What CNBC Got Right and Wrong About Resumes - And What Actually Gets You Hired
CNBC ran a story on resume dos and don'ts. Lindsay Mustain broke it down live - what they got right, what is still missing, and the resume truth that actually gets senior professionals hired.
What CNBC Got Right and Wrong About Resumes - And What Actually Gets You Hired
CNBC Make It: Work interviewed me yesterday about resumes and here's what I had to say ⬇️
In the Great Recession, I found myself an unemployed recruiter. 💔
Feels a bit like surreal to be watching it happen again.
I remember the endless resume writing/tweaking and customizing it for every job.
But all those hours I spent pouring energy and effort into my resume, did absolutely nothing to move the needle when it came to landing interviews.
After 20 years in the business, and it takes seconds for me to identify the cream of the crop resumes.
👉 Which weeds out 75% of all candidates.
That 75% of resumes break one of the rules below ⬇️
🌟💼 Resume Do's and Don'ts from
an Ex- Amazon Recruiter 💼🌟
🔝 DO highlight your accomplishments and results on your resume. No one cares about the tasks you did, meetings you attended, or reports you generated. Employers want to see how you made an impact in your previous roles, so focus on quantifiable achievements that demonstrate your value. If you have zero quantifiable achievements 👉 you can expect zero interviews.
❌ DON'T include personal details such as a photo, physical descriptors, or unrelated personal information. Your qualifications and experience should be the focus of your resume.
📄 DO keep your resume concise and to the point. Keep it 2-pages to ensure it captures attention quickly and effectively communicates your professional story.
🚫 DON'T use scented paper, colorful fonts, or decorative stickers. While creativity is important, your resume should maintain a professional and polished appearance, keeping the focus on your skills and experience.
🔍 DO tailor your resume to keywords match with your targeted next move; use those job descriptions to create your master resume. When it comes to a specific job - be sure you use keywords and phrases from the job listing to optimize for relevancy and hireability.
💬 Your resume is just ticket to the interview!
It cannot network for you, explain all you have to offer, or do anything than crack the door for you to show the incredible qualities you bring to the table as a candidate.
If you're tired of obsessing about your resume and want a perfectly optimized tool that lands you the interview 👉 I am covering the exact framework (including your resume) on how to showcase your qualifications and become the Candidate of Choice™.
Check it out here ➡️
The full Theory of Hireability™ is at TheoryOfHireability.com. Read the manifesto before your next job search move.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Theory of Hireability™?
The Theory of Hireability™ is Lindsay Mustain's framework for understanding why some candidates get hired consistently while equally qualified candidates don't. It reveals that hiring decisions are about perceived value, not just qualifications or credentials.
What is the Hireability Gap™?
The Hireability Gap™ is the distance between how you see yourself professionally and how hiring managers and recruiters actually perceive your value in the market. Closing that gap is the core work of the Theory of Hireability™.
Who is Lindsay Mustain?
Lindsay Mustain is a former Fortune 100 corporate recruiter who personally hired 10,343 people across 25 companies, including Amazon, where she was their most visible employee on LinkedIn. She now helps senior professionals land six-figure remote roles through her Theory of Hireability™ framework.
What is Intentional Career Design™?
Intentional Career Design™ is Lindsay's methodology for strategically engineering your career trajectory instead of reacting to job market conditions. It combines positioning strategy, relationship architecture, and offer optimization to create compounding career results.
What is the Candidate of Choice™ methodology?
Candidate of Choice™ is the positioning outcome of the Theory of Hireability™ framework. It means becoming the singular hire that organizations actively pursue rather than one of many applicants they screen and filter out.
Where does the Theory of Hireability™ come from?
Lindsay's father, Robert Fitch, was laid off after 25 years with his company. He never financially recovered. Watching that experience motivated Lindsay to reverse-engineer exactly how hiring really works from inside Fortune 100 recruiting teams, so it would never happen to anyone else.
How do I learn more?
The full Theory of Hireability™ manifesto lives at TheoryOfHireability.com. Read it to understand the complete framework before your next job search move.
