5 Reasons They Won't Hire You

I have been with my current employer, Adams Homes since 2001.  I started as a commissioned sales associate, selling new homes in a model home.  Over the years, I have journeyed through management, first as a Sales Manager and now as a General Manager.
During my years as a manager I have seen hundreds and hundreds of resumes.  I have interviewed or met with more than 100 potential team members.  I have had really great interviews with prospective employees and some really bad ones too.

Here are the top five really really simple things to avoid when trying to impress your next potential employer.

1.  Get a professional email address.  elizabeth.porter@aamail.com works. eporter@aamail.com works.  Spicykitty@aamail.com, party247@aamail.com and sexychic123@aamail.com are really bad choices to post on your resume.  Most of us have had the same email address for years and years.  I am not saying delete your current email address but don't use it for job hunting.  Get a free account with yahoo, gmail or hotmail and come up with something simple and in professional taste.
  
2. Stop using "Revised Resume" as the name of the resume you send out.  Seriously???!!  Revised? Edited Resume?  People send me these ALL THE TIME.  Stop it!  First name, last name or last name, first name.  Porter, Elizabeth Resume or Elizabeth Porter Resume.  Don't use multiple "edited" resumes based on what you are applying for and if you are, stop announcing it.

3.  It's a resume, not a novel.  The more you type, the less I will read.  Keep your resume limited to one page.  You can have a couple attachments like letters of recommendation or awards but please, keep your stats on one sheet.

4. Send your references.  Whoever started "References Upon Request" really made resume reviewing annoying.  You are trying to sell your employer, your employer is not trying to sell YOU.  Include your references.  Add them at the bottom of your resume or on page two.  When an employer posts an ad, you can bet they get at least 50-100 applicants, maybe more.  Stop adding extra work.  Send your references and don't forget to add your name and contact info on every page.  When I am sending 50 resumes to the printer, don't take the chance I will get your papers mixed up with someone else.

5. Keep track of where you apply.  I have called countless people to set up either a telephone interview or in-person interview and they say, "Who is this?  What is the position for?"  Really??  Keep track.  It sounds so unprofessional.  Stop blasting your resume to every fax number or email you can find.  Go after a job in the field you are a fit for.
If you are lucky enough to get a call back, asking for an address of the location you will be interviewing is fine.  Full-on turn by turn directions is not.  Look it up.  Be assertive.  Google will show you the outside of the building and give you exact directions whether you are driving or walking.

Remember, there are so many applicants that employers are going through the elimination process, not the hiring process.  Once they eliminate enough candidates, they will move closer towards hiring.  Don't be eliminated for being annoying and unprepared.