Looks like we've got a heated debate on our hands here at Jobacle!  I'd like to take a moment to address our loyal readers and the thousands of new people that have joined us over the past few days.  

A feature that pops up every few weeks on Jobacle is the Resume Hunter.  This is an exercise where the Hunter locates a public resume and brings the document's faults to light.  The hope is that both the resume poster and the general public can glean a bit of useful information from the exercise.  Allow me to clarify a few things:

- The Resume Hunter is not designed to be mean-spirited.  The honest-to-God goal is to actually HELP people learn from common (and public) mistakes.  I never anticipated this volume of negative feedback.  At this time I do not plan to pull the feature.  In fact, we have another one hitting the Web next week (so subscribe!).  

The Resume Hunter is a new twist on dishing out useful information.  It would be easy for us to give you the same tired advice that all of those HotMonsterBuilder sites deliver. That's not what Jobacle is about.  Since out launch in January 2007 the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, a clear indicator that we are on to something big.

That being said, we will continue to assess your comments and e-mails and adjust content accordingly.

- Public resumes that are used are uploaded by the resume writer to public Web sites such as Scribd, DocStoc, etc.  These are people who CHOOSE to release their resume for the world to see. When you upload documents to these sites you have the option to keep your doc private - something that each person we've profiled has NOT done.   We respect job seekers privacy.  We would never divulge information from anyone who wished to remain anonymous. 

- Jobacle offers career advice and employment news WITH A TWIST. We are NOT HR experts and have never pretended to be.  While we often conduct interviews with career professionals and industry pros, the core writers for Jobacle are people in the trenches - presumably, just like you.  That being said...

- Several people have pointed out that 'how dare' we 'criticize' other people's resumes when there are 'typos' and 'grammatical errors' on Jobacle.  First off, we take pride in what we do and are confident that the quality of our content speaks for itself.  As far as errors are concerned, they are a fact of life, and anyone who doesn't get that, is a fool.  The New York Times makes errors.  Jobacle makes errors (there are probably some in this post.)   You make errors.  We highly doubt that the misuse of a semicolon will drive readers away.  If it bothers you that much, this site isn't for you anyhow.

- People have gone as far to call us 'racist' since we chose a resume from a resident of India.  WRONG-O.  This is how our five installments of The Resume Hunter have worked out so far:

American

South American

American

American

Indian

You might not like the feature, however, in this instance, you are 100% incorrect.  We will not honor these idiotic comments with a response.

As of this writing, the so-called offensive installment of the Resume Hunter has hit the 30-comment mark - a Jobacle record.  We thank everyone for checking out the Web site and taking the time to speak your mind.

We sincerely hope you'll continue to read us (and listen) in the future.

Many people are leaving anonymous comments.  If you are interested in debating this issue on a future episode of the Working Podcast, leave me a  message (or your rant) at 888/786-1080. 

We here at Jobacle are on an endless hunt for the perfect resume. And we're pleased to report that so far, it's nowhere to be found. Cue the music, Bob. It's time for the Resume Hunter! Today's lucky contestant is Vinay Pandey of New Delhi.

Fluff: The first thing I gather from this resume is NOTHING. After reading his objective I have no idea what Vinay does or wants to do. Be clear in your objective; especially if you want to work in HR. Also keep it short and to the point, and for God's sake, no run on sentences.

Grammatical errors are completely unacceptable in this day and age. Word processing has come too far to allow misspellings. If anyone can figure out Vinay's objective, please explain it to me because I'm lost. If one has enough technology to post a resume on the Internet, one has the technology to make sure that what they write is grammatically correct. Or at least darn close.

Layout: A Google search of "resume format" garners roughly 22 million results. There is no reason anyone should have a resume that follows no apparent format. There's a fine line between experimentation and a cluster f***. Vinay has the latter on his hands. The Internet offers an enormous amount of free resume samples and layout templates. In today's e-World employers are flooded with potential employment candidates. At some point they have to narrow down the pile, and I can all but guarantee that this resume would be deleted at first glance.

Editing: Take the time to trim the fat. Have someone you trust read the resume over to make sure that you have included what is important. I will assume that a candidate currently pursuing an MBA has graduated high school, right? In fact, the majority of jobs available to those that have not earned a high school diploma or a GED are ones that only require an application to be filled out. Also, declaring that the information that you gave is true to the best of your knowledge is completely suspect and should be omitted. Due to the misuse of capital letters and its disjointed layout, this resume already looks like a ransom note. I would consider dropping the line all together.

This resume smells like it might have come from an agency that promised to find Vinay a job. Well, suspected language barrier aside, he should definitely ask for his money back.

Simply stating that you are pursuing your MBA is not enough. Heck, I'm pursuing Angelina Jolie. That doesn't mean I have a realistic chance of landing her.

Personal History: One has got to keep in mind what information is pertinent to the position being applied for. Something tells me that there isn't an employer in the world that would need to know the names of Vinay's parents. I'm also not a big fan of the hobbies section. If the employer cares they will ask during the interview. The resume is not the place to inform people that you enjoy light music. In fact, that's a personal nugget you should probably keep to yourself - always.

Vinay also boasts of his "ability to interact with people." This isn't a strength, it's an indicator that you are a human being.

Maybe Vinay just isn't that computer savvy. One of his hobbies states how he loves the "inter net."

His address is listed as "Opposite Pushkar Gas." This might be a cultural thing that I shouldn't even point out - but I'm curious - does anyone out there have an answer? Is this the equivalent of listing my address as "across the street from Dairy Queen?"

So there it is folks. I'm sure Vinay is a great guy. An athletic fellow that enjoys light music and loves his parents. Unmarried he may be but not for long, ladies. The point is, an employer should take away a feeling of professionalism and confidence when skimming through a resume. Having parents does not qualify one to work in marketing or human resources, but it just might wind up as material for the Resume Hunter.

Today's WorkHack: Use your resume as a tease.

Pretend you're about to go on a blind date. Which woman would you rather date?

Miss A) Slender, brunette, funny, family oriented.

Miss B) 5' 11", dark/curly hair, loves to tell jokes, single mom.

Miss A tells the truth without giving away too may details. On the first date she'll share her real deal, but if she gives away too much early on, she won't even get the date.

You must think of your resume the same way.

The goal is to get you in the door - only then - can you work your magic. Be clear about your experience and background but do not give away too much. If not, you'll end up like Miss B, spending Saturday nights alone teaching yourself to crochet.

Learn more Resume Writing 101 by printing or downloading the document below. While designed for graduating college students, it warrants a read from job seekers of all ages.

The Resume Hunter continues to scour the Web in search of the elusive blue diamond: the perfect resume. We are pleased to report, we're still coming up empty.

As always, the goal is to collectively learn from one person's mistakes. Before you put your resume out there for the world to see, make sure it's error-free and represents you in the best possible light.

Today's subject is one Donald G. Helsten, a transportation manager straight outta West Valley City, Utah, population 118,917. Below is the Hunter's 90-second scan - and the problems he uncovered. This exercise works best if you print the resume or pull it up in a new window. Then read the notes. They work from top to bottom.

What Is This? In case you were confused, this is Donald's resume. How do I know? Because he has a header at the top center that says "RESUME." Phew! I was confused.

Double Error. Listing two e-mail addresses unnecessarily confuses the reader. When it comes to giving people options on how to contact you, your goal should be to make it as simple as possible. Also, make sure your e-mail addresses are perfectly neutral. One of them on this resume ends in smartfella.com - and I had no clue that they were an ISP in the middle of the country. At first glance, it just sounds like some egotistical Web site the dude runs.

Match Your Headers. When you bill something as "Professional Highlights," please don't give me a factoid like "25 years in transportation management." While that's something important to know, it's clearly not a "highlight." And if it is, you've had a pretty uneventful career.

Formatting. Try to find ways to save space when it comes to dates and addresses. While the TAB button can be the bane of your existence, try to make it your friend. Use the full width of the paper rather than push important information farther down on the page.

Summary, MIA. Each job is followed by "accomplishments" instead of experience. The problem here is that under Donald's most recent job, which he's held for over four years, he lists one measly item. Meanwhile, a job he held four years prior, and for a shorter period of time, gets eight items. C'mon Don! What have you done for yourself lately?

Inconsistent .!? Commas astray and random periods. Even if you're not a punctuation pro and don’t know the difference between a colon and a semi (who does!), at least keep it consistent throughout the document.

Acronym Madness. The Hunter is beginning to find that unidentified acronyms are a chronic resume problem. L.T.L and O.T.R. are listed and leave me wondering W.T.F. are they!?

In the Past. Things that you accomplishes at previous jobs should be referenced in the past tense. Only current gigs get the present treatment.

Sell out your friends. How happy do you think Don's references would be if they found out their contact information has been scattered all over the Web? Should we call them and ask? Nah, that would just be mean. If you are going to list references, you should obviously let them know in advance. Also, they should have a good understanding where their info could end up.

Hope you learned a little something from today's exercise. The Resume Hunter is not perfect. Heck, I've seen his resume and it ain't perfect! However, in 90 seconds, I think he does a nice job of pulling out some problems that we all can learn from. So polish up that resume, you never know who the Hunter will pick apart next.

The Resume Hunter has quickly become one of the most hated people on the Internet. The funny thing is, he's here to help! Not too many Web sites offer a free snapshot critique of your life on paper and help teach you how to write a resume.

The bottom line is, if you're going to make your resume public, then you should have thick enough skin to handle some constructive criticism. This is an exercise we all can benefit from.

Without further fanfare, let's check out the resume of one Kenneth S. Criscione.

In Context: Right off the bat, Kenneth states that he is an "Automotive Professional." This is a great tactic to use when your resume is floating around the Web. Regardless of where it ends up, the reader knows what he's about and can quickly decide to read on or click out and bail.

Find Me: As we've seen on a majority of online resumes so far, there is simply too much personal information up on the top. Aside from the fact that anyone can show up at Ken's doorstep, with so many Web tools available, I can quickly find out that Ken's house is probably worth over $600k. While in the real world this info should be irrelevant, in reality, it could impact an employer's decision.

Summary Overload: While I do appreciate a good summary, this resume should jump into the experience section a little quicker (it's almost halfway down the page). However, kudos on using action verbs wisely. They're strong, effective and not overdone.

Use Exact Stats: Specific = Credible. Throughout the resume very specific numbers are used. "Added 223 service plans, 179 gap contracts," etc. By not rounding these numbers to astronomical heights, I tend to believe that these numbers are truthful. This lends credibility to the resume.

Use Exact Dates: While I complimented the use of numbers above, I have to criticize the dates used for each position. Ken only used years - not months. This leads the reader to believe he is trying too hard to bridge the gap between positions. Unless something is really funky, it's likely best to use months and years for date ranges.

Three Pages: Ok, we're not sticklers for the one-page resume rule. However, three pages might a bit much. There is too much info here on jobs that are 10 years old. After a while, this resume has a repetitive feel and could be - and should be - trimmed down. Each page is numbered and indicates "continued..." on the bottom. This could be made even better by including your phone number up by each heading. That way, if some one only comes across a single page, they know how to contact you.

Abbr.: Unless you are 100% sure that you only want a job within a specific industry, you should avoid abbreviations. I don't know what "F&I" is. Maybe I'm dense - but so are a lot of potential employers. When in doubt, spell it out.

White Space: Substance should always beat style. I'd like to see a little more white space on Kenneth's resume in order for it to be a bit more "readable." If you're gonna stretch it to three pages, and the third page is only 1/2 full, why not use the additional space creatively?

When push comes to shove, this is a pretty nice-looking resume. With a few minor tweaks, it could certainly move to the head of the class.

It's time for our weekly assault - I mean analysis - of a random online resume. In short, I give it a quick 180-second scan and talk about the good, the bad, and the downright stupid. As always, the information below is not to make fun of anyone. Rather, it's an exercise where we can all learn from common resume blunders. Hopefully Ms. Ilvana Do Socorro Azevedo Siqueira will consider our comments below.

Remember: If you're going to post your resume for the world to see, make sure it's good!

- Proper English. I understand that English is not everyone's first language. However, if you do not have an excellent command of the written word, I highly recommend you hunt down one of the gazillion services that will gladly take your money. It's a small investment if it leads to the job of your dreams.

Due to the language issue, I won't bother to pick apart all of the awkward phrases, but there is one that really bothered me: "I was supposed to train all users." Huh? That makes it sound like you were asked - but didn't do it!

- Are We Dating? This might be a cultural thing, but I find it odd that Ms. Azevedo Siqueira includes her photo, age and relationship status. While we probably could have a healthy debate on the inclusion of a photo, there's no room for Match.com-type stats.

- Stalker, Anyone? Here's a recipe for disaster - a female's photo and her home address aimlessly roaming the Web. Not smart.

- Wrong header. Under "PROFESSIONAL PROFILE" she lists "I’m a dynamic, selfconfident person who likes challenges." While a truly generic statement that doesn't hold any weight, it also has no place under this header.

- Playing With Time. Jobs are dated only by year, this leads me to believe that you are hiding inconsistent work experience and lapses in employment. You don't need to include exact dates, but using years, coupled with every job being referred to in the past-tense, implies that you are not currently working.

- Don't Abbr. It's impossible for everyone to know every abbreviation. When in doubt, spell it out! Even if it's industry-specific. What if a layperson or HR specialist looks at your resume? Case in point - under "objective" she lists "Work in TI" What the hell is TI?

- Unskillful. "Internet searching" is not a skill. I mean, you might be good at it, but come on!

- Random Typos: Emplyment, Addictional, selfconfident

Ms. Ilvana Do Socorro Azevedo Siqueira states that she is an MBA grad. Quite frankly, I'd expect a better resume from someone with that level of education.

Before you upload that resume, get it nice and shiny cause The Resume Hunter is on the prowl.

Every career site seems to yammer on and on about "What to Avoid on Your Resume." Jesus. If you don't get it by now, odds are you never will.

While trolling Scribd.com I came across Kevin Cantrell's resume. I have no idea who he is. But a quick glance revealed several crucial resume mistakes. The information below is not to pick on Kevin. Rather it's to help him (and you) see the error of his ways. Besides, if you're going to post your resume for the world to see, you should make sure it's polished.

Please Scam Me. Just like you never put your Social Security number on a paper resume, you should never put all of your contact information on the Web. I would use an e-mail address specific to that resume so you know where your inquiries are coming from. Also, I would use a service like GrandCentral and avoid using your true, everyday phone number. Do not include your home address.

No Errors, Period. I won't bore you with this one but the resume below is missing hyphens and has some serious casing issues.

The "ED" Problem. Directed. Restored. Supported. Compressed? Kevin's resume is littered with action verbs. While useful when used sparingly, every item does not to begin with a word ending in "ed."

Lapse in Judgment. This resume was just uploaded yesterday, yet the work experience ends with September '06. That was almost a year ago! It appears Kevin might have a valid excuse. When scrolling down I see that he's "working towards degree in Microbiology." That's something that should have found its way to the top to explain a year on "inactivity."

Strategic Omission. With experience at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan, why on earth would this dude include a 30-day, 2003 stint at J Crew? I can let the Sea World gig slide since it might tie into the whole microbiology thing. But J Crew?

Look, Kevin's resume isn't horrible. I've seen ones in much worse shape. But the Resume Hunter is out on the prowl. His/Her job is to scour the Web and make examples out of people who put their stuff out there for the universe to consume. We'll be looking for the good, the bad and the ugly in the world of resumes - so prepare accordingly! We can learn something from everyone's' resume, so please subscribe now.

A lot of HR professionals and headhunters check out the Jobacle career blog daily. I encourage them to dish their advice/feedback on this resume below!