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I’ve written about common resume blunders, surefire ways to diminish the power of your resume. But what will really send your resume to the “Delete” bin? Here are five unforgivable errors that will likely doom your resume. Check your resume to make sure you’re not guilty of the following:

1. Typos. Hiring managers hate them! It’s like showing up for a job interview at a Wall Street office wearing ripped shorts, a Jethro Tull t-shirt, messy hair, and old tennis shoes. Your resume is your introduction, and typos are saying, “I really don’t care.” So, carefully proofread your resume before sending it out.

2. No clear goal. The late, great resume writer Yana Parker said it best. She wrote, “Somebody knocks on your door. You open it and say, ‘Hello, what do you want?’ They say, ‘Duh…’” Honestly, if your resume doesn’t have a clear career focus, a busy hiring manager will not take the time to figure it out for you. You don’t need to use a formal Objective section — you can weave your goal into a tagline at the top of your resume or add it to a Qualifications Summary.

3. Information overload. If your resume is jam-packed with information and reads more like your autobiography, and you’ve used tiny fonts and little white space, it’s unlikely that a hiring manager will be wading through all of your data. Make your resume a quick read - it’s possible to include a lot of juicy information without going overboard.

4. A virus. Yes, a virus! If you send your MS Word document along with a nasty computer virus, you will not endear yourself to the hiring manager. Please, run your file through a virus checker before hitting “Send.”

5. Too much personal info. I recommend letting your personality shine through on your resume, but avoid including highly personal information like political or religious views (unless you are 100% sure the hiring manager shares your viewpoint). For example, if you put hunting down as a hobby and your resume has landed in the hands of an animal rights supporter, guess what? There’s a good chance that your resume will end up in the trash. Also, don’t link to a personal website that reveals a side of you that you wouldn’t want prospective employers to see. Keep your resume ultra-professional and you will avoid the dreaded trash bin.

 

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