“Red Flags” to Avoid in your Resume

Employers who review cover letters and resumes are trained to look for
certain “red flags.” Depending on the employer, these “red flags” might
disqualify you immediately from the hiring process. Other employers
may just make a mental note of their concerns and address them with you
in the interview. Either way, the fewer “red flags” on your cover letter and
resume the better the chance you have of landing your dream job!

Resume “Red Flags”/ How to Avoid

• Overall messy appearance. Make sure your resume is typed on resume-quality paper and proofread carefully.
• Spelling Errors. Use Spell Check and have a friend edit.
• Grammatical Errors. Use Grammar Check and have a friend edit.
• No employment dates listed. Always include accurate employment dates.
• Gaps in employment dates. Try to avoid gaps. If you’ve taken time off for personal reasons, school or travel, list it under a section titled Additional Experience or make a notation in the resume that allows for continuity.
• Overlaps in employment dates. Explain overlaps in cover letter.
• Too much information. For recent college graduates and entry-level positions, keep resume to one page. For everyone else, keep resume to a maximum of two pages.
• Too little information. Include where you worked, dates of employment, job titles, job responsibilities, and accomplishments for each position held. If you are applying for your first position, highlight areas of study in school, extracurricular activities, volunteer work and hobbies/interests, so the interviewer can get a sense of who you are.