You're Only Perfect Twice: At Birth and on Your Resume~At Birth and on Your Resume

Focusing on years of experience rather than on accomplishments is another common mistake. It telegraphs to the recruiter or employer that you have done the same thing over and over again throughout your career; you have a comfort zone and cannot operate beyond it. Instead, a focus on accomplishments demonstrates depth of experi

You transcend (or should I say descend) from embellishment to misrepresentation when you stretch the facts beyond credibility, such as when you make up degrees or positions. One popular area on a resume that seems to attract embellishment is Education. Candidates always want to present themselves as highly educated; they push the limits to rise above their competitors. The first resume “fact” that any self-respecting employer or recruiter verifies is a person’s education. Many companies do this quick and easy check before they even pick up the phone to chat with you or consider scheduling an interview. Don’t embellish your education.

Job hopping produces more red flags than a May Day parade in Moscow. If your resume lists many positions, each of which was held for a short period of time (from one to two years or less), despite the best of reasons or excuses (e.g., merger, downsizing, company gone out of business), chances are you will not be viewed in a positive light.