My first eBook is dedicated to my #asklindsay readers

and supporters. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Authored by Lindsay Mustain

First Edition - Version 1.1
Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. #asklindsay offers no
representations, warranties or guarantees verbally, in writing or
otherwise regarding specific earnings or results. Results for each
person may vary significantly.

Published by #asklindsay
© Lindsay Mustain 2017

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 Let’s Get Started!

First off, I want to say thank you for downloading my free eBook
on the 7 Critical Resume Mistakes to Avoid. I am hopeful that
this guide will assist you in ensuring that your resume has all the
vital elements to help you make it past the first screening process
and onto further states of consideration.

Why Your Resume Matters

Why is your resume so important to your job search? Your
resume is your foot in the door. It is the representation of your
experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities; it is the paper version
of you. It will make or break your job search.

I’ve had the good fortune of working in the Talent Acquisition

and Recruiting industry for more than 15 years. I’ve reviewed
more than one hundred thousand resumes and hired thousands
of people from every industry and department across Corporate
America. I started #asklindsay to help empower people to
achieve their career aspirations; it is my chance to give back and
assist others in order to be successful in their career search. Let’s
get going!

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You only have six seconds to impress the
recruiter… so let’s make them count.
That’s a staggering statistic and I can say that it is highly accurate.
Recruiters are reviewing hundreds of resumes each month. You
want to be sure your resume gets the attention it deserves.

Six seconds?! That can’t be right!

This measurement was taken directly out of a study done by the
job search site theladders.com. They used “eye tracking”
technology to determine a heat map (or most viewed areas) of a
candidate’s resume. What they discovered was that there were
six things that a recruiter immediately focused on.
 Your Name
 Your Current (or Most Recent Company) and Position
 Your Previous Employment
 The Duration of your Previous Employment
 The Duration of your Current Employment (or Most
Recent Company)
 Your Educational Background
Now you know the key areas of your resume which will be
reviewed by the recruiter or hiring manager! You can read my
article about this in greater detail here.

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 7 Critical Resume Mistakes to Avoid
This guide includes seven of the most critical resume mistakes
which will get your resume tossed before it has even been
considered.

Mistake #1 – Leaving Out the Basics

Some of these will be completely obvious, yet they are some of
the most common critical errors I see. These are the key points
of information that you should include on the header of your
resume.
1. Your Name
2. Your Email
3. Your Phone Number
4. Your Address
5. LinkedIn Profile

Let’s cover these in greater detail.

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 The Basics
Your Name: This should be your preferred name. Hopefully
this one is obvious.

Your Email: This is essential. Email is the communication

medium of choice for today’s recruiters and applicants. Your
email must be on your resume.

Use a work appropriate email. Ladyglittersparkles@gmail won’t

do much to give you credibility at work. Yourname@ is a good
choice. Gmail and other providers have free email services. No
excuses; make it happen.

Your Phone Number: It’s important that you have a working

phone number listed. Be certain your voicemail is appropriate
and has space remaining to record incoming messages. I also
recommend discontinuing ring back tones during a job search.

Your Address: At a minimum, include your city and state. If

you’re available (or already planning) to relocate, I’d include that
on your header as well.

Your LinkedIn Profile: If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile,

sign up now. Consider it your virtual resume and imperative to
your job search.

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 Mistake #2 – Your Resume has an
Objective Statement
Some of my readers will likely be thinking this is news and some
will have already seen this trend evolving over the last decade.
Objectives are passé and best suited for entry level type roles.

A Professional Summary Replaces an

Objective Statement
If you have an objective statement on your resume, it’s time to
replace it with a professional summary. A professional summary
may also be referred to as a resume summary, positioning
statement, or executive summary.

Key Aspects of a Professional Summary

1. It does not include pronouns like “I” or “me”.
2. It is a summary of your work experience.
3. It should include your greatest skill sets.
4. It should be targeted to the employer or role.
Having a well written professional summary is a distinguishing
characteristic of an attractive resume.

If you need help writing your professional

summary, go here.

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Mistake #3 – Your Resume Includes
Unnecessary Information
What doesn’t belong on your resume:
1. Your Social Security Number (in any variation)
2. Your Age
3. The Year you Graduated High School or University
4. Your Marital Status
5. Your Children
6. Your Ethnicity
7. Your Religion
8. Your Picture
9. Your Military Discharge or Disability Status
10. Your GPA
11. Your Salary or Requested Salary
12. Your Reason for Leaving a Previous Position
13. Explanations for Gaps of Unemployment for less than
6 months
14. Your Hobbies or Special Skills
15. References Available Upon Request
16. Your Supervisor’s Name
17. Buzzwords or Company Jargon
18. Greater than 15 years of experience
19. Lies
20. Stickers

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 Let’s Break this Down Further

1. Your Social Security Number (or any variation)

Unlike other countries, the US doesn’t require you to list your
social security number. This is private information; since you
can’t control the distribution of your resume after it leaves
your hands, I recommend leaving this piece of information off.

2. Your Age
Age is a discriminatory factor and regardless of the laws that
exist to prevent it, it can still happen. Don’t list your age;
bottom line.

3. The Year you Graduated High School or University

This is another piece of information that can indicate
someone’s age. This information isn’t significant and takes up
important space on your resume. Avoid mentioning your age in
general when it comes to the job searching process and create
an elevator pitch that doesn’t include that bit of information.
Learn how to create an elevator pitch here.
The only exception to this is if you are a new graduate looking
for your first position after college.

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4. Your Marital Status
This may be required in other countries, but this data should
not be shared if you’re looking for a role in the US.

5. Your Children
This isn’t work related, so avoid this topic in general during the
application process. In addition, any information in regards to
family planning should also be excluded.

6. Your Ethnicity
Your ethnicity is protected information. This doesn’t belong on
your resume.

7. Your Religion
I recommend completely avoiding this in conversation during
the job searching process because there is a chance you could
be discriminated against for this.

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8. Your Picture
There is a great debate about this topic, but in general,
recruiters say that pictures don’t belong on your resume. If you
are a model or real estate agent, this may be acceptable or
necessary. Be thoughtful about the picture you provide. Don’t
use your DMV photo!

9. Your Military Discharge Status or Veteran

Disability Status
Your discharge status is private. There is no need to disclose
this during your interview. You can learn more about how to
discuss these topics during the interview process here.

10. Your GPA

Honestly, unless you’re applying to law or medical school, this
number means very little. Save your resume real estate for
more important information.

11. Your Salary or Requested Salary

This doesn’t belong on your resume, period. Salary negotiation
is one of the hardest things that you’ll do when you receive a
job offer. Learn how to handle these negotiations like a pro.

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12. Your Reason for Leaving a Previous Position
Reasons for leaving a past position should be discussed during
the interview process, not listed on your resume.

13. Explanations for Gaps of Unemployment for less

than 6 months
It’s not uncommon for people take breaks for family, post-
graduation, or after a layoff. I recommend continuing with your
next position on your resume and address any questions about
the gap during the interview. If your gap is longer than 6
months, you can learn how to strategically address this during
the interviewing process here.

14. Your Hobbies or Special Skills

While these are entertaining to your recruiter, they do little to
assist with your resume getting attention for the right reasons.
My favorite resume example: “Interests - Basketball, Hot
Wheel Collecting, Parenting, and Exercise.” Second favorite: “"I
have a rough grasp of Russian". Unless your hobby is specific to
the job you are applying, leave these out.

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15. References Available Upon Request
This is an obsolete addition that is best removed to make room
for more pertinent material for your resume.

16. Your Supervisor’s Name

This information doesn’t belong on the resume. If this
information is requested, list it on your application, background
check form, and/or discuss it during your interview.

17. Buzzwords or Company Jargon

Buzzwords are a pitfall in the resume writing process. Know
the difference between buzz words and descriptive adjectives
and stick with the latter. Explain acronyms and remove
company specific jargon to ensure your target audience
understands the work you did previously.

18. Greater than 15 years of experience

Let me be clear that I’m not discounting anyone who has
greater than 15 years experience; I’m right there in the same
boat. But how valuable is the experience that you gained a
decade and a half ago? Is it still something you use daily? If so,
include it. What if you’ve been with a company longer than 15
years? Sign up for my advanced course here.

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19. Lies
This is a no brainer, but don’t list anything that isn’t truthful.
Ramifications from this action can lead to termination, personal
brand degradation, and long term unemployment.

20. Stickers
I’ve only encountered this once, but it is safe to say that you
shouldn’t adorn your freshly printed resume with stickers.

Mistake #4 – Your Resume Is Greater

Than Two Pages

If your resume is three or more pages then it’s time to cut it

down. If you have patents, publications, or special instructions
on how to apply for a job, please disregard. Always be
thoughtful on what you include on your resume and ask
yourself if the content is relevant and of value.

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 Mistake #5 – Your Resume is
Unappealing and Difficult to Read
I daresay that content and format are equally important when
evaluating a resume. Here are the biggest formatting pitfalls I
see when reviewing resumes:

1. More than two types of font

2. Colorful font(s)
3. Margins are .5 or less - minimum should be .75
4. Font is too small
5. Decorative font – I recommend fonts without serifs
6. You used a template and didn’t customize it
7. You used a functional resume format - I recommend a
chronological resume format

These errors could cause your resume to end up in the recycle

bin upon first glance. Less is more when it comes to resume
format. Keep it clean and minimalist in theme.

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 Mistake #6 – You used Spell Check to
Validate Spelling and Grammar
This is not to say you shouldn’t use spell check; definitely use
MORE than spell check. Pay attention to words that are
frequently misspelled or a faux pas: manager/manger,
associate/ass., principal/principle; the list goes on. Proofread,
spell check, proofread, spell check; I find that the Grammarly
app is a saving grace when I do my writing. Then give your
resume to two other people you trust and ask them to point
out anything you didn’t catch.

Mistake #7 – You Didn’t Use Key Words

As recruiting technology becomes more and more automated,
it’s vital to have an understanding of how these tools can
impact your chances of getting your resume seen.
Some applicant tracking systems use a relativity score to stack
rank candidates automatically. This process is similar to when
you search on Google and your strongest results appear first.
This same methodology happens within an applicant tracking
system with key words on resumes. Make certain your resume
lands at the top of the relativity rating by including key words
and phrases from the job description.

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 What are key words?
Key words are important phrases or words which are included
in the job posting and job description. Key words differ for
every position posted so you must tailor your resume for each
job application.
You can determine what the key words are by carefully
reviewing the job description and posting. Make certain that
you include the specific terminology that the employer uses.
The more matches between the job description and your
resume, the higher your ranking will be in the applicant pool.

Thank You!
I hope that this eBook has provided some insight and clarity
into the resume writing and evaluation process. These tips will
allow you to avoid pitfalls that can impact your chances to be
selected for an interview. Your resume is the first impression of
you; I recommend you make it a good one!

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Thanks for taking the time to read my eBook! Check out my
website at www.asklindsay.ninja for more free content. If you’re
ready to find the job of your dreams, get on the list for my
Love What You Do course.

I’d love to hear from you if this eBook helped!

Send me feedback to [email protected].

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Resume Checklist
A strong resume includes:
□ Your Name
□ Your Email
□ Your Phone Number
□ Your Address
□ Your LinkedIn Profile
□ Professional Summary
□ Your Current/Most Recent Position
□ Your Previous Employment (up to 15 years)
□ Current and Previous Employment Dates
□ Your Highest Level of Education
□ Keywords specific to the job description
REMOVE the following items from your resume:
□ Objective
□ Your Social Security Number (or any variation)
□ Your Age
□ The Year you Graduated High School or University
□ Your Marital Status
□ Your Children
□ Your Ethnicity
□ Your Religion
□ Your Picture
□ Your Military Discharge or Disability Status
□ Your GPA

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 Resume Checklist
REMOVE the following items from your resume:
□ Your Salary or Requested Salary
□ Your Reason for Leaving a Previous Position
□ Explanations for Gaps of Unemployment for less than 6
months
□ Your Hobbies or Special Skills
□ References Available Upon Request
□ Your Supervisor’s Name
□ Buzzwords or Company Jargon
□ Greater than 15 years of experience
□ Lies
□ Stickers
Evaluate your resume formatting and correct if it includes:
□ More than two types of font
□ Colorful or decorative font(s)
□ Margins are .5 or less (minimum should be .75)
□ Font is too small (less than size 12)
□ A Template
□ A functional resume format
Final Steps:
□ Have you proofread and spell checked your resume?
□ Had 2 friends review for errors?
□ Is your resume customized for the job?

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