Don’t fly the resume red flag!

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Does your resume have red flags? If you are not getting any interviews or being grilled at length by a headhunter, it could be that the way you have expressed your experience on your resume rings alarm bells for the recruiter.

Have a read of this  interesting article from www.recruiterdaily.com.au which appeared in my inbox this morning. Don’t miss these warning signs on resumes.

It’s straight from the horse’s mouth. The article quotes insights from Adaps Organisational Psychologist, Joshua Wood, who conducted research involving 50 recruiters at 35 organisations looking at how experienced and inexperienced consultants approach resume assessment.

He suggests that recruiters consider the following as warning signs on a resume:

– You do not have the months listed on your resume. 2005 / 2006 can mean two years or six months

–  Your resume shows lots of movement between jobs. If your resume lists a succession of short term permanent roles you may have an underlying problem of not knowing what you want, being difficult to manage, getting bored easily or being ineffective in your roles

–  Your resume lists contracts but shows a lack of repeat work with the one organization or agency, or you are not being extended or requested back. This, again, may indicate an underlying problem

–  Your resume shows no evidence of career progression

–  Your resume contains poor spelling and grammar

When I was a recruiter if I saw evidence of the above on your resume, I may still have telephoned you. But I would be verifying information I found on your resume and seeing if what you said sounded plausible from what I knew about the industry or company. I would also question you carefully in interview and perhaps asking those questions in a reference check.

If you have any of these issues, it doesn’t mean that you are a poor employee. Indeed you may have a good explanation.  For example, you may have chosen contract or temporary work, or that’s the type of employment arrangement typical of your industry. I’m thinking IT here.

Before you send out your resume, try to think objectively about what it may say about you.

K B

Karalyn is the Founder of InterviewIQ and chief champion for all her clients. Get personal coaching to make 2023 your most successful year yet. Check out our job search booster services here>>Give me smarter ways to find a job .

Tagged as: resume, resume mistakes, resume red flags, resume tips, secrets from recruitment consultants