What Not to Say in Your Resume

Drafting the perfect resume can be as much about not saying the wrong things as about stating the right ones. There are certain things that have no place in your resume and you should take care to exclude these elements from your resume.

Mistakes of Spelling, Grammar and Syntax: Your resume should be correct and flawless in terms of grammar and syntax, which, can really destroy that all important first impression that the resume makes. Computer programs such as Word have made it quite easy for us to run a spell check, but errors of grammar and syntax are yet more difficult to spot and computers will miss many of them. If therefore, you feel you are unable to proof read your own resume sample, have a friend or relative do it for you.

Use of personal pronouns: When you make statements such as I exceeded sales target… or that my subordinates … it sounds both egotistical and also as though you are not much of a team player. Rather than say I exceeded sales target…  say Sales target exceeded … it sounds less brash and less as though you are trying to blow your trumpet. Furthermore, rather than saying my subordinates, it sounds better to say my team. If you have to convey the fact that you were team leader in that instance, you could try saying Led the team to….

Slang, flowery language or fancy fonts:  If you want to give the impression of being a really funny, cool guy or girl, there will be time enough to earn popularity brownie points from your colleagues once you are hired. Slang and casual sounding verbiage are not appropriate for your sample resume. Also if you want to show off what excellent language skills or vocabulary you have, restrain yourself when you are drafting your resume. Your prospective employer has neither the time nor the interest in wading through a lot of words trying to search for what is relevant for his or her purposes. Your resume should be as well as look professional. The spacing, layout and fonts should be official and professional looking. Fancy or quirky fonts may give the impression of the applicant being non–serious or unprofessional. The font size and layout should be such that salient points are easily readable and words are not crowded or jumbled, making the perusal a slow and tedious process.

Jargon and Irrelevant details: While a few industrial keywords may not be taken amiss (it fact they may be advisable to give the impression of being well versed with the industrial standard) it is advisable to avoid too much jargon. Sometimes, using words like ‘ideate’ or ‘interface’ may be appropriate; however sometimes words such as these can sound pompous. Also leave out irrelevant details even if they are flattering to you; it will only sound as though you are boasting. So it is important to strike a balance by sounding professional but not to the extent of sounding boastful or pompous.

If therefore, you take care of all the things to not say in your resume, then you are halfway there to having an ideal resume sample.