Is This On Your Resume or Not?

I have seen numerous resumes over the years. Many of you know that in my previous jobs, I was a Manager, Supervisor, Recruiter, & HR Specialist. I worked in many facets of HR and reviewed many resumes that fit the criteria and some that did not. Four things stood out, out of all the resumes I've seen. I was in awe that these were on their resume or missing from it. Let's take a dive into those things.

• Highlighting

My personal definition of a resume is that it is your billboard marketing tool to the job you are applying for. Your knowledge, skills, and abilities are the main focus when recruiters and managers skim over your resume. No need to highlight what is meant to stand out on your resume. 

• Social Security Number

Yes, some people put their social security number on their resume. This is a big DO NOT DO THIS! Your social security number does not go on your resume at all. No place for it. Your social security number is supposed to be sacred and protected. You don't want a case of identity theft. Think about it, if you email your resume to your friend to pass on to the hiring manager, that decides you are not a good fit, so they pass it on to another supervisor. Your resume gets handed off to too many people. Another thing is hackers are out there. You trust your resume with the Applicant Tracking System technology to hold your resume to where it needs to be in the company's system. What if the company gets hacked? Companies do get hacked or data is breached. You really need your contact information if you want to be contacted not your identity stolen. Which brings me to my next point.

• No Contact information

I have had to pass up so many great resumes because there is no contact information found easily.  A few times I had to backtrack to the recruitment team, managers, to the person who passed along their resume. It was time-consuming. By the time they got a phone number, the next candidate was being onboarded. There was another time, I really read the entire resume a few times and finally noticed the contact information was in the footer of the resume. 😐 This is another way to get your resume tossed simply because we can't find a phone number or email. Kept your contact information towards the top near your name on your resume. 

• Time in Jail

Again, your resume is to display your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Your resume is not a job application. I have seen a few resumes that ex-offenders put their jail time on their resume. I get they are trying to fill a gap, but again your resume is not a job application. If you have held a job in jail or prison you can list that on your resume too. It is how it is listed that is the difference. You can list the employer as "County of XX" or "State of XX" instead of the position being a prison duty assignment. 

I strongly suggest, if you have written your resume yourself, have someone look it over.  

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