5 Most Common Resume Flaws
June 12, 2014
By Angela Rose for BioSpace.com
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a flaw is “a defect in physical structure or form; an imperfection or weakness and especially one that detracts from the whole or hinders effectiveness.” While some flaws are harmless and may even add to the beauty of their host—such as a gemstone’s inclusions or Marilyn Monroe’s facial mole—others may be downright disastrous. Flaws within a resume fall into the latter category. Before you apply for your next biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or other life sciences job, make sure you’ve eliminated the following most common foibles from your own.
1. Using an objective statement to begin your resume.
Biopharma is a fast-paced industry with constantly evolving technology and processes. Unfortunately, beginning your resume with an objective statement will give employers the impression that you haven’t kept up with the times. These days, experts recommend a fresher, marketing-focused approach. Try substituting a brief headline that describes the type of role for which you’re applying. Then add a subhead that highlights a few of your qualifications. For example, you might open with something like, “chemistry research associate,” then add, “Master’s degree and extensive knowledge of synthetic organic methods” beneath.
2. Presenting your experience in chronological order.
Hiring managers and human resource professionals often spend mere seconds scanning each resume before discarding or selecting it for further review. Ensure you’ve highlighted your most relevant experience by including the details of your current job at the top of the list. You can then present the rest of your employment history in reverse chronological order. Additionally, if you’ve been a scientist or clinical research manager for decades, you don’t need to include more than your last ten years of employment.
3. Failing to include keywords.
Many large biotech and pharma organizations use applicant tracking software to facilitate the hiring process. The software is generally programmed to scan each resume and rank it according to relevance. Keywords are an essential component; if yours don’t match those the organization has selected, it’s unlikely the hiring manager will ever review your resume. Fortunately, improving your relevancy score is quite easy. Just customize your resume for every position. Include keywords culled from the specific job posting such as “prototype development,” “trial sample production,” “technical support,” “FTC compliance,” “SOPs,” and “project management.”
4. Listing responsibilities instead of highlighting accomplishments.
Phrases such as “duties included” and “responsible for” are used all too often in resumes—leading to documents that are merely lists of past chores. Whether you’re applying for a management, biostatistician, medical writer, or department director position, employers are much more interested in quantifiable accomplishments. For example, instead of writing, “responsible for developing and managing department budget,” you could substitute, “reduced product development costs by 30 percent.”
5. Submitting a resume with cluttered formatting.
Remember, once hiring managers get their hands on your resume, you have mere seconds to capture their attention. Cluttered formatting—including copious fonts and font sizes, large blocks of text, and tiny margins—makes it more difficult for them to scan and understand the details within. Fortunately, this flaw is easy to avoid with judicious use of white space, bold headlines, bulleted lists, and a standard font such as Times New Roman or Arial.
About the Author
Angela Rose researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends, and workplace issues for BioSpace.com.
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