No matter how many resumes I look at, there is always one constant problem that almost nobody can seem to get away from: Making something out of nothing. Wait a minute, isn’t that the point of a resume? To pull every last ounce of impressiveness (patent pending) out of your accomplishments? The answer is that both points are valid. Before your head explodes, let me explain.

There is a big difference between describing your accomplishments in glowing detail and attributing successes or skills where they don’t belong. Here’s an example:

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How to create a great Resume is a topic that triggers lots of advice and even more questions. Should you include a salary range? How many pages should it be? How many previous jobs do you list? However, while all these factors are well known, there are many others that go under the radar. They might not come immediately to mind when you think of the word “Resume”, but they are just as important as the most popular ones. That’s why I put together the following list of three resume factors that often look in the background but should definitely be considered along with the big boys:

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This is one of those very tricky subjects that can make or break your resume: Should you include a salary range that you’re looking for on your resume? Some would argue that if the company isn’t interested in paying you what you want, then you’re better off not bothering with them. However, the other camp argues that you shouldn’t include it, and sell them on you first. The salary negotiations can come during later interviews. So where do I stand? Firmly in the second camp, except when explicitly stated by the job opening. My decision is based on the following reasoning:

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This is a new segment that I’ll be running from time to time which will highlight some the better posts stored in the Workplace Life archives.

Here are three posts that you should check out:

1. How To Fail Successfully - Failing successfully? As crazy as it sounds, there is a right way and a wrong way to fail.

2. Top 5 Resume Mistakes - The top five resume mistakes I’ve come across (and a bonus sixth one), a good read if you are currently polishing up your resume or writing one for the first time.

3. What You Really Say At Work - There are two languages spoken at work: What you actually say, and what you mean to say. Here are a few translations for your reading pleasure.

Putting a resume together can be extremely difficult, simply because of the large amount of information that you can include on it. Obviously, you can’t pick everything, but what do you choose? What critical piece of information about yourself will land you that dream job and which piece will shut the door on you?

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Deciding what to include in your resume is a very nerve-racking task. No matter what else you may hear, that unfortunate truth of the matter is that one wrong sentence can cost you the job you are applying for. With that in mind, one of the touchiest places on your resume is the “Other Interests” section. This is where you would put the sports you play, hobbies, etc. In her article below, Carla Vaughan argues that this section should pretty much be removed from your resume for the above reason. I disagree, and my comments immediately follow this article under the My Comments section right before the Author Resource Box.

Here is the article:

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A Cover Letter is basically the gateway to your resume. It can be a great asset to your existing resume and put you a cut above the other candidates. By the same token, it can be a detriment to your resume, even causing your potential employer to put your resume into their “circular file” without even looking at it. For this reason, you need to avoid making the following three mistakes when writing your cover letter:

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In Part II of this series, we will be discussing the advantages of knowing your resume like the back of your hand. If you missed Part I, you’ll find it here: The Interview Edge: Pre-Interview Research.

Believe it or not, I’ve seen people go into a job interview and be stumped when they get a question about part of their resume. I’m not sure there is anything that makes you look worse than getting a question about your resume and answering “Uhh…it was a long time ago….I really don’t remember”. After all, you wrote it, you should know the contents of it better than anybody. Here is what your potential employer is going to think: “If they can’t remember details about something they put together, what kind of value will they add to my company?”. This is the quickest way to receive a “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” email or letter in the mail.

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The resume: gateway to your future, toll booth on the road to success, and many more interesting metaphors. Whichever way you look at it, your resume is the key to landing a great job. However, even though this is a widely recognized fact, I still see resumes come across my desk with glaring errors and obvious problems. With this in mind, I’ve compiled a list of the biggest five resume mistakes that I see which are easily preventable.

Here’s the list I’ve put together (in no particular order):

Top Five Resume Mistakes

• Forget to include your contact information - This seems silly, but it happens more often than you might think, especially on resumes submitted through an internet form. ALWAYS double check to make sure you have all your appropriate contact information on your resume. This includes the following: Name, address, phone number (cell, home or both just make sure you can be reached at it), and email address (necessary in today’s workplace). Key points: Remember to always include this information, and to always make sure it’s up to date.


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I recently added a new sub-category for resume related articles under the Career Management category, as I think the topic is broad enough to warrant its own section. To initiate this category into our happy family, I have found a pretty decent article on EzineArticles about writing a good resume even if you might have some weak areas.

Here is the article; I’ve added my own thoughts at the end of the article right after the author resource box:

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