Eric P. Butts

THE Career Site for Accountants and Consultants.

  • Home
  • About
  • Useful Resources
  • Articles
  • Work With Me
    • Breakthrough Resume Writing
    • How to Get Smart in Excel…Fast!
    • Corporate Ladder University (Book)
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclaimer
  • Login
You are here: Home / Career Advice / Are you making this resume mistake?

July 31, 2019 by Eric Butts Leave a Comment

Are you making this resume mistake?

There’s an internet meme floating around that makes me laugh every time I see it. It’s not quite true for me but I know SO many people that this describes perfectly.

resume list
Click to download free resume guide

If what I regularly see out in the wild, you’re probably making a major mistake on your resume but before I tell you what it is, I want to ask you a question.

Do you have that one friend (or maybe your significant other, no judgement) who tells stories with the most random, unrelated, you-could-live-without details?

How does that make you feel?

If you’re like me, you tune out and pray for the sweet end…

… but if you’re like most people, your resume is that story. (Sorry not sorry to be the bearer of bad news.)

Your resume is long (more than 1 page) and it’s boring. Now, in marketing, there’s a saying:

There’s no such thing as copy that’s too long. Only one that’s too boring.

So for now, let’s talk about boring and get to that mistake there’s a good chance you’re making (but I hope you’re not).

You treat your resume like a task list instead of a highlight reel. A hiring manager doesn’t need to know you were the team leader for fire drills. Or that every now and then you answered customer calls. Or that you think you have strong attention to detail.

You remember not too long ago when I told you a lot of marketing principles apply to resume writing? Here’s another one…

Show. Don’t tell.

The content of your resume should be crafted such that the reader knows you have attention to detail based on the highlights you showed in your resume — by using power words and impact. That’s how you pull the reader in so they want to learn more i.e. bring you in for an interview.

For more resume tips, click here to download the free resume guide.

Filed Under: Career Advice, Marketing Tagged With: resume writing

About Eric Butts

I’m a management consultant, MBA and CPA who has a passion for helping others in their career pursuits. Grab my FREE cheatsheet on 12 simple habits of highly successful consultants.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Featured Posts

Why Drinking Water Is the Only Thing You Should Be Doing At the Water Cooler

What I Learned From the Promotion That Got Away [Case Study]

What Exactly Do Consultants Do?

Why Consultants Hate Their Clients But Keep Coming Back For More

3 Words That Will Kill Your Career

Popular Posts

  • 5 Reasons You Should Be Proud to Ask Dumb Questions at Work
  • What Does It Mean to Have a Sense of Urgency
  • Always Stay Close to the Gatekeepers
  • Why Are There Still So Few Black CPAs?
  • What's the Difference Between FP&A and Accounting?
  • 3 Reasons Average Students Become Good Accountants
  • One Thing You Should Never Do on Linkedin
  • How to Handle Double Standards in the Workplace
  • How to Pass the CPA Exam Without Breaking the Bank
  • Masters in Accounting Isn't The Sweet Treat Some Students Think

Recent Posts

  • How To Customize A LinkedIn Invite From Your Phone
  • Weird non-flex but ok
  • The little video game that could is putting on a masterclass in marketing yourself by picking a fight with two juggernauts
  • Today’s message is brought to you by middle of the night confusion
  • This. Is. Sparta!
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclaimer

© 2012–2021 Eric P. Butts