by Dr. Aquent
(aka Matthew Grant)

In a perfect world, we would always be able to apply for jobs in person. That way, we could let our future bosses and colleagues see how great we are in the flesh. Our personality, charm and intelligence could make an immediate and indelible impression. We'd get hired on the spot.

Alas, we do not live in that world. Instead, our personality, charm and intelligence are relegated to the austere perfunctoriness of the cover letter and our rich life history is reduced to the conventional schematism of the resume.

Since we must rely on these printed pages to represent us in all our depth and breadth when seeking employment, it is critical that they do so as forcefully and dynamically as possible. To that end, I have consulted Aquent's Linda Oshman, who in her capacity as internal recruiter has looked at tens of thousands of resumes over the years, to help me identify the entirely avoidable mistakes that can sap even the most robust resume of all its persuasive power.

1. Lack of overall focus

Every resume should be written with a specific position or type of position in mind. Without such a focus, your resume is just a list of the places you've worked. That means don't send the same old resume to everyone under the sun.

2. Lack of focus on accomplishments

If you've worked anywhere for any length of time, you've probably ended up doing a lot of different things. There is no point in describing them all in your resume. Employers want to know how you are going to help them meet their business goals. To that end, make sure that your resume highlights what you accomplished in each position (in other words, how you helped your former employers achieve their goals), not just what you did.

3. Irrelevant information

It's great that you worked your way through college as a bank teller. But that was 10 years ago and probably has nothing to do with the web design position for which you're applying today. Every piece of information in your resume should demonstrate why you are the most qualified person for this specific position. If it doesn't do that, leave it out.

4. Puffery

Avoid overinflating your experience or claiming that you've done things you haven't. In other words: Don't lie. Employers can generally sense when your claims don't jibe with the facts, and even worse, they'll also ask you to elaborate on the false information you provided. Remember: The truth will set you free.

5. Spelling/formatting errors

When you read your own resume over and over again, you're bound to overlook the same mistakes several times. Have someone else proofread your resume and don't rely on spell-check to catch every mistake. "An atention to detale" is a sad way to portray yourself to an employer. Also, if you're cutting and pasting various resumes together, make sure that you use just one format for all headers and positions. A poorly or inconsistently formatted resume sends a clear message, "I didn't care enough about this position to make my resume look good."

6. Use of first person and possessive pronouns

When describing your accomplishments, use action words: "Coordinated all Web projects; served as Webmaster," etc. The words "I," "me," "my," "mine," and "our" should never, ever appear in a resume. Anyone reading your resume will assume that the job experience it describes is yours.

7. USING ALL CAPS or a "special" font

When you use all caps on your resume, it seems like you're yelling: "LOOK AT ME! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!" Stop yelling; start selling. Let your experience and accomplishments speak for themselves. Also, "fancy" fonts distract the employer from the more substantive aspects of your resume. Moreover, unless you send a PDF, there's always the chance that the employer won't have the proper font on their system to view your resume properly. Moral of the story: Keep it simple.

8. Missing dates

Include the dates for each position you've held, even if the time frame strikes you as short. If you leave out dates, it gives the impression that you are trying to hide something. Let the person reading your resume judge for themselves whether the length of time you spent at this or that job is relevant. Frankly, for people pursuing Web careers it is not unusual to work for a number of different companies and clients in a relatively short period of time.

9. Missing or incorrect contact information

You send out resumes and cover letters because you want people to get in touch with you. They can't do that if you give them disconnected phone numbers and dead email addresses. Include at least one (preferably two) phone numbers where you can be reached, both on your resume and in your email signature. And when you type in those phone numbers, triple check them for accuracy. Calls meant for you shouldn't be going to Joe's Pizza. Also, make sure that your email address is easy to find and sounds professional. Big_bubba@yahoo.com may be fine among friends, but bsmith@yahoo.com.au is more appropriate for a job search.

10. No introduction

Always include a cover letter (or email) expressing your interest in the employer's company and, more importantly, highlighting the accomplishments that make you the perfect fit for the position. A resume sent without such an introduction makes many employers believe that you've simply included them in a mass mailing or emailing. Even if this is the case, you never want to convey it. Instead, the recipient needs to feel that you have contacted them because you see working for them as a golden opportunity and as the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition (well, you don't need to go overboard, but you know what I mean).

Thanks, Linda, for these tips, and thank you, reader, for reading!

Matthew Grant is the Minister of Enlightenment for Aquent (www.aquent.com), a global firm specialising in staffing solutions for the creative, marketing and communications industries. Through a network of nearly seventy offices in fifteen countries, Aquent services in the areas of print and Web design and production; advertising and media, marketing, public relations and business support. Matthew speaks and trains on technical and communication issues.