Let’s Take A Look At Resumes

By definition a resume is:

• …a brief account of one’s professional or work experience and qualifications.
• …a set of accomplishments
• …a brief written account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications.

Please note the words in italics: experience, qualifications, accomplishments. That’s what a resume is about.

A Resume Isn’t About…

…hobbies, or religion, or sports, or your family, or pets, or whether you’re a member of the PTA, or a coach for your child’s soccer team.

It’s mind boggling when I consider the number of resumes I receive that have information like that prominently featured. I’ve even received resumes with social security numbers and dates of birth for both the candidate and their spouse.

Wake up! The company you are sending your resume to doesn’t care what hobbies you have—as long as they don’t interfere with your job. They don’t care what religion you practice. Or what sports you play. They don’t want to know the details of your family, or even if you have a family.

I’m Going To Let You In On A Secret…

…the person trying to hire you has a problem, and the only thing they care about is solving that problem.

Let’s go over it again: A resume isn’t about hobbies, or religion, or sports, or family, or anything like that. And much to the surprise of most everyone—it’s not about your responsibilities. Companies don’t care what you were responsible for. The only responsibilities that should be on a resume are the ones relevant to the position you’re considering, and only then so the person reviewing it can evaluate your accomplishments.

Bottom Line

We’re going to tackle exactly what a resume is in another article, but for now you should have enough ammunition to start. At least you know what a resume isn’t.

For more information on how to write the perfect resume, check out the No Mistakes Resumes book:

Amazon Paperback | Amazon Kindle | B&N Paperback | B&N Nook | Kobo |

Leave comments below

by