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Five Biggest Resume Mistakes You Can Fix Yourself

A career consultant can diagnose and overhaul a troubledresume. But you can check off the basics yourself.

Mistake #1. "The mystery applicant." No contactinformation.

Fix: List a daytime phone number and email address, right atthe top of the page. Create a professional-sounding messagefor your answering device.

Mistake #2. "The scrunchie." Loads of detail crammedtogether in eight-point type.

Fix: Add lots of white space, avoid tiny type and use bulletpoints instead of long paragraphs. If you've got a story totell, most reviewers will happily turn to a second page.

Mistake #3: "List of tasks and duties." Obituary of a boringemployee.

Fix: Sell yourself by focusing on accomplishments.Demonstrate the impact of your achievements. Describeactions, not obligations.

Mistake #4: "The expressionist." Sets off alarm bells.

Fix: Choose chronological rather than functional form,especially if you use traditional job-hunting sources: HRdepartments, recruiters, and advertisements. Off the beatenpath, use a sales letter or network your way to in-personpresentations.

Mistake #5: "Creative language." Spelling, grammar andpunctuation errors.

Proof-read and ask a friend to help. Computerized spellingand grammar checks won't catch everything. Acarefully-prepared resume will stand out more than you canimagine.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294

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