Resume Red Flags: Avoid These Problem Spots

If you’ve not been having the best of luck with sending out resumes, then it might have something to do with what’s on your resume.

Many times a resume doesn’t even make it through the screening program. For instance, when you submit a resume through Craiglist, Indeed, or a companies Greenhouse application, it might be that it never lands in front of the hiring manager.

Sometimes that is because you haven’t composed a good resume. There are definitely instances where you would benefit from a professional resume writing service, though for most people a template is enough.

However, the more common issue is that there is some sort of Red Flag on your resume. It might be something that you’ve not thought of before, but which can very well be something that will cause a hiring manager to skip over your resume.

These are the so called Red Flags. They pop up over and over on resumes of all sorts.  So, for anyone who is not having success when sending out resumes, make sure to review your resume to make sure you don’t have any of these issues.

The Career Gap- Employers Don’t Like To See The Gap

A career gap on your resume is a major red flag. Many people assume the worst. Either you were fired for not performing, or you are someone who is not interested in working. It’s one of the major things to never put on a resume if you can avoid.

It might seem strange to most people, but employers are hesitant to hire people who have a career gap. Why? Because the thought goes: if the person was a good worker, they would never have been fired.

A long career gap can also make people worry about prison or incarceration. Because of legislation, employers cannot discriminate against people who have done time in jail, but that doesn’t change the fact that businesses do not want to hire ex-criminals.

This is why ex-offenders tend to find work within the case management world. If you were to interview case mangers (both men and women) you would find that a large percentage have been arrested and served time for crimes ranging from drug offenses to assault. There are large non-profits such as Doe Fund and Catholic Charities where people who have served time in prison can find work.

So if there is a career gap, make sure it’s explained. If you took leave to travel, write that. If you took a sabbatical to go back to college, say that. Maternity leave? Say that. Caring for a sick relative, say that.

If your career gap is not explained, then you will not be able to land a desirable job. The jobs where people are hired without much review—car dealerships, etc…— are not going to care where you worked before.

Most temp agencies do background checks to see if people have comitted a crime.

Some reasonable reasons for a career gap include:

• Taking care of children
• Taking care of immediate family
• Going back to school (real school—college degree, not a certification)
• Injury and Recovery (be careful here, employers don’t want to hire infirm people so consider if you want to convey the image of a sick person)

Independent Work: No One Wants To Hire an Entrepreneur

If you have a resume which includes any sort of independent work, then you’re going to turn off most employers.

People who run companies are not interested in hiring “entrepreneurs” no matter what the news or some opinion piece tells you.

And it’s not specific to the level of role you’re applying for. It crosses boundaries.

If you are someone who is applying for a low paying job, you might think it’s fine to list working at Uber or LYFT or some other rideshare app. But it’s not a good idea. Doorsash and the other apps are similar. These jobs are all independent contractor jobs.  Employers don’t like to see them on a resume because it means that you are familiar with “gig economy”.

Employers looking for a full time employee don’t want to hire someone who works according to their own schedule.

The same is true for people who are working at a higher level in the corporate structure. Employers who are seeking a director of marketing or a project manager do not want to hire someone who has worked as a “consultant” with various “event management” experience. This signals that you’re someone who likes to work for themselves and will not be a dedicated full time employee.

Fancy or Esoteric Sounding Work

Any sort of strange sounding job title is a red flag. As a rule, employers only want to interview and hire people who have the same sort of job.

These job titles might be anything from “daytrader” or “professional poker player” to “self help coach”.

Employers who see these terms will simply never contact you. If you have any inclination to list yourself as a “life coach” or “professional gambler” or “crypto trader” just ….don’t.

You should keep your job titles as pedestrian as possible. If you’re interested in working in a professional setting, then you need to make sure that any fancy sounding or outlandish job titles are removed from your resume.