I frequently have students ask me to look at their resume when they get ready to start searching for an internship or job. One problem I often see is that there is a tendency to include too much personal information (in fact, my university recently received a resume from a retired business executive applying for an adjunct position who included details about where he went to grade school as well as his birthday, his wife's birthday, and those of all his children...too much information!)
Companies receive thousands of resumes and may spend only a few seconds in reviewing each one. Thus, it's important that you tell your students not to include information that will automatically rule them out of the applicant pool.
Mike Worthington Jr., of Resume Doctor notes, "It just boggles my mind what some people put on a resume."
Under the heading of "objectives," one person wrote, "I am looking for a new position due to panic attacks."
Another listed the goal, "To make money so I can buy things."
For "accomplishments," one astute person listed being "able to fit a whole Moon Pie in my mouth," while another bragged about "getting shot 70 feet out of a water cannon."
"Jell-O wrestling in bathtubs" and "Love, love, love doing body shots" have been listed as hobbies.
V. Michael Prencipe, of HR Staffing Solutions, notes that he has seen resumes that give detailed reasons for divorces or that use inappropriate email addresses or attachment file names.
His advice? "Adopt this simple motto"...Professional, yes. Personal, no."
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