I hope you already checked out the Great Resume formula, so how can you apply it to your resume? Let’s start with the top five mistakes I often see in DIY resumes that you should avoid like the plague. Each of the blunders directly breaks the formula and prevents the candidate from getting noticeable.
Here they are:
Using one multi-purpose resume for different roles
When a client asks me to write a “hybrid” resume (i.e., a combo of Network Engineer and IT Project Manager), I do my best to talk them out of it. The reason is simple: sending the exact same resume to 5 different job openings means the candidate is essentially gambling with their career. I get the temptation: customizing your resume for every single application takes time and energy, and it’s exhausting to tweak your wording over and over. You might think, “My skills speak for themselves; they’ll get the point.”
But if you don’t target a specific role, your resume will lack the keywords and context that hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ATS) are looking for. If an employer is hiring a Project Manager, they want to see a Project Manager resume, not something that hints you could also do marketing, sales, or operations. Your message becomes diluted and irrelevant. Think of your resume as a targeted marketing campaign, not a broad billboard. Instead of blasting out one generic document to dozens of listings, select your top target roles and create tailored versions for each. You will be better off sending out five customized, high-impact resumes instead of 100 generic ones that immediately get tossed in the trash.
Writing a generic “leader” resume
Unless you are applying for high-turnover sales roles willing to hire from any background, writing a generic “leader” resume is not an effective way to position yourself as a top candidate. Even if you have been consistently successful wearing multiple leadership hats, it’s best to tailor your presentation to a specific function or industry, otherwise, you risk sounding like a “Jack of all trades and master of none”. Most employers want candidates with a distinct specialty or, at the very least, a clear direction in their career path.
In my experience, generic leadership resumes only work well for Board-level professionals who get specifically head-hunted by hiring managers as the go-to experts in a particular market niche. Their resumes hardly ever go through ATS, instead landing directly in the Board’s meeting room for in-person consideration. However, if you apply for jobs via standard job search channels, my best advice for you is to clarify your professional profile in your resume.
Listing past accomplishments that are not relevant to your target roles
I know the feeling. You have built a successful career, and achieved great results that you are rightfully proud of. Thinking about erasing them from the resume can feel almost physically painful because you don’t want to lose something so valuable. To you, these results are super-important as a proof of your career growth and dedication. Still, if your outstanding results are not directly applicable to the jobs you are currently pursuing, they are just taking up valuable real estate. Free up that space for achievements your employers actually care about and can relate to. And cut the rest.
Including long lists of bullet points or (even worse) paragraphs in your job descriptions
If your resume looks like a wall of text, it’s game over. You might think you are being thorough, but human readers tend to skip lengthy texts altogether. Think about how quickly you scroll past a boring online user agreement to hit the “Agree” button and move on. That’s how recruiters treat boring resumes, too. So instead of directing the attention of hiring managers to the details, your message gets lost for your reader entirely.
To avoid this, remember that not every job duty you performed belongs in your resume. Focus on those that relevant for that specific listing or sought after industry-wide.
For the same reason, never repeat the same job description in multiple positions even if you performed similar duties at multiple jobs. Reword them for each job and add context for that specific role.
Using a black-and-white resume
Wrong, wrong move. As an executive resume writer, I will share one trade secret that may help you, once and for all, abandon this boring format: in executive resume writing, black-and-white templates are effectively banned. Why? Because such documents look plain, casual, and low-status, which is the opposite of what executive clients are looking for in their resumes: they invest in a high-class and polished professional presentation.
So, if executives want the best for themselves, why should you settle for less quality in your presentation? My advice: don’t. Take a cue from top-earning professionals, and spice your resume up with some neutral colors to add character. Your readers will take notice and give your content the attention it deserves.