Check to make sure your resume does not contain any of these pitfalls.

Never …

• Lie
  • Employers can and do verify resume facts. Lying about job titles, dates of employment, awards or inflating statistics, financial figures, or numbers of employees supervised will definitely catch up with you in the end.


• Get personal
  • Do not include personal information. By law, employers can’t factor race, gender or age into hiring decisions.


• Get messy
  • Nothing turns off employers more than a messy resume. Misspellings, poor grammar, boring or lazy page designs all say to the reader, 'This person did not care enough to take the time to do it right.’


• Be inconsistent
  • Job hopping and presenting work experience in various fields can be disconcerting and raise red flags about your ability to stick with a job for any length of time. If you have moved about and changed fields over the years, group these positions by category (a functional resume style) rather than by date.


• List duties without results
  • Don't fill your resume with a laundry list of duties and responsibilities … then expect busy employers to read between the lines and realize your value. Blatantly spell out why someone should hire you. This means you must focus on achievements and results.


• Talk salary
  • Do not mention previous or expected salaries unless an employer asks for it.