Failure to Include Job Candidate’s Name and Other Resume Mistakes - East Idaho News
News

Failure to Include Job Candidate’s Name and Other Resume Mistakes

  Published at  | Updated at

GETTY B 071112 Resume?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1378979099800iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Making a good first impression is important in a job search, but a new survey of hiring managers finds many applicants are submitting resumes that are memorable for all the wrong reasons.

A Harris Interactive survey commissioned by Career Builder.com asked hiring managers to share the most memorable and unusual resumes they’ve received:

  • Resume was submitted from a person the company just fired.
  • Resume’s “Skills” section was spelled “Skelze.”
  • Resume listed the candidate’s objective as “To work for someone who is not an alcoholic with three DUI’s like my current employer.”
  • Resume included language typically seen in text messages (e.g., no capitalization and use of shortcuts like “u”).
  • Resume consisted of one sentence: “Hire me, I’m awesome.”
  • Resume listed the candidate’s online video gaming experience leading warrior “clans,” suggesting this passed for leadership experience.
  • Resume included pictures of the candidate from baby photos to adulthood.
  • Resume was written in Klingon language from Star Trek.
  • Resume was a music video.
  • Resume didn’t include the candidate’s name.
  • On the job application, where it asks for your job title with a previous employer, the applicant wrote “Mr.”
  • Resume included time spent in jail for assaulting a former boss.

When asked to identify the most common resume mistakes that may lead them to automatically dismiss a candidate, 56 percent of hiring managers and human resource staffers cited resumes that contain typos.  Here’s the full rundown of the most common resume mistakes:

  • Resumes that have typos.
  • Resumes that are generic and don’t seem personalized for the position.
  • Resumes that don’t include a list of skills.
  • Resumes that copied a large amount of wording from the job posting.
  • Resumes that have inappropriate email address.
  • Resumes that don’t include exact dates of employment.
  • Resumes printed on decorative paper.
  • Resumes that include a photo.

The Harris Interactive survey commissioned by CareerBuilder.com was conducted online between May 14 and June 5, 2013 and involved 2,076 hiring managers and human resource professionals and 2,999 workers across a wide range of industries.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION