'Weekends Are for Drinking' and Other Things Not to Say in Your Resume

You’ve thought long and hard about how to make your resume stand out, but perhaps you’ve gone too far. A recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive for CareerBuilder.com asked hiring managers to share the most unusual resumes they’ve seen. Explaining that you work well in the nude? What they found might surprise you.

CareerBuilder.com Survey: Top 12 Resume Disasters

1. Candidate mentioned in his resume that he spent summers on his family’s yacht in Grand Cayman.

2. Candidate attached a letter from his mother.

3. Candidate used pale blue paper with teddy bears around the border.

4. Candidate explained a gap in employment by saying he was getting over the death of his cat for three months.

5. Candidate specified that his availability was limited because Friday, Saturday and Sunday were “drinking time”.

6. Candidate included a picture of herself in a cheerleading uniform.

7. Candidate drew a picture of a car on the outside of the envelope and said it was the hiring manager's gift.

8. Candidate’s hobbies included sitting on a levee at night watching alligators.

9. Candidate included the fact that her sister once won a strawberry-eating contest.

10. Candidate explained that they worked well in the nude.

11. Candidate explained an arrest by stating, “We stole a pig, but it was a really small pig.”

12. Candidate included a family medical history.

“Anytime it’s beyond job function, it can be goofy”, said Jennifer Sullivan, senior career advisor at CareerBulider.com The survey also found people who listed bingo and smoking as their hobbies. “Others reference grade school classes and included old pictures,” Sullivan said.

CareerBuilder says to keep three key words in mind when writing your resume: simple, bold and professional. Instead of using stationery with bears, keep it clean and easy to read. The firm also recommends that you ask someone else to review it.

“You want to make yourself memorable for the right reasons,” said Sullivan. “Know your audience, and paint a picture of what you’ve done for other companies.”