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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Preparation for Job Search

Ten Don'ts for Resumes

  1. Don't make it too long. A resume is not an autobiography. It's "bait" or "appetite wetter." It does not have to tell your life story. Very few personnel or business managers will bother to read a lengthy resume. Just highlight the major areas which will help get you the interview.

  2. Don't make it too sketchy by just listing your jobs by title, companies and dates, your extra-curricular activities or the names of your clubs. That gives too little information. Tell something about your accomplishments in the position(s) you held and in your extra-curricular activities. You don't need complete sentences in your resume. Concise understandable phrases are sufficient.

  3. Don't tag your resume with an incorrect title. If you are a chemical engineer and are seeking a job as such, it is logical to list your career objective as on your resume as chemical engineer. If, however, you are applying for several different jobs, you need to change your job objective each time. If an employer has an opening for a quality control specialist, he/she wants to read resumes from people who indicate they want to be a quality control specialist. He/she may not read resumes from people seeking some other position or from someone who did not indicate a job objective (and appears unfocused).

  4. Format Mistakes:
    5.   Typos: In many cases, your resume and cover letter are the only things an employer has to base an impression of you. The view is that if you make a typo on your resume, you'll probably make a lot more mistakes on the job! It's easy to miss your own typos. Use spell check, but remember it won't catch every error. Frightening example: If you leave the first "l" out of "public relations," spell check is not going to let you know. Get the idea? Ask friends to proofread. Make an appointment to have your resume critiqued in the Career Services Center.
      Using small fonts: Employers typically read many resumes and may only spend 15 to 30 seconds reading a resume. Really small fonts are hard to read and don't photocopy as well. Generally, don't go smaller than a 10 point.
      Really wide margins with content squeezed in the middle: Lots of students ask if their resumes have "enough white space." An employer isn't reading white space. Your margins should be at least one half inch. You really don't need more than one inch.
      Using a unique, creative layout to stand out from the crowd: The best way to stand out from the crowd is with high quality content and a clearly written, neat, error-free document. Employers are looking for content, not fancy or dangerously creative layout. Don't stand out for the wrong reason.
      Poor Print Quality: Don't ruin a well-prepared and carefully thought out resume by using sloppy reproduction. Make copies of your resume on good bonded paper using a good quality copier or printer. Best paper color to use is white or cream.


  5. Don't be negative. All of us have positive and negative factors in our backgrounds. Always focus on the positive. What relevant skills did you demonstrate? What did you learn that is applicable?

    Too often resumes start on a negative note. Here are typical examples of opening sentences taken from actual resumes that never should have been used (and resulted in quick rejections): "I am now fully recovered from a lengthy illness and ready to return to work." "Although I did poorly in college, I think I can be successful in a job."

  6. Religion, political party and national origin should be omitted. Despite legislation and ethical concepts which make it wrong to discriminate because of race, religion or national origin there is still much prejudice out there, either open or hidden. Indicating your religion or national origin adds nothing to your qualifications, yet it might set up an unfavorable reaction in the mind of the reader.

  7. Do not include salary information! Generally, it is wise to omit salary in the body of a resume. If it is requested, give it in the cover letter. This will give you flexibility. It is quite possible that your salary requirement will vary. Most people will work for less money if the opportunity for growth exists or if the job is in an area where the cost of living is lower. On your cover letter, you can adapt your salary requirements to each specific position for which you apply.

  8. Don't use a photograph. No matter how good a photo is it shows only a small fraction of your personality and may give a completely wrong impression of you: "This person is too serious," "too flippant," "too cruel looking," "smug," "stupid," "has shifty eyes," "is insincere" are some examples of actual comments made by prospective employers after seeing photos of job applicants. Don't give a prospective employer the chance to make an employment decision about you without even meeting you.

  9. Don't list references. In order to keep the resume brief, nothing should be included except essentials. If references are desired, the employer will request them. You should prepare them and have them typed on a separate sheet of paper ready to be submitted upon request.

  10. Never, repeat never, send a resume without a cover letter.

For more help, attend our resume seminar! Make an appointment to have your resume critiqued in the Career Services Center.