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POOR

RESUME

POOR

RESUME

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Sample Poorly Constructed Resume

Christina A. Candidate

123 Main Street

Anytown, GA 30303

(770) 555-1212

partygirl

@email.com

OBJECTIVE

To obtain a challenging entry-level position where I can gain the necessary skills to ultimately move into a

management position

EDUCATION

XYZ University, College Town, GA

B.A. Business Admin. (Expected May 20__)

Major: Management

Minor: Marketing

GPA: 3.4

Dean’s List

RELATED COURSE WORK

Marketing and Sales

Business Management

Human Resources Management

Macro Economics

Business Law

Finance

Statistics

EXPERIENCE

Advertising Staff, XYZ University Gazette

XYZ University, College Town, GA (20__ – Present)

I have generated more advertising revenue in the past two years than other staff members

Create and implement advertising promotions that have resulted in an increase in the number of total

advertisers

Business Manager, Omega Chi

Sorority

XYZ University, College Town, GA (1/20__ – 5/20__)

Developed fund-raising program for Omega Chi social sorority Charity W.I.T.

Promote and advertise annual silent auction for Omega Chi charity Toys for Tots

Handled Omega Chi house finances

Organized Omega Chi house expansion fund-raising program

ACTIVITIES

Participated in XYZ University’s 20__ Annual Leadership Conference

INTERESTS

Travel, listening to music, volunteering and hiking

SAMPLE

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POOR

RESUME

What’s Wrong with this Resume?

Unprofessional E-mail Address

Set the tone that you are a professional, and do not use an unprofessional e-mail address like the one in this

example.

Weak Objective

If you use an objective focus on what you can contribute to the employer not what you hope to gain from the

employer. Be sure your objective is clear and focused.

Inconsistent Formatting

It is critical that the overall appearance of your resume is flawless. However, the formatting in this example is

very inconsistent in terms of the types of bullets used, indentation, spacing and the way the dates are represented.

This resume sends a message that the person that created it is careless and apathetic. Is this the impression you

want to give to a prospective employer?

Use of Abbreviations

Do not abbreviate important information like the name of your degree.

Poor Use of Grammar, Inconsistent Verb Tense and Typographical Errors

Avoid using first-person (I,

me and my). Instead, begin bullet points with strong action verbs. Also, always

keep the tense of your verbs consistent. Again, a resume with poor grammar, typos or inconsistent verb tenses

sends a negative message to the employer and will quickly eliminate you as a viable candidate for the position.

Does Not Highlight Skills, Abilities or Accomplishments

This resume sheds little light on this person’s abilities or what she has accomplished. If you have limited work

experience, consider using a functional resume style instead of a chronological resume style. See the next page

for a sample resume that effectively communicates skills, abilities and accomplishments.

Lacks Quantifiers

Employers are interested in results.

Thus, when applicable use quantifiers to show a result or outcome. Example:

instead of “Organized Omega Chi

House expansion fund-raising program” a stronger statement would be

“Organized Omega Chi House expansion fund-raising program which has brought in over 65% of the total cost

to cover expansion costs.” This statement is more effective because it shows an actual outcome.

Inclusion of a Personal Interests Section

While it is wonderful to be a well-rounded person and have interests, it is not necessary to include this type of

personal information in your resume.

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