Does Your Resume Irk Hiring Managers?

Indianapolis, IN - When applying for a job the last thing anyone wants to do is annoy the hiring manager reviewing their resume. Yet, too often, this is exactly what happens when a job seeker fails to clarify the type of position they are seeking. In fact, 30 percent of hiring managers said that resumes not tailored to a specific position are the most frequent mistakes they see when reviewing resumes, according to a 2007 Careerbuilder.com survey.

"One of the worst things you can do with your resume is to try to make it work for 'any' job. Although it's acceptable for you to consider a broad range of jobs, applicants who don't show a clear idea of what they want to do impress very few employers," says Michael Farr, author of the newly released The Quick Resume & Cover Letter Book, Fourth Edition.

Such a resume faux pas can be easily corrected through the use of a clear, well-written job objective near the beginning of the resume. This statement should make it obvious to hiring managers what type of position the job seeker is interested in and should be supported with achievements and skills throughout the resume.

In his book, Farr provides four quick tips for writing an effective job objective. These tips include:

• Avoid job titles. Job titles can involve very different activities in different organizations. Using a title could limit job seekers from consideration for jobs they may be perfectly suited for.
• Define a "bracket of responsibility" to include the possibility of upward mobility. In this bracket, job seekers should include the lower range of jobs they would consider as well as those requiring higher levels of responsibility. Even if the job seeker has not handled higher levels in the past, many employers might consider them for such positions if they have the skills to support the objective.
• Include important skills. If a job seeker were looking for a job that requires "organizational skills," then they should demonstrate that they have those skills. Later, the resume content should support these skills with specific examples.
• Include specifics if these are important. It's okay to state in a resume that a job seeker has substantial experience in a specific industry or that they have a narrow objective for a job that they really want. However, job seekers who do this run the risk of not being considered for other jobs in which they're qualified.

The Quick Resume & Cover Letter Book, Fourth Edition, is available at all major bookstores and from the publisher (www.jist.com or 1.800.648.JIST). To speak with the author, contact Natalie Ostrom.

JIST, America's Career Publisher, is a division of EMC/Paradigm Publishing and is the leading publisher of job search, career, occupational information, life skills and character education books, workbooks, assessments, videos and software.