6 ways to ruin your resume

Computerworld - My vision is blurry. I've reviewed more than 40 résumés for a network administrator position, and less than half have made the cut. Although I rejected some candidates because of their lack of experience (or, rather, their lack of demonstrated required experience), others had errors in their application packages that lowered their ranking -- errors that could have been easily corrected.

Of course, the traditional job-seeking advice still applies. Always follow résumé best practices -- proper spelling, good organization, consistent font and so on. Realize, too, that if you simply don't meet the required minimum experience, it's very unlikely that you'll get the job. Beyond that, if you avoid these all-too-common mistakes that can be found in résumés for all kinds of IT positions, you'll boost your chance of landing the job.

Mistake 1: Your objective is unclear

When I review résumés for a network administrator position, if the applicant chooses to include a section about his objectives, I hope to see something related to networking. Likewise, managers filling spots for security, databases, Web development and other specialties are looking for specific skills that show a candidate is a good fit. However, I often see vague statements such as, "I'm seeking an interesting and challenging career position." This conveys very little.

Instead, something directly related to the position you're seeking would be appropriate. Suppose, for example, that you applied for a network administrator job at a community college. "To use my experience to expand and maintain the network to enhance the mission of the college" says that you see this as a challenge and that you understand the business of the place to which you are applying.

This leads to two subpoints. First, whenever possible, show that you understand how technology affects the business. Second, decide if an objective is really necessary. Some people substitute a short paragraph that encapsulates their goals, their understanding of the business and their skills.

Mistake 2: You've listed old skills

I'd like to say it has been some time since I've received a résumé that listed in a skills section "Windows 3.11 for Workgroups," but unfortunately it hasn't.

I'm not trying to downplay achievements from over 10 years ago; I was a Novell 3.12 CNE. But how relevant are those skills today? Including them on a résumé gives the impression of trying to fill the application with fluff.

When I look at a skills section, I am trying to directly correlate the candidate's skills with what I need. Of course, some network skills that don't change much over time can be listed. If, for example, the ad calls for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol administration experience and you managed DHCP 10 years ago, by all means put it in the skills section. It's the technology no longer in use that should be left behind.