Out of 50,000 resumes submitted per year to a prestigious company, only ten percent are read seriously. What is wrong with the other 90 percent? 

Unfocused objective - Like a well-written news story lead, a career objective must hook the reader immediately.  If it’s ambiguous, wordy, pretentious, or rambling, you chance losing the reader. If the objective is unfocused, the rest of the resume will be unclear as well.

Fallacious information – You’re playing Russian Roulette with your career when you include false or inaccurate information. An increasing number of companies are calling employers and schools to check facts and dates.

Chronological gaps – Omitting an unsatisfactory job experience is not a good idea. Find another way to solve the problem. Take a hard look at the experience to see if you can uncover some salable high points worth mentioning.

Physical description – Your height, weight, eye and hair color, and physical condition are irrelevant and unnecessary.

Salary requirements – Listing your present or desired salary is inappropriate and could work against you.  The time to discuss salary is when the job is being offered.

Age – In the past, it was common practice to list age. Not any longer. According to the Age Discrimination and Employment Act of 1967, it’s against the law to discriminate because of age.

Reasons for leaving a past job – The resume is not a place to explain why you left a job. Everyone changes jobs for different reasons; the time to discuss it is when you’re being interviewed.

Rambling sentences and vague descriptions – Complete grammatical sentences are not essential. Well-substantiated, accurate information that outlines your qualifications is key. You can use bullets or dashes to save space, but watch your spelling and grammar.

References - Affixing the line “Reference furnished upon request” at the end of the resume is unnecessary.  You’re documenting the obvious. You will take your listing of references to the interview.

Observation – Don’t lose sight of the résumé's purpose:  It’s a marketing tool designed to sell you. Keep it tight (no longer than two pages) , targeted and professional looking.