Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume is not tailored to the targeted vacancy. Shawn Slevin, HR and human capital solutions
provider for Chair Swim Strong Foundation in the New York City area, called resumes that are the same
for every position “cookie cutter.” Instead, your resume should closely match the requirements of the
job you are targeting. While hiring decision-makers don’t pay much attention to Objective Statements,
the headline technique can be effective in telling the recipient immediately what job or type of job
you’re targeting. When targeting a job advertised by a corporate recruiter in a specific company,
demonstrate in your resume that you’ve researched that organization and can tie your accomplishments
to the employer’s needs.
As recruiter Lisa De Benedittis, president of Elite Staffing Services in the San Diego area, noted: “Resumes
are auditions without the benefit of you being around. I will decide if you are a match for my job/client within
20 seconds. Your resume will speak volumes about your communication skills. Do you use words to
demonstrate your value or is it boilerplate? Did you put thought and effort into this audition?”
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves
1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and
executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
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