Telltale Signs of a Terrible Resume

Telltale Signs of a Terrible Resume

Telltale Signs of a Terrible Resume

From outright lies to blatant typos, these resumes represent some all-time resume blunders.

Suspect

77% of survey respondents said they’ve found a lie in a resume.

Quick Read

43% said they spend less than a minute looking at a resume, and 24% spend no more than 30 seconds doing so.

Resume Boosters: Tailor-Made

63% said they’ll pay more attention to a resume if it is customized to an open position.

Resume Boosters: Talent Tally

41% said they pay more attention if skills sets are listed first.

Resume Boosters: Introduction Opportunity

40% said they pay more attention if a cover letter is included.

Major Mistakes: Spell Check

An applicant wrote that he had great attention to detail—while misspelling the word, “attention.”

Major Mistakes: Convict Candidate

An applicant claimed he worked at a federal prison, but a background check indicated he was actually incarcerated at one.

Major Mistakes: Fairy Tale

An applicant stated he had been a prince in a past life.

Major Mistakes: In a Galaxy Far, Far Away …

An applicant quoted Star Wars in his resume.

Major Mistakes: Major Motivation

An applicant said he would work harder – if he got paid more.

Major Mistakes: Nicotine Fix

An applicant listed “smoking” under the category of “hobbies.”