Recently ResumeDoctor undertook the immense project of interviewing several hundred recruiters/headhunters to find out what they are saying about resumes. These recruiters stemmed from varied specialties and industries throughout the US and Canada, (Engineering, Information Technology, Sales and Marketing, Executive, Biotech, Healthcare, Administrative, Finance, etc.). ResumeDoctor sought to find out what are the recruiter’s likes and dislikes in a resume they receive and what is going to get a resume read by them. Some of the "Pet Peeves" shared will be obvious, while others might surprise a job seeker.

According to executive search recruiter Terry Cantrell of Panama City, Florida, "People often try to write a resume so generic that a reader has no idea what industry the candidate comes from. Did they manufacture fertilizer, package cow chips, cook and distribute potato chips or assemble computer chips? Often I have no idea what 'Acme' sells, services, imports or manufactures. I cannot take the time to filter through a thousand resumes to see what and where their real network is. I am usually looking for a reason to exclude resumes, not a reason to include them."

Kelly Persichetti of the Persichetti Group adds, "I always tell candidates to think about WHO the initial receiving audience is of your resume. With this in mind, many times one has to be more explicit with their resume. Believe it or not, many recipients wouldn't even know if the resume they were looking at was even in their own industry!"

It is suggested that your resume specifically state the type of industry, revenues, public or private in the body of the resume in or beneath the specific company. This will help the reader determine if it's a direct industry OR an ancillary industry.

Recruiter Tip: Another idea is to bullet-point in your summary the specific industry experience the recruiter or hiring manager is seeking. For instance:

• Extensive Internal Audit Experience in the Healthcare industry.

Not only is including personal info that is unrelated to the job a waste of space, but it can actually hurt you. You never want to include information that could be viewed in the wrong way or open up even the slightest temptation for prejudice or misinterpretation. Recruiters do not need to know your age, height, weight, martial status, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliations, or even about your hobbies. They are trying to fill an open job requisition, not match you for a blind date.

There are times when there will be exceptions. For example: If you were applying for a position as a computer programmer at Burton Snowboards, and your hobby happens to be snowboarding, then definitely include this related information. Your hobby in this case offers value to the potential employer and will work as a benefit to you. Your familiarity with the snowboarding lifestyle and industry could help to open the door for that all-important first interview.

One recruiter shared with us that he recently received a resume from a candidate who included their shoe size. Another recruiter also sent us a story about a candidate who included his dead daughter’s bio on his resume. Needless to say, this info has no place on a resume. Your resume is your personal selling tool and should be clear of any and all non-related information.