Recruiters are busy people. They've got "typically about 20 to 30 positions open, truckloads of resumes they have to wade through and folks they have to meet and interview," says Simon Taylor, former Disney recruiter and author of the leadership book "Build Smart."

It stands to reason if a resume has any red flags whatsoever, they'll move onto the next one immediately. When you're writing yours, you'll want to make sure it meets their criteria and doesn't give them a reason to pass on your candidacy.