<![CDATA[BOLD CAREER COACHING

<![CDATA[BOLD CAREER COACHING - RESUME TIPS]]>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:56:39 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[5 Most common resume mistakes to avoid]]>Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:59:43 GMThttps://www.boldcareercoaching.com/resume-tips/5-most-common-resume-mistakes-to-avoid

Updated 8/20/2025
A resume is the most important document in your job search toolbox. Whether you are networking or applying on-line, sharing your resume is a way to introduce yourself and your story. When a resume lands in a hiring manager’s inbox, it is often the first impression they will have of the prospective applicant.  And we have all heard the saying “first impressions are the most lasting.”

Unfortunately, job seekers frequently fail to spend the time making sure their resumes are optimized for best results.  Even more than that, they make regrettable mistakes that cost them the opportunity to progress in the job search process.

In my years as a career coach, I have seen hundreds of resumes and have identified the 5 most common mistakes that a job seeker needs to take care to avoid...

1. Resume Is Longer Than 2 Pages

The hard 1-page resume rule is now a thing of the past, having given way to an acceptable length of 2 pages. If you have at least 5 years of experience under your belt, you no longer have to cram the details of each job on one page, stretching those margins until the words begin to run off the page.  Phew.

2 pages give much more wiggle room to include all of the necessary information.  Still, almost half of the time, I will see resumes that exceed the suggested 2-page maximum.  Most times, the applicants are mid-level professionals that could comfortably fit all of the relevant details to 2 pages but choose to include unnecessary information that is irrelevant to the requirements of the position.

If you are wondering whether to include certain details or not, a good rule of thumb is to read over the description of the position you are applying to and pick out top requirements in the experience preferred section.  Then, match your background and experience to those requirements, using key words and including select bullets that best describe your relevant experience. Take out any information that does not showcase your relevant skills.

2. The Summary Section is Missing

You’ve drafted a copy of your resume, congratulations.  You’ve included your Experience, Education, and Additional Qualifications and you are about to write an Objective Statement.

Stop.

Just like the 1-page rule, the Objective Statement has gone to the graveyard. Instead, you will want to include a summary of your skills and your value proposition.  After all, the employer’s main concern when they read through a stack of resumes is to identify a candidate that is the best fit and who can hit the ground running from the start. Having a summary of your skills up front gives them a quick snapshot of what you can do for the company and what you’ll add to the team.  Want to stand out from the crowd? Focus on what value you bring to them, not the objectives you’ve set for yourself.

3. Resume Includes Personal Information

Your resume tells the story of your professional experience. It gives a hiring manager a glance into your professional life and it, hopefully, shows you as a desirable candidate that fits the criteria the employer is looking to fill.

The criteria set by the employer must be blind to personal considerations, particularly protected classes under federal law, such as race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, veteran status or disability.

Including personal information on your resume is not only unnecessary but not advisable, as it opens you up to potential discrimination.  Surprisingly, I continue to see resumes that include pictures and personal information about the applicant such as age, sex, race and nationality.

Want to be given the same consideration as everyone else? Do yourself a favor and take any personal information off your resume.

4. The Style is Too Creative

I have seen blue resumes, resumes with graphics and funky fonts, and resumes that include visuals instead of the description of the applicant’s hobbies.

They have been fun to read but they have not made the kind of impression I think the job seeker was hoping to make.  It’s true that creativity is a prized attribute in a job applicant.  Your ability to come up with creative solutions to your employer’s problems will always be in high demand and you are well served to highlight those talents.

That said, formatting a resume with a creative slant may tell the employer a different story.  Why risk your chances when it is a known fact that the majority of hiring managers prefer a traditional resume format?

Unless you are a graphic designer, in the world of job searching where you don’t know who is looking over your resume on the other end, it’s best to take the risk-averse path. After all, you can always showcase your creative strengths down the road by sending in a portfolio of work, or highlighting your achievements during the interview.

5. Resume Has Grammatical Errors and Typos

Last but not least, perhaps the most common mistake is having typos and grammatical errors in the text of your resume.  Even one resume typo can decide your fate between being chosen for an interview or not.

No pressure!

The good news, though, is that this is typically the easiest problem to correct.  Just make sure to read over the resume at least a couple of times, focusing specifically on the grammar and spelling. And when that is done, ask a trusted friend or a mentor to do the same.  A fresh set of eyes is always best to catch those tough to spot inconsistencies and errors.

Finished? Then take a deep breath and congratulate yourself for a job well done.  Creating a well-written resume is the important job you have to do before your real job starts calling. And with a great resume, it won’t be long until you get that call!

]]><![CDATA[Making a Career change? first, re-write your resume]]>Fri, 16 May 2025 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.boldcareercoaching.com/resume-tips/making-a-career-change-first-re-write-your-resume

So you decided to change careers. You are sure it’s the right next step. You have taken the mental leap. Now you just need to get the ball rolling. You need to re-write your resume.

Drafting resumes is never much fun, but it can be an especially daunting prospect when you are changing careers.

Where to begin? How to present yourself in a way that grabs the prospective employer’s attention? After all, while you may be starting over, someone else is out there with a long list of desired experience looking for the same job.

Yes, it may be an uphill climb, but don’t dismay. You have just as much if not more to offer. And you will be sure to stand out when you write a strong resume that tells your unique story. Here are a few ideas to help you get started...

Highlight transferrable skills

You have a portfolio of skills that you’ve built in the course of your career and many of them are transferrable.  That is particularly true for soft skills, such as leadership abilities, organizational and presentation skills, team building and facilitation, among others. Most jobs these days require you to be familiar with a full suite of computer programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint which will also easily transfer to another role.

Take a good look at your past experience – both professional and otherwise – volunteer positions, hobbies and internships count as well. What have you done, what roles have you had, and how may that experience overlap with what you want to do next?

Having a hard time? It may help to look at the job descriptions of the positions you seek. Shifting to business development from legal recruiting? What are they looking for in the new job?  Surely, you will see that you’ll need to possess superior interpersonal and communication skills – skills you’ve had years to hone as a recruiter.

Begin with a summary section

Many job seekers make the mistake of neglecting to add a value proposition or a summary statement at the top of their resume. Typically, it looks like a short paragraph where you discuss what you bring to the table. What value do you add? What are your top skills and how are they relevant to the role?

Are you an “experienced business development executive with a strong track record of cultivating new and existing relationships, executing marketing strategy and maximizing business performance to increase sales. Proven leadership abilities, strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills. Ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines”?

Or, perhaps, you are a “versatile Program Manager with 10+ years of experience in the nonprofit industry. Strategic thinker conceptualizing and executing large-scale programs from start to finish. Lead international and cross-functional teams to implement strategy and improve processes. Strong operations experience and ability to manage complex milestones and adapt to shifting priorities.”

Whatever your area of focus, a summary statement immediately shows the prospective employer whether you may be a fit for the role. It is a good way to begin any resume, but it may be particularly valuable to individuals shifting careers.  The onus is on you to help the hiring manager connect the dots between your past experience and future ambitions.  A concise and clear value proposition does just that.

Use a combination resume format

If you’ve been in the workforce for a while, you’ll know that a chronological resume format is the most widely used.  Listing your experience in reverse chronological order, with the most recent experience first, helps the employer to quickly understand your work history and establish potential fit.

However, when changing careers, you may benefit from a format that takes the focus away from the linear timeline and shifts it to your most relevant background and skills. Enter the functional or combination resume formats where you highlight relevant positions and skills and minimize experience that’s less applicable.

In a functional format, you put your key skills and accomplishments front and center and keep the details in the experience section to a minimum. It is often recommended for career changers, but I would caution against taking out too much information. Employers don’t like to play guesswork about what you have done and where you’ve been and will typically see this type of resume for what it is – a way to cover up for experience you may be lacking.

So, instead, I recommend you use a combination format – which is a mix of the traditional chronological resume and functional resume formats. A combination format allows you to summarize your skills and key accomplishments up front, while listing your work history in reverse chronological order at the end.

Take out unnecessary information

You’ve put together a summary statement, highlighted your skills and re-formatted your resume to identify your most relevant accomplishments. Wait. The resume is now a bit long!

Take heart -- it’s ok to leave out information you feel is no longer relevant to a new role. There is no need to list every responsibility if the task does not showcase your preferred talents. If this ever comes up in the interview, by all means, give more detail. And then, go on to talk more about your transferrable skills.

]]><![CDATA[7 Tips for a stronger resume]]>Wed, 12 Jan 2022 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.boldcareercoaching.com/resume-tips/7-tips-for-a-stronger-resume

A resume is one of the most important tools in your job search toolbox. Without a strong stand-out resume, it is virtually guaranteed that your application for a job will be overlooked by the prospective employer.

Even if you have networked extensively and have an established connection at the company you are seeking to work at, you cannot underestimate the importance of a well-crafted resume.

Your resume is the prologue to the story you tell the employer about yourself and your professional background. It tells the employer where you’ve been and where you want to be headed next. It lays the setting for further conversation.

And you know that in today’s competitive job market, you can’t afford to showcase yourself in any but the best possible light.

Which is why, I recommend that you spend a good chunk of time editing and updating your resume before clicking ‘send’. This is particularly important if it’s been a while since you’ve updated the document and/or are considering switching careers...

Below are 7 tips for drafting a stronger resume:

Make Sure the Formatting is Consistent and Resume is Typo-free

Tiny details often tell a much bigger story. Formatting may seem less important that the substance of your resume, but make no mistake. If the formatting is not consistent throughout the document, it says one thing about you: you rush to get the job done. No employer wants to see quality sacrificed for speed. The same point applies to typos. Take extra time and read each bullet point over at least twice to make sure there are absolutely no errors or inconsistencies.

The Resume Length Should Be 1- 2 pages

Unless you are an academic or a scientist and have a long list of publications to list, it is not generally recommended that your resume exceed 2 pages. For young professionals without an extensive job history, the ideal length is 1 page.

In today’s competitive job market, it’s not unusual for an employer to receive hundreds of resumes for one position. A hiring manager will likely spend only a minute, if that, reviewing your resume before deciding whether you make the cut for an interview or not. They want to quickly assess your qualifications and appreciate a concisely crafted document.

Use a Chronological Format

You have likely come across two different formats for a resume: chronological and functional (or sometimes a mix of those two). In a chronological resume, as the title implies, you list your experience chronologically, with accomplishments as they pertain to each job experience. In a functional resume, on another hand, you highlight your abilities and categorize your skills instead of creating a timeline for your work experience.

If you are a career changer, are re-entering the workforce, or have gaps in your resume, you may prefer the functional format because it takes the focus off the gaps. You may think that works in your favor. And there are times you may be right.

However, when a prospective employer picks up your resume, she wants to quickly understand your work history. Functional resumes typically take longer to piece together, and the hiring manager may simply choose not to take the time to do so. It may also seem that you are trying to hide the gaps, rather than focusing on your skills and abilities, and your efforts can backfire.

So, why not play it safe and use the more popular chronological format? Then spend some time drafting a good cover letter where you tell your story and summarize your skills.

List any Gaps in Employment

This point is related to the recommendation above. Yes, you may be concerned about putting down gaps in your resume, particularly large gaps, however it is better to be upfront about them than seem like you are trying to hide something.

If you have taken time off to raise a family, as one example, put that down. Took time to travel? List that as well. If during the “break”, you did consulting or freelance work, be sure to list those projects. Any volunteer experience during the gaps should not go in the work experience section, but in a separate volunteer section.

Tailor Your Resume to the Job Description

The days of the standard resume are gone. You can no longer send the same resume to multiple employers and expect that you will be rewarded with a call back. Want to show you are genuinely interested in the job? Then take some time to tweak your resume and customize it to fit the job to which you are applying.

How can you tailor for best results?

First of all, create a compelling narrative throughout the resume that shows your work history and prior experiences are a good fit to the desired position. You will have to show you have built a set of skills in your prior roles that will be transferrable to the new position. Put emphasis and highlight the type of work that’s relevant to the new job. Delete or minimize any work or other experience that doesn’t directly apply.

Use keywords listed in the job description. This point is important! Many times your resume may not even make it past the employer’s applicant tracking system, if the wording within the resume does not match with the specific skills and qualifications listed in the job description.

Scan the job description carefully to make sure you understand the requirements of the position. Then, identify your past work/projects that match those requirements and use the same vocabulary used by the hiring manager to describe the experience in your resume. But no embellishments or exaggerations! Those can become obvious down the line and will surely backfire.

Quantify Your Achievements

When you talk about your experience, what do you want the prospective employer to remember? That you worked on some project they’ve never heard of, or that you can produce results? Likely the second. You are an attractive candidate because you have proven time and time again that you can deliver by increasing sales, revenues, or by creating more efficient processes. Show and quantify those achievements for each role you list on your resume. Talk about any improvements that you were responsible for.

Use Strong Language – Action Verbs and Keywords

If your Experience section is packed with words like “managed”, “led”, or “oversaw”, perhaps it’s time to update it. Although common, these words have become so overused that they risk obscuring and minimizing your true accomplishments. Worse yet, instead of highlighting your uniqueness, you’ll seem like everybody else.

So, why not be a bit creative?

Start out each description with strong action verbs instead. Try “headed”, “planned”, “executed”, “organized”, “built”, “created” or “implemented”, as just some examples. Don’t stop there. Look up action verbs for more great ideas.

And don’t forget to sprinkle in the all-important keywords. As mentioned before, hiring managers search by keywords to find resumes that match the skills and qualifications listed in job description. Make sure your resume includes those keywords.

Use Bullet Points

This may be an obvious point, but it can’t hurt to repeat it. The clearer your resume, the easier it is for the prospective employer to get a quick grasp of your history and identify your key leadership roles, contributions and accomplishments. Use bullets to communicate your information clearly and effectively. When you show that you can create a well-organized resume, you will be sure to stand out from the crowd.

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