Top resume mistakes people make

Looking for a new job?

One of the first things you need to know is that it's 2012, not 1997.

Unfortunately, many people are still putting together resumes as they did when Bill Clinton was President and a resume was something you printed on extra heavy beige paper.

Farewell to paper

Ah yes, we all remember the beautifully printed resume, with neat little paragraphs on heavy bond paper.

But in this iPad age, you may want to tear up that old job hunting advice.

US News and World Report says today's resumes should be sent electronically, as an attached file to an email. It says paper resumes are now a "nuisance" to many hiring managers.

Top resume mistakes

Other tips, according to US News:

- Don't list an objective at the top. Objectives can hurt your chances these days, because they pigeonhole you into one specific job. You must appear flexible.
    
- You should list nothing over 15 years old, or it will make you look old.  Even if you were a team member on the Space Shuttle group in 1982, it no longer helps you, unless you are applying for a job in an aeronautical museum.
    
-And skip the "references upon request" line:  That is so 1950's.

Doesn't that stink?

But from the "doesn't that stink?" file, the downside of today's electronic resumes.
    
You no longer have the chance to impress with a long cover letter. Now that its 2012, most prescreening is now done by computers, which may leave you saying "doesn't that stink?"

So skip the flowery letter, and focus on words like "skill sets" and "experience," that will catch the computer program's attention.

You need to appear to be up to date on the latest technology, especially if you are over the age of 45.

That means having a current LinkedIn profile, a professional looking Facebook page, and an electronic resume that doesn't look like your dad's.
    
As always, don't waste your money.