7 Signs Of Bad Resumes That You Need To Look Out For

7 Signs Of Bad Resumes That You Need To Look Out ForWhen youre reviewing hundreds of resumes a week, you need to be able to spot the bad ones quickly. Not knowing which red flags signal possible bad hires can lead to a lot of wasted time and money.But, depending on the position and the candidate, some resume mistakes are forgivable. So how do you know when to give a job seeker another gelegenheit or just move on?These are the resume signs that hiring experts use to help them weed out the wrong candidates1. Confusing flowFirst, make sure the resume is chronological and not confusing to read. I have seen job seekers passed over because of this. The resume should also highlight why the job seekers is a fit for the specific role they are applying for, not just an overview of their experience and skills. Also, grammar mistakes or not following established parameters will knock a resume out, but being under qualified isnt necessarily a deal breaker. If the person is under qualified but a r ockstar in other ways (intangible qualities, technical skills, etc.) a company could still hire them because of their potential.Carly Tansil, Recruiting Coordinator, Betts RecruitingA resume should be chronological and not confusing to read. BettsRecruiting hiring tipsClick To Tweet2. Bad formattingMany resumes experience death by bullet point, poor formatting, tiny font, and including out-of-date resume sections, like an Objective or References. Bad resume formatting is a big deal breaker.For hiring managers who care about good writing, they cant look past the mistakes to even consider the rest of a candidates qualifications. This includes seemingly small things like inconsistent use of punctuation and poor page breaks. Ive also moved past many a detail-oriented and quick learning resume because, well, buzzwords.Aaron Cleavinger, Managing Partner and Executive Recruiter, Murdoch Mason Executive Search GroupInconsistent formatting is a big red flag when reviewing resumes. murdochmas on recruiting tipsClick To Tweet3. Generic resumesThe first trash can is for resumes that significantly under-represent the job postings requirements. Those people typically are just spamming, using the shotgun approach, rather than tailoring their resume to the opportunity or going after opportunities that fit their skill tischset and work history. It is rare that a hiring manager will take a risk with an obviously unproven candidate. The second group to get tossed are those resumes that you cant decipher. A resume should at least indicate that your experience qualifies you for the posted role. And it should be clear, clean, and focused. If it takes too long to figure it out, its out.Mike McRitchie, Career and Small Business Strategist, MikeMcRitchie.comBeware of a resume that isnt tailored to the posted position. MikeMcRitchieClick To Tweet4. Unwarranted overconfidenceA big resume deal breaker is when a candidate appears to be full of themselves or not humble. For example I am sur e I can make a positive impact on your bottom line or I will be a great addition to your gruppe. Those things are for me, as the employer, to decide not for them to presume. Rocco Baldassarre, Founder and CEO, Zebra AdvertisementWatch out for jobseekers who are overly confident dont back up their presumptions.Click To Tweet5. Lack of true interestFor me, being underqualified generally isnt a dealbreaker, but a lack of effort is. A lack of spelling and grammar errors on a resume certainly isnt reason alone to hire someone, but too many errors shows that the candidate isnt serious about the position. This goes beyond the resume itself, and has to come out most notably in the short questionnaire we ask applicants to fill out. If someone wants to answer with one-word responses, that tells us all we need to know about their interest in the position.Marc Prosser, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Fit Small BusinessWhen hiring, an underqualified candidate isnt a deal breaker, but not show ing effort is.Click To Tweet6. Too many clichesResumes that use vague cliches like team player or hard worker indicate a lack of specific qualifications and no unique qualities. Think about what you need for the job if its technical skills, be sure that is stated on the resume and there is relevant experience to back it up. If you need an innovator, look for experience and skills that are big picture, developing and creating work.Laura MacLeod, Creator, From the Inside Out ProjectAvoid resumes that use vague cliches like team player and hard worker. FTIOProjectClick To Tweet7. Excessive job hoppingThe biggest issue that I see is having many jobs in a short period of time. I once saw a resume that listed twelve different jobs in twelve months. I was decently impressed at the candidates ability to actually get a new job so quickly. However, the number of different position that this person had was enough to elevate my heart rate. Did the person quit or were they fired? Either way, th e answer is NOT good Will our geschftlicher umgang just be another notch in the candidates belt? There needs to be some continuity in the resume. I absolutely need to see some loyalty to a certain business, even if its just a few months.Pierre Tremblay, Director of Human Resources, Dupray12 different jobs in 12 months is a major red flag when hiring. DupraysteamClick To Tweet What are some other signs of bad resumes that cant be ignored? Share in the comments below