The Biggest Resume-Writing Mistake Job Seekers Make…And Why You’re Not Getting Interviews

Putting together a resume is no-joke. It’s a tedious, time-consuming task which may lead to people cutting corners. The urgency of applying to jobs takes over and what job seekers send out may not look that great or have all the necessary information hiring managers need to see.

As someone who’s looked at thousands of resumes over the last 15 years, I’ve developed an extensive set of guidelines and writing techniques to support my clients with developing a killer resume. But ultimately, it all boils down to one key detail that people most often overlook.

This one key mistake can make or break your resume. It can be the reason why hiring managers are not contacting you for interviews. So let’s make sure this is something you’re NOT doing to best position yourself for the roles you want

Often, people will simply create a long bullet list of responsibilities much like a job description. It gives me no indication of what impact they had within the role. Sometimes, they will include an accomplishment or two, but it won’t have data points of how the accomplishment was meaningful to the organization.

The number one key detail to a standout resume is to include your key accomplishments in each position with quantitative outcomes (where you can).  

Here’s the new formula you’re going to use to catch the attention of your ideal employer:

I encourage job seekers to list the employer & role, 1-2 succinct sentences of key responsibilities, then use 4-5 bullets to capture the key accomplishments in each position.

Ex: “Implemented a content marketing strategy with a focus on our X product offering for X prospects which lead to a (X%) increase in lead generation and (X%) revenue increase in 2020.”

Whenever possible, include data and numbers with your key accomplishments. Saying something like: “Increased revenue by 50%” is not enough. It doesn’t tell me what you specifically did to increase revenue. Explain the action you took to solve the problem.

As a hiring manager, I want to understand how you positively impacted the organizations you worked with and how you might bring value to my organization. I want to see how you speak about your accomplishments and what you think your unique skills and qualifications are. These differentiators make you stand out, and communicate that you really put the time and effort into your resume.

Adopting this formatting shift in how you write your resume will have a meaningful impact on your job search results. As mentioned, there are many other resume guidelines to consider, and that’s why I partner with my clients to give them a job search roadmap for success. If you need support with writing a stand out resume for your job search, let’s connect!