Let’s face it, writing a resume, then a cover letter, and going through the whole recruitment process is stressful. And no matter how many times you go to an interview or update your resume, it doesn’t seem to be any less nerve racking.
But if you think about it, everyone in the world is in the exact same situation as you. You’re not alone. We understand.
But if that doesn’t cheer you up, maybe some resume memes will. After all, those who cry together, laugh together or something like that. So let’s laugh this time.
We’ve compiled a list of 19 of the best resume memes out there. So sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.
Create your resume now
Use this resume template
Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume examples here.
19 of the Best Resume Memes
Get ready for a line up of the best resume memes on the internet. Some food for thought before we start—the reason these resume memes are funny is usually because they are painfully true!
1. It’s All in the Wording
What can we say, the epic use of resume keywords is epic.
Whether you like it or not, there are certain phrases and titles that employers want to see and that can get you that job interview. Just go with the flow instead of against the tide.
2. Keeping It Short and Sweet
One thing is for certain, this meme definitely knows that putting soft skills on your resume is important! We wouldn’t advise stopping at that though.
Read more: Soft Skills vs Hard Skills
3. When Recruitment Gets Real
Let’s face it, we’ve all experienced the universal black hole resumes get sucked into, never to return. Lie down, try not to cry, cry a lot. But instead of giving up, try following up on your job application. It may turn out that they actually like you, but were too shy to call.
4. That Time When You Lied on Your Resume
No matter how many times people say “don’t lie on your resume”, everyone does it anyway. Same with job interviews (would you say you hated your boss if the recruiter asked you “why did you leave your last job?”).
Problem with lying on a resume is when it turns out everyone believes you and now you have to prove it at work. The term “dead man walking” comes to mind.
5. Life is Short
Sweet Brown knows that tailoring your resume takes a bunch of time that she just doesn’t seem to have.
It may seem overwhelming, but try breaking it down into manageable chunks and you’ll see that writing a targeted resume doesn’t require you holing up in a remote cabin for three days.
6. You Creepy, Son
This may be funny, but there have actually been incidents when people have attached this photo instead of their job application. Moral: check your resume and cover letter attachments a million times before sending.
7. Check Out My Achievements
Way to go resume cat meme! It’s rocking the interview because of the achievements listed on their resume.
You should also list your accomplishments in the job descriptions on your resume to wow recruiters. Resume cat meme is showing you how. Be like resume cat meme.
8. Curb Your Enthusiasm
Given the general consensus among the human population that dying of hunger sucks, we all know few people are looking for a job because they want to. That can make some resumes get a little overdramatic and needy.
Take our advice, if you write a clingy resume, you’re going to have a bad time.
Read more: Resume Dos and Don’ts
9. Recruitment Systems Are Your Friend. Except They’re Not.
Everyone can relate to lady yelling at cat meme’s frustration.
One of the most annoying things for candidates is having to write an ATS-friendly resume only to then have the recruitment system ask them to retype all that information in online forms. Most times, the response to this situation seems to be “forget it, I’m out.” Recruiters, take notice.
10. It’s Just Never Enough
No matter how hard you work and how much pizzaz you add to your resume, there’s always that one yo who seems to have done 100 times better and sexier stuff more than you at the same age.
For your own piece of mind, ignore their perfect resumes and carry on. You do you.
(Or you can check our piece on the best resume tips and tricks and get some sweet revenge. Just saying.)
11. I Missed the Q&A
Everyone needs to finally learn how to build a resume at some point in their life, it’s a part of adulting. Just put on your big girl/big boy pants on and ask for help or advice. It’s better than making a fool out of yourself in front of hiring managers and missing out on a sweet career.
12. You Said You Were a Proficient Expert
Some candidates still try to slide by thinking that the company will give them some training in the things they claim to know.
Some do. Some don’t. You feelin’ lucky, punk?
13. Always Be Prepared
A lot of people have gone through the panic of finding a sweet gig only to realize they don’t have a ready resume to send.
Remember kids, if Bear Grylls never leaves home without his resume, neither should you!
(Do yourself a favor, though, and avoid sending a bad resume. That would be like drinking, well, you know what Bear Grylls can drink.)
14. The Resume Feelz
No reason to sugarcoat it, most people hate writing their resume. We get it. No one likes paying taxes either, but guess how many people mark April 15th on their calendars.
If writing a resume is just something that you can’t handle, you can always take the strain off by creating your resume through our resume builder. Super professional resume with next to no hassle.
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building aprofessional resume template here for free.
Create my resume now
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
15. I Have Years of Experience in Being Human
Everyone’s gone through that terrifying moment when they realize that they don’t know what to include in a resume, especially when you’re writing a resume for the first time.
10 points for creativity here for Alex, but even without work experience and being a former child, you do have some life experience already. Use it to your advantage.
16. Proficient in Microsoft Office
“Proficient in Microsoft Office” is one of the most common things candidates write on their resumes. It’s also usually one of the biggest lies told. If you’re calling yourself a proficient expert, expect your boss to one day call your bluff.
17. No, God! No, God, Please No! No!
I’m not going to go on and on about the importance of using the right resume font. But if there's one thing you can take away from this, please don’t use Comic Sans in a resume—you’re not 5 years old.
Read more: Right Resume Layout
18. When You Lackin’ Skillz
What’s special? Depends who you ask. Dwight might think he’s special, but recruiters probably won’t give a fluff about it.
Stick to key skills that work and that the job ad mentions. You can show your uniqueness at the interview.
How to nail an interview, you ask? See: Best Job Interview Tips and Tricks
19. In the End, You Crush It
Writing a resume might be hard, boring, and ridiculously frustrating at times. But when the going gets rough, remember those feelz when you realize you’ve written an awesome resume.
See more: Best Resume Designs
We hope you enjoyed what we considered to be pretty funny resume memes. But fun time is over. And you know what you should be doing with your resume.
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here.Here's what it may look like:
Create my cover letter now
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
FAQs
How do you describe a career break on a resume? ›
- Come up with a name for the “position,” such as “Family Sabbatical,” “Professional Development,” or “Volunteer.”
- Where the name of a company is typically listed, add “Career Break,” ...
- Write the time frame for the career break just as you would for a job.
- Personal Information. Name Current and Permanent address (may be omitted from a resume posted on the web) ...
- Objective. In one short sentence summarize your goal for your job search. ...
- Education. ...
- Work and Related Experience. ...
- Awards and Honors. ...
- Activities/Hobbies. ...
- Skills. ...
- References (3-5 people)
- Having spelling errors and bad grammar. ...
- Exaggerating the truth. ...
- Poor formatting. ...
- An unoriginal personal profile. ...
- Not focusing on your achievements. ...
- Making your CV too long. ...
- Putting the wrong contact information.
- Keep your resume short and direct. ...
- Create an original resume template. ...
- Highlight relevant skills and experiences. ...
- Demonstrate results with numbers and metrics. ...
- Craft a career snapshot. ...
- Optimize your text. ...
- Think beyond your job duties. ...
- Use the right language to stand out.
Be honest
You want to be truthful without going into unnecessary detail. A basic template for your answer could be: “I [reason you were not employed]. During that time, [what you did during the gap]. Returning to work was top of mind during that period and I'm ready to do that now.”
- Honesty is the best policy. No matter why you've had a career break, it's hugely important to always be open and honest about the length of time off and the reason why. ...
- Clearly explain and plan your reasoning. ...
- Turn it into a positive. ...
- Get direct advice from professionals.
- You've sold your achievements. ...
- Your responsibilities relate to the job ad. ...
- The language you've used is active, not passive. ...
- You use your skills to give back to society. ...
- You are easy to contact. ...
- Education is included. ...
- It has been reviewed, reviewed, and re-reviewed.
- It was easy to read. ...
- It told a story. ...
- It listed accomplishments, rather than just responsibilities. ...
- It told the truth. ...
- It didn't have any cliché claims. ...
- It came through a recommendation.
One of the most common resume red flags is an unexplained lengthy employment gap between previous roles. These gaps can sometimes lead hiring managers to assume that you have struggled to land jobs in the past, potentially indicating poor performance or some other shortcoming.
What should not be on a resume? ›- Too much information. ...
- A solid wall of text. ...
- Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. ...
- Inaccuracies about your qualifications or experience. ...
- Unnecessary personal information. ...
- Your age. ...
- Negative comments about a former employer. ...
- Too many details about your hobbies and interests.
What words should not be used in a resume? ›
- “Salary negotiable” Yes, they know. ...
- “References available by request” See the preceding comment about unnecessary terms.
- “Responsible for ______” ...
- “Experience working in ______” ...
- “Problem-solving skills” ...
- “Detail-oriented” ...
- “Hardworking” ...
- “Team player”
Adapted, Advised, Clarified, Coached, Communicated, Conducted, Coordinated, Critiqued, Developed, Enabled, Encouraged, Evaluated, Explained, Facilitated, Focused, Guided, Individualized, Informed, Installed, Instructed, Motivated, Persuaded, Simulated, Stimulated, Taught, Tested, Trained, Transmitted, Tutored.
What do you do if you have a weak resume? ›- Be honest. Don't lie on your résumé. ...
- Emphasize the positives. ...
- Address the issue. ...
- Don't make excuses. ...
- Format your résumé accordingly. ...
- Network. ...
- Here's how to deal with specific issues:
- Big employment gaps.
Use clear section headings and make them stand out with bold type, capital letters, and/or a different color. Make sure there's plenty of white space—an overstuffed resume is hard to read. Skip the fancy graphics, pie charts, and illustrations, which don't play well with resume-scanning software.
Why do employers care about gaps? ›Employers see resume gaps as a red flag because it signals to them that you're unreliable. Job-hopping is also concerning, depending on your industry.
Can I get a job after 5 years of gap? ›Yes, it is definitely possible to get a job after a long gap, you just need to be determined and have perseverance.
How long is too long of a career break? ›What is considered a long career break? There is no fixed duration as to what is considered as long. But generally, an employer will consider any period of more than 6 months as a long career break.
How long is considered a career break? ›How long should a career break be? Most commonly, career breaks fall within the six months to two years bracket. Less than a month would be considered a mini-break.
How long is a good career break? ›A career break is an unpaid, purposeful time out of the workforce. Sometimes referred to as the 'adult gap year,' career breaks have become more and more popular as people attempt to establish a healthier work-life balance. They can last anywhere from two months onwards but typically span 6 months to a year.
What are 7 major don'ts of writing a resume? ›- Use templates and tables included in software.
- Make general claims (“Good communication skills”) without backing them up with examples.
- Mislead employers about your GPA, skills, or abilities.
- Include long, generic objective statements. ...
- Submit references on the same page as your resume. ...
- Don't go over two pages.
What is 3 items that should not go into a resume? ›
There's no need to include personal information on a resume such as your social security number, marital status, nationality, sexual orientation, or spiritual beliefs. In fact, it is illegal for employers to ask for these personal details.
What are the 3 F's of resume writing? ›The 3 F's of resume writing are Function, Form(at) and (e)Ffectiveness. When these 3 elements are adhered to simultaneously in the resume, they make it the perfect fit for the role you're applying to.
What are the top 5 resume mistakes? ›- Grammar and punctuation errors. Think about the underlying message communicated with typos, and with errors in grammar and punctuation. ...
- Poor formatting. Can't fit your resume to one page? ...
- Failure to communicate knowledge and skills. ...
- Job descriptions that aren't descriptive. ...
- Using pronouns and articles.
- Typos and Grammatical Errors. ...
- Lack of Specifics. ...
- Attempting the "One–Size–Fits–All" Approach. ...
- Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments. ...
- Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short. ...
- Bad Summary. ...
- No Action Verbs. ...
- Leaving Off Important Information.
Remember, it's not about what you think looks pretty or will stand out or guessing what the company wants from you. A resume is about telling the company what you can do for it. Your accomplishments matter, not the font or fancy resume layout.
What impresses employers on a resume? ›- An organized layout is VERY important.
- Put format first.
- Triple-check spelling and grammar!
- List experience in chronological order.
- Identify your achievements: Challenge, actions, and results.
- Show leadership.
- Incorporate statistics.
- Use words such as achieved, created, and influenced.
The most important contents to include on your resume are: Contact information. Resume summary or objective statement. Professional Experience.
Do big companies look better on resume? ›“When hiring managers look at candidates and recognize a big name, it instantly creates an impression of a well-trained candidate with a lot of valuable experience and knowledge,” she says.
Why does my resume keep getting rejected? ›Most resumes submitted to job applications don't get read, simply due to the high number of applicants. For the ones that get looked at, typos, formatting issues, or unwanted additions disqualify many of them at a glance.
What do hiring managers look for in resume? ›Right level and years of experience for the job, relevant experience, titles, skills, education, etc are the first few things Recruiters and Hiring Managers look for in your resume. Ensure your skills and certifications compliment the job you apply for. Avoid including unrelated or irrelevant hobbies and interests.
What color stands out on a resume? ›
The best colors for a resume are black, white, and blue.
Blue also gives the reader a feeling of calmness and serenity. If you're looking for the best color scheme for your resume and want a resume color that's proven and safe to use, go with the same color that these big brands use — blue.
Whatever reason for your CV gap, be clear and genuine with your response, without going into unnecessary detail. Start by explaining why you were out of work, then go on to explain what you did with your time, and lastly emphasise why you think this is the right opportunity for you.
What is another word for career break? ›The career break is sometimes referred to as an 'adult gap year', which reflects the commitment towards developing skills and gaining experience while out of the workforce. In the USA a career break is generally referred to as a 'sabbatical'.
How do you write a resume after being out of the workforce for years? ›- Write a compelling headline. ...
- Highlight your skills. ...
- List professional training or seminars. ...
- Include freelance experience. ...
- Update your terminology. ...
- Mention your involvement in a professional organization or relevant trade group. ...
- Omit the months from your employment dates.
A sabbatical is basically an extended, approved period of leave from your full-time role. It can be termed as a career break, depending on your intention. The difference is a sabbatical requires an employee to return to their original employer after their leave or sabbatical is over.
What is a good reason for a gap in employment? ›Gaps in your employment history may exist for several good reasons, including: Time spent looking for a new job. Being laid off because of organizational changes. Taking time off to be a stay-at-home parent or caregiver.