Hands down the use of old resume guidelines for the job-search environment of today hits the top of the list. Jobseekers can no longer afford to utilize outdated resume-writing techniques to compete for top jobs — or any job for that matter. Cookie-cutter intro statements, standard and overused resume layouts, and flat content can all be *resume killers*. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again.

The Internet is packed full of bad resume-writing advice. I estimate there must be 398 million so-called resume-writing experts on the net today — well, maybe I inflated that number a bit. =] But you get the idea, I hope.

Everyone seems to be a resume expert these days, yet hit the online forums and blogs and people are struggling everywhere on writing their resumes. Could 398 million “experts,” for the moment anyway, be passing around bad advice? Yes, I think a fair number of them are doing just that.

In their defense, I feel some aren't doing it intentionally. In order to provide well-informed advice, you first need to know a variety of things:

First, examine the person's complete background.
Second, factor the person's current job target and how it plays relative to that background.
Third, know the person's assets as well as their liabilities -- we all have them. =]

Without (minimally) armed with the above information an "expert" cannot adequately advise (I believe) on any person's resume. The challenge is that not all careers are alike; not all education levels are alike; not all skill levels are alike.

... and therefore, not all resumes can or should be alike.

I didn’t realize just how bad advice is out there until I participated in a resume writing challenge that was judged by (most on the panel) non-resume experts. It was amazing how the submissions were “chewed up” for totally irrelevant reasons and how those on the panel didn’t factor such core resume facets, such as keywords, layout/format, taglines, achievement-based content, and so on. Well, maybe I shouldn’t include layout and format because there were plenty of redundant comments there … but most revolved around those on the panel wanting to see more traditional, outdated, and dare I say old-fashioned techniques. Wow, shocked me.

Put 10 resume "experts" into a room. How many really are experts? How many merely claim to be? How many really see the resumes they're reviewing? Keep in mind resume experts should read, while hiring personnel skim. How many review the content and layout and fail to consider resume management/applicant tracking systems, social media platforms, and proven techniques such as the use of taglines?

When you start the elimination process, I guesstimate only 2 or 3 are actually experts.

So what are "top of the list" resume mistakes? Here are my picks:

1. Writing your resume so it hits all audiences, but fails to focus on the right ones.

2. Writing resume content that focuses too heavily on your soft skills yet fails to highlight the hard skills that introduce keywords and keyword phrases into your resume.

3. Utilizing outdated and old-fashioned resume layouts ... if you are afraid to try something new, yet still remain professional of course, how will you ever stand out? The layout you're currently using; how many others are using the same thing?

4. Failing to recognize that resume content will now transition into other media forums; such as your LinkedIn, FaceBook, and maybe even your MySpace accounts. Stop thinking that a resume is just a resume. Resumes will now and increasingly morph into other forms. If you're not recognizing that you're missing the boat.

5. Developing a resume that not only caters to HR managers and recruiters, but one that caters to those "computer eyes" as well. Every resume should be written with a two-fold purpose in mind. The resume will likely be seen by computer eyes (resume management systems) and then by a human's eyes. Are you failing on both?