Resume Pet Peeves

What’s Your #1 Pet Peeve About Resumes?

 Get to the point. Too wordy; makes it hard to figure out what the person has done and how it applies to current application
 When they have a different position listed on their resume than their cover letter
 Redundancies
 When tasks/duties performed are listed in paragraph form
 Spelling errors
 Pictures on resumes
 Vague or general objectives, summaries
 Lack of professionalism in the layout and composition
 Not formatted to flow nicely, sometimes bullets are all over the place and it makes them hard to read. After going through 100s of resumes, these are the ones that test one’s patience
 Massive email blasts where the resume does not target the position they are applying for
 Chronological history of events dating back to high school (especially when the applicant has been out of high school for 3 or more years)
 Content that is unrelated to the role!
 I do not like to see the standard "responsible for" beginning of each point regarding experience. I also do not care to see "references available upon request" - of course they would be!
 When resume is longer than 3 pages
 People don't write to the posting requirements
 Resume not specific to position applied for
 "Generic" Objectives
 Formatting and font issues
 Resume addressed to the wrong company or person in the letter, but has the correct email information. Also, sending out the same resume to everyone
 Not targeting the position - generic resumes
 When the resume very obviously does not match the job
 We are an industry specific recruiting firm. We are not interested in receiving resumes from candidates with no relevant experience in this industry. Do not waste people's time
 Ones that come across as 'help me, I need a job'. I am quite willing to hire them if their skills fit my needs; their job is to make that connection for me if they want the job
 Lack of detail on duties and accomplishments
 Resume or cover letter not addressing the requirements of the position
 Resume not tailored to the position

[from Results of the
2010 Canadian Resume & Interview Trends Survey]

Conducted by The Wright Career Solution Moving your career forward…one step at a time Ph: (647) 930-4763