As my Twitter followers know, I’ve been reading hundreds of resumes lately, since I’m recruiting for a marketing specialist position in my department. Based on this recent experience, here’s my rant about things that I never want to read or see in a marketing CV again:
1. “I think I can do a good job in marketing (or PR) because I am sociable/communicative and I like people”. I see this in 9 out of 10 resumes and it puzzles me that people who are supposed to be good at crafting messages can be so ingenuous when it comes to selling themselves to a potential employer. Simply liking something or somebody is no guarantee of your fitness for the profession (or knowledge thereof). I adore dogs and cats, but you don’t want to have me tend to your sick pet, as I’d have no idea how to help them. You’re better off with a vet.
2. “I’m attentive to detail” followed by a glaring typo. No, you’re not. And if you’re not paying attention to details in a CV, which is prepared in advance, and can be proofread, and adjusted, what will you do when sending a press release or editing a brochure under time pressure? All of us make mistakes, but it’s best if you’re not contradicting your own assertions quite so obviously and so early in the selection process.
3. Bad grammar. This is valid in general, regardless of the language, but a special place is reserved for bad grammar and inappropriate word usage in English, coupled with a self-assessment of “advanced” under English, in the Language skills section.
What gives away your real level? Incorrect verb tenses, particularly in the past tense (sended instead of sent, etc.), mixing up adverbs and adjectives (I work professional instead of I work professionally or My work is professional, and similar), and anglicized Romanian words.
There are many more “peeves”, but these are my top three. Candidates, beware 
Posted under Careerwise
This post was written by Corina on March 16, 2009
