news

Avoid these 2 red flags on your resume, says former Microsoft HR exec: ‘The goal is to differentiate yourself'

Avoid these 2 red flags on your resume, says former Microsoft HR exec: ‘The goal is to differentiate yourself’
Mindful Media | E+ | Getty Images

Avoid these 2 red flags on your resume, says former Microsoft HR exec: ‘The goal is to differentiate yourself’

Sabina Nawaz has been working with job seekers for a long time.

She began her career at Microsoft, where she spent 15 years, first in software engineering then in human resources. In 2005, Nawaz left the company to pursue a career in executive coaching and has been helping senior leaders build their careers ever since. Her book, "You're the Boss," about the pitfalls of leadership and how to be a good manager, will be published in March.

Nawaz has also seen her fair share of resumes: "When I was a hiring manager at Microsoft, I was looking at thousands of resumes a year."

Whether it's working with potential job candidates or executive clients, Nawaz has identified two red flags she comes across most often on resumes.

Avoid general statements

First, Nawaz sees a lot of candidates use general statements to describe their work experience. For example, "I facilitated lots of things."

Instead, when you're breaking down your experience for each job title, Nawaz says to focus on specific events you planned, papers you wrote or technologies you built — whatever is relevant to you. All of these give potential employers a clear sense of what kind of worker you are and what strengths you'll bring to the role.

"The goal of a resume is to differentiate yourself from others," she says. "When you make general statements, you don't stand out in the herd."

'What was the impact?'

The other red flag, Nawaz says, is a lack of "so what?" statements.

Consider the day-to-day tasks you took on at work then think, "what was the payoff?" she says. "What was the impact? What was the result of you doing that thing?"

Your "so what" should be "in every single" bullet under a job title.

If you worked in mergers and acquisitions, for example, say "mergers and acquisitions totaled so much in dollar amount, have resulted in such and such business impact for the company or have improved a competitive position in such and such way," she says.

The point is to give tangible evidence of the positive impacts your work made.

Want to up your AI skills and be more productive? Take CNBC's new online course How to Use AI to Be More Successful at Work. Expert instructors will teach you how to get started, practical uses, tips for effective prompt-writing, and mistakes to avoid. Sign up now and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $67 (+ taxes and fees) through February 11, 2025.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.

Copyright CNBC
Contact Us