It is time for our annual review of scary resume tales and horror stories.
“It’s My Right”
You have a lot of rights, to be sure, but so do employers. Ralph applied for a job that required applicants to work weekends, wear a mask, and know how to create a spreadsheet. Ralph got the job, but called in sick every weekend and regularly “forgot” his mask because he had a right to relax on weekends and take care of his health the way he wanted to. He was fired, still grumbling about his rights.
If you cannot meet the stated requirements of the job, do not apply.
“But It Sounded So Good”
Anna found a perfect sample resume on the internet—and copied most of the content. Sure, some of the information did not exactly match her experience or skills, but the resume sounded so good. Unfortunately for Anna, employers do check the information that applicants provide, if only by asking probing questions at the interview. Anna could not answer questions about or demonstrate the skills on the resume, and the company rejected her for the position.
Do not lie on your resume.
“Company Revenue Soared from $200 to $450 Million”
Many years ago, Cal paid for a professional executive resume. Now he was job hunting again and updated it himself. One of the updates he made showed an increase in revenue under his guidance, “from $200 to $450 million.” His very familiarity with the facts made him overlook the missing “million” after “$200.” Mistakes that you miss will catch the fresh eye of an interviewer.
Check your resume each time before you send it out, especially after making any changes.
“Torpils? What Are Torpils?”
When a company interviews you for a job, they expect at a minimum that you will know what the company does and where it is located.
Sybil sent resumes to every company she could find online that was looking for a marketing copywriter. Unfortunately, because she barely read the job postings, she often applied to companies that manufactured products or delivered services she did not understand or had terrible reputations for how they treated interviewees and employees. As a result, she wasted her time and the hiring manager’s time.
The internet has quantities of information about individual companies and their products or services. Online reviews will tell you about a company’s reputation. Make use of that information before you apply.
To avoid scary resume tales like these, work with Robin’s Resumes®, where you will find professional writing, career coaching, and expert guidance.