Why didn’t I get the interview, I’m perfect for that posting!!

Okay settle your perfect self down. And don’t pout! Listen, a big part of this is the process. The line manager spends next to no time with HR discussing the need, HR writes up the posting as best they can, (or cuts and pastes from the last posting, don’t get me started) and then YOU take it literally, and shape your resume based on the posting.

We estimate most hires are made with candidates being 65% of the posted spec’s.

But part of it is you, oh perfect one. Here are 6 of the most common resume mistakes.

1 You complicate your current job function to make yourself more generically attractive. It backfires. You do so little of everything we can’t figure out what you are or what you do well.

2 You embellish. This is a polite word for what you do. So firms extrapolate. (If she lies on her resume what else will she lie about?) You can whine that the person judging you probably told two lies the morning they read your resume but that won’t help you get interviews.

3 You withhold dates of employment. You fear age discrimination or job hopping. This is understandable. But if you get an interview you can often overcome discrimination. (there are old souls in young bodies and young souls in old bodies) But if you never get the interview because you are making yourself look sketchy, you never get the chance.

4 Your resume is written in a detailed prosaic form. Yawn! No one reads anymore! We forage for info. Use bullet points.

5 You don’t quantify their achievements. It’s wonderful that you are “committed” or “a self-starter”. But how did you quantifiably save or make your company money?

6 You don’t mention education. If you leave off education, we assume you don’t have one. You don’t need to use the year you graduated, just let us know the degree and the school. (Note: Your GPA is of no interest to corporate America. Don’t tell your kids that, they’re on a need to know basis while they’re living with you. Tell them to get good grades.)

There are two kinds of perfect: The kind you’ll never achieve, and the kind you can, by being yourself.