The Number One Attribute of Trash Resumes
stop the track
let me state facts
-beyonce, diva
They over promise and under deliver.
Have you ever heard a sales pitch that went on and on about irrelevant details and meanwhile you’re thinking, “yeah, yeah, yeah, but does it solve my problem?” Imagine recruiters have the same thoughts as they go through stacks of wack resumes.
The number one error on trash resumes is the need to include too much unquantifiable information. Hiring managers don’t need to know your personal working style and hobbies. Stick to the facts.
The resume exists to outline the facts of what you’ve done. That’s it.
Each job story, that is the description of what you were hired to do and the results you achieved, should answer the following questions:
What was I responsible for?
Did I partner with anyone or an entity inside or outside the org to deliver the work?
What were the results of my efforts?
What was the impact? How did we measure it? How did the company benefit?
Anything else beyond those questions should be stripped out. Yes, include your education. Yes, include a fellowship if that applies to you. Yes include your freelance work.
However, any statements of who you are and why you do this work or how you like to work are best left to a cover letter or your personal website.
Stick to the facts so when recruiters are sifting through the noise, your resume will rise to the top.