing to prep or celebrate…except for buying Jared a card at the grocery store. He has big work stuff all this week, so we’re just planning to cook dinner tomorrow night (whenever he gets home) and then go out on Saturday night to celebrate again. What are you doing?
I’m not really big on Valentine’s Day in general….I think it feels more romantic and special when we plan dates together sporadically on our own rather than be forced to because it’s Valentine’s Day. I might feel differently in a few years when we have kids and are too busy to have date nights, but for now, not so much. We’ll see.
Moving on…
Today, I’m talking about resumes. I’m in the process of hiring a new assistant at work and so I’ve been looking at resumes the last few days. YIKES. I’ve hired a few people in the past few years and know that any craigslist posting is bound to get some wacko responses, but it seems like many people don’t know how to appropriately apply for a job! It’s been really humorous actually. I’m sure all of you are fine and successful in this arena, but in any case:
Here’s my top 10 things NOT to do when sending your resume…..or top 10 funny things I’ve learned/seen over the years.
1) If the job posting says to submit a cover letter with your resume, then SUBMIT A COVER LETTER. You’d be surprised at how many people just send me their resume. If you can’t even follow a simple direction like that, then how can I trust you in the future?
2) If you’re applying for a (example) “Development Coordinator” position, don’t write on your cover letter that you’re applying for a “Service Coordinator” position. This one is pretty simple….watch for simple errors or I’ll know that you don’t really care about this job.
3) Also, if you’re not applying for a job in HR or IT, don’t write that you are passionate about HR work or computers and seeking a position in that field……that really doesn’t have anything to do with the job we’re hiring for and so why would I hire you? Don’t apply for this job if it doesn’t fit….waste of both our times.
4) If you wrote your thesis about something not related to this job (like the person who clearly wants to be a sex therapist and listed that she wrote her thesis on, no joke, “A Closer Look at the Fake Orgasm.”) then DO NOT list it on your resume for a job that has absolutely nothing to do with that. Seriously, people? This girl should be applying to Planned Parenthood or something…..NOT my company.
5) If you are applying to a very small company, try not to address the letter to the “HR Department.” Small companies might not have HR Departments and if you address it like that, it lets them know that you didn’t look through their website. If you can’t figure out who the hiring manager is, address it to the CEO or ED (by name)….or just try to refrain from “Sir or Madam.” It just seems so impersonal that it makes it seem like you couldn’t take the time to read about the company.
6) Learn how to write a formal letter, include the date, and proper spacing. It looks better.
7) Send your resume and cover letter as a PDF, not as a word document. I made this mistake once….and for some reason, it sent the word document to open in “show track changes” mode and so when the guy opened it, he saw all the red lines and everything I had changed. So embarrassed. Learned my lesson.
8) Do not list your objective as, “To obtain a full-time job.” LOL. Better not to list any objective than making it sound like you’ll take any job, no matter what.
9) Do not convince everyone you know who has even a tiny connection to the company to call and tell them how great you are ten seconds after you submit your resume. It’s overwhelming and annoying. At least for me as the person hiring, it doesn’t help your chances of getting the job. And I may not like the people who call to refer you, so then it works slightly against you.
10) Just be yourself. It’s obvious when you’re trying too hard. Apply to jobs that are a fit. And know that even if you don’t get a job you apply for, there’s another one out there for you.
Those are my tips and work venting of the day!
– When’s the last time that you applied for a job?
– What are your job hunting tips?
– Have you ever hired anyone?
– Any resume blunder stories to tell?
– Do you think you’re bad or good at interviewing?
Michelle @ Eat Move Balance
February 13, 2013 at 3:14 pm (125 days ago)Great tips! I think I’m pretty decent at being interviewed . . . but I’ve actually found it hard to be someone conducting an interview. I really think some people are blessed with the skill to “read” others and know who would be the best fit for a certain job. I wish that came easier to me, but it doesn’t.
Rebecca
February 13, 2013 at 3:40 pm (125 days ago)it’s tough…and admittedly i do feel really bad having to “cut” people, especially when they’re nice (even if they’re not a good fit)
Maria
February 13, 2013 at 3:24 pm (125 days ago)Haha. I worked in HR for a few years at my previous company and listing on Craigslist meant you had a LOT of resumes to scroll through. It’s so easy to tell when they are just canned submissions and they don’t even read the job description.
I’m actually looking for a new job right now and am happy to say that I’ve never (at least as far as I know) made any of these mistakes on my resume. And I’ve been getting a few of call-backs, so hopefully its working well for me
Rebecca
February 13, 2013 at 3:39 pm (125 days ago)Fingers crossed for you abotu the call-backs- hope you like the jobs! At least for the applicant side, if you follow the rules and have a good resume, at least your know that half of your competition is incompetent people like this…so I guess it’s actually a good thing
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets
February 13, 2013 at 4:07 pm (125 days ago)Very funny post. I’ve hired a handful of people over the past couple years, and the resumes are always entertaining and equal parts annoying. Spelling errors and typos irritate me to no end.
Alex @ therunwithin
February 13, 2013 at 4:59 pm (125 days ago)great tips, anyone applying should read these!!
Becky @ Olives n Wine
February 13, 2013 at 5:58 pm (125 days ago)Hahahahah – this gave me a good laugh
I actually have to “apply” for promotions at my current job so I’ve gotten pretty good at updating my resume and cover letters. Thank goodness I have never had to interview anyone – I might make the mistake of laughing out loud with ridiculous answers!
Rebecca
February 14, 2013 at 11:46 am (124 days ago)Haha, yeah I’ve tried to hold back laughs during a few interviews….it was almost like they were spoofing me…but not.
helennaturally
February 13, 2013 at 6:15 pm (125 days ago)Ok some of this is just down right hilarious!! Can I get a job with your company since I too have an Internet in sex therapy ( insert sarcasm )….lol!!!
Rebecca
February 14, 2013 at 11:46 am (124 days ago)lol!!! I thought it might be a joke….and she went to an Ivy League school!
jessielovestorun
February 13, 2013 at 7:54 pm (125 days ago)If I ever have a question.. I know where to turn
Thanks!
Jodea @ chillichocolatelove.com
February 13, 2013 at 10:44 pm (125 days ago)Fun post! It seems to me people are getting lazier with this type of stuff! I hate interviews but always seem to do okay by just being myself. My most recent one was two years ago to get my current job.
Totally with you on V day – we’d rather go out another night than be surrounded by couples feeling forced to have a good time!
Rebecca
February 14, 2013 at 11:45 am (124 days ago)I agree about the laziness!
Runner Girl Eats
February 14, 2013 at 4:04 am (125 days ago)These are great tips. I’m in the process of job hunting and constantly tweaking my résumé. I’ve been told to pull words from the actual job posting since a lot of companies use programs that just scan resumed for key words. Other than that my only advice is PROOFREAD FOR TYPOS!
Rebecca
February 14, 2013 at 11:45 am (124 days ago)yes, proofreading is sooo key…yet so many people don’t do it!
Laurie @ Love, Laugh, Laurie
February 14, 2013 at 6:28 am (124 days ago)We are pretty much the same about valentine’s day. Spend some time together, nothing too crazy. And resumes are the worst, I can’t believe what people put on there or their lack of proofreading!
Rebecca
February 14, 2013 at 11:44 am (124 days ago)totally agree! they really should teach it in high school much more than they do
Molly
February 14, 2013 at 7:48 am (124 days ago)I don’t think I’ve ever changed my resume and cover letter into .pdfs! Such a simple thing and yet I’ve never thought of it. This post was really awesome, Rebecca – thanks for sharing! It’s applicable to everyone, no matter what stage of your career/life.
Rebecca
February 14, 2013 at 11:43 am (124 days ago)Glad you liked it, Molly!
Alysha (@shesontherun)
February 14, 2013 at 8:51 am (124 days ago)Awesome post! I’ve only been at my job since Nov, so I’ve just been through all this. My biggest tip is Spell Check!! It doesn’t matter how good your resume is. If there are gramatical errors, it won’t be taken seriously.
Rebecca
February 14, 2013 at 11:43 am (124 days ago)Yes, I agree! Spellcheck is so important…and def a savior sometimes
Cinnamon
February 14, 2013 at 10:47 am (124 days ago)I’ve worked in HR for years, so I have seen so many of these its pretty sad. My favorite one though is the person who MISSPELLED their own name on their resume. They literally drew in a little arrow and the left out letter up at the top by their name. SERIOUSLY. I should have taken a picture.
Rebecca
February 14, 2013 at 11:43 am (124 days ago)LOL! Seriously?! That’s funny…and really sad at the same time!
Apples and Arteries
February 16, 2013 at 2:01 pm (122 days ago)All really good tips. My big pet peeve is when people mis-spell my last name or have basically just copied and pasted an email/cover letter and it’s not even addressed to me!
Rebecca
February 16, 2013 at 8:08 pm (122 days ago)That’s so annoying to see your name misspelled…no excuse for that!