When putting together a resume, your goal is to make a great first impression. But what if the resume you’ve been sending out is having the opposite effect?

What if your resume contains elements that hiring managers find downright annoying?

Katherine Hansen, Ph.D., author of several books on career search issues (find her online at Quintessential Careers), surveyed hiring managers to learn their resume pet peeves. Puffed-up language, overwrought design and writing in the third person are ways she found applicants can get on the bad side of HR.

But what is the single biggest way to get on the hiring manager’s nerves? Focusing on soft skills and neglecting hard facts.

Read a stack of resumes for yourself, and you will grasp the truth of it. Candidates applying for positions as Retail Link Analysts or Category Development Managers may declare that they are highly-motivated, creative and versatile. Some announce themselves to be enthusiastic, committed and positive, with the highest standards of integrity and excellent interpersonal skills. Readers are left to wonder: Do you have any technical skills? Any accomplishments? What can you do?

Soft skills are valuable, but they do not hold up well by themselves. Make it a point always to lead with facts:

• Managed company's key accounts for Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Costco and Target.
• MBA with emphasis in Global Marketplace Studies.
• Offering 5 years experience in Category Management.
• Expert user of Retail Link, ProSpace and syndicated data.

Once you’ve established credibility with facts, your statement about teamwork or organizational skills carries more weight. Even so, be prepared to provide specific examples demonstrating how and when those skills made a difference.