One of the biggest no-nos that can happen during your job search is you making a mistake on your resume. As a matter of fact, the easiest way for you to get filtered out for an open position is having a resume with many mistakes on it.
When you think about it, this makes a whole lot of sense. Your resume is how hiring managers form an opinion of you as a candidate. If your resume is filled with typos, grammatical errors, etc., they’re going to think you’re unqualified and unprofessional. This, among other mistakes, is how you fail at a job search.
So, here are some of the major resume mistakes people make and how you can avoid them.
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1. Spelling and Grammatical Errors
Nothing kills a resume faster than these two. Yes, you need to make sure you spell check your resume before sending in, but there’s one other thing you can do: Have someone else read it! It can be hard to spot your own mistakes, so get a friend, family member, or someone else you trust to look it over. If you can find someone else, then try changing up the font, its size and color, and the format. Your mind has gotten used to how your resume looks, so it can get hard for you to spot errors. Doing this will refresh how your mind perceives your resume.
2. No Keywords That Match the Job
You HAVE to put keywords in your resume that match the job listing. If you don’t put those in your resume, there’s a good chance you won’t get noticed. Why? The hiring manager won’t think you have the skills necessary for the job.
3. It’s Outdated
Don’t look dated and obsolete. Updated your resume and target it to each job you apply for. Also, you need to make sure that your skills section and work history are up-to-date. Most importantly, have computer and technical skills on your resume, as well.
4. You Have Too Much Information
We get it, you want the hiring manager to know all about how great you are. That’s fine, but don’t bog them down with too much information. Just focus on the highlights and keep your resume to preferable 1 page, but no more than 2. Using things like bullet points or short paragraphs make your resume much more readable. Finally, only keep the last 10-15 years of experience on it. It isn’t necessary to give them your entire life story!
5. Your Objective Doesn’t Match the Job
If your objective statement doesn’t fit with the job, you’re already toast. Nowadays, some job seekers don’t even include an objective, which is fine, but if you do put one in there, please tailor it to the job!
6. Your Career Summary Doesn’t Match the Job
Similar to #5, using a mismatch of different qualifications is a bad look. Your main skills in your summary need to be skills that satisfy the requirements of the job. If they don’t, leave them off.
7. Your Position Descriptions Don’t Say What You Accomplished
That’s great that you had all of those various responsibilities at that one job, but what did those responsibilities accomplish? Be sure to put active statements in your resume that showcase your skills and accomplishments. You need to show how you brought value to your role.
8. Including Irrelevant or Mundane Information
Unless you start with the best, most hard-hitting information in each section, you’re going to lose the reader. You don’t want that. You need to show that you have the skills needed for the job.
9. You Don’t Quantify Your Achievements
Don’t put phrases in your resume that sound self-congratulatory. Instead, you need to put in hard evidence that supports all of the great statements you’ve made about yourself. Put in statistics, like the sales figures you produced or the number of people you oversaw.
10. You’re Too Modest
Don’t be modest! You’ve had an amazing career and you’re a fantastic candidate. If you’ve won awards or received any special recognition, put it in there. You could say something like: “Promoted to regional director upon increasing sales by 30%.”
Hopefully these will help you write the best resume possible. If you still find yourself needing some help, you know who to call.
