If Your Resume Shows Any of These 7 Things, It May Cost You a Job

By Jane Burnett

While 75% of millennials think “job hopping” looks good, new numbers show that this may not be the case for tech employees. New research from staffing firm Robert Half Technology found that “frequent job hopping” was the most frowned upon thing among CIOs evaluating job candidates.

Robert Half Technology commissioned the survey and an independent research firm surveyed more than 2,600 American CIOs “in 26 metropolitan areas.”

Don’t have any of these things on your resume

The CIOs were asked: “When reviewing resumes, which of the following would most likely cause you to remove a candidate from consideration?” Here are the results (totals don’t add up to 100% because numbers were rounded):

Frequent job hopping: 21%
Bad formatting, sloppiness or typos: 17%
Too long or too much unnecessary information: 17%
Not highlighting strategic thinking and business knowledge: 13%
Overuse of technical jargon: 12%
Overly complicated: 11%
No context around prior experience: 9%

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It only takes six seconds for a recruiter to reject a resume, so avoiding these things is crucial.

Jeff Weber, executive director of Robert Half Technology, commented on the research: “It’s a candidate’s market in technology right now, but that doesn’t mean applicants can sit back and wait for offers to roll in. Job seekers should tailor resumes that highlight specific skills and experience related to the open position and be prepared to answer technical questions during interviews in order to make an impression with potential employers.”

But even if you have a stunning resume, you still might not be off the hook yet — research has found that 64% of applicants are better on paper than in person.

That being said …

… you definitely shouldn’t do this during an interview

Robert Half Technology also surveyed CIOs and asked which of the following was the one thing that would make them reject a tech-job candidate during an in-person interview:

Speaking negatively about past employers or managers: 20%
Poor body language, such as no eye contact or a weak handshake: 19%
Unprepared for technical questions: 16%
No clear understanding of the business: 15%
Ineffective explanation of career history: 15%
Unprofessional dress: 13%
No ‘thank you’ or follow-up after the interview: 1%

About that last data point: Yes, following up really matters to a handful of CIOs. And, since it’s never a bad idea to send one, here’s how to write the perfect thank you note after an interview.

Originally published at www.theladders.com