The Trash-Can Resume
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Posted by: Lauren Berger | Posted on: 08 1 2010
During my interview with Jamie Foxx’s The Foxxhole Network, on Sirius XM Radio last week, I was asked about my internship program. The students interviewing me on the show wanted to know what I absolutely hated to see on resumes. I started to answer the questions and kept referring to these resumes with errors as “trash can resumes” – resumes that are automatically disregarded or physically thrown in the garbage. But what exactly qualifies a resume to be a Trash Can Resume? I’ve added my thoughts below and I’d love to extend this question out to other employers and internship coordinators…
In your opinion, what qualifies a Trash Can Resume?
- Spelling errors
- Wrong company name
- Company name or contact name spelled wrong
- An objective that makes no sense or is not in line with the position itself.
- longer than one-page
- reading anything about the student’s personal life that might make me (the reader) feel uncomfortable (relationship status, strange hobbies)
- anything negative about previous employers
- resumes that aren’t formatted properly
- different fonts all over the resume
- picture on the resume
- different colored text
I used to look at resumes each day and I can vouch for all of the above.
A note to all prospective interns: Your resumes should NOT be three pages long unless your accomplishments include things like solving world hunger. Keep in mind that at this stage of your professional life anything longer than one page is unnecessary – especially when the last 1.5 pages are a list of hyperbolic adjectives describing your work ethic and/or personality. A strong one-pager is ideal.
Also, please follow instructions. If the intern description indicates that you need to provide additional materials (writing samples, portfolio pieces, etc.) be sure to include them in your initial e-mail or in-person package. Show the company that you are prepared!
In the first paragraph, don’t you mean “students” (plural) not “student’s” (possessive)?