Although a resume is the first impression job seekers get to make, it’s amazing how many people continue to gloss over errors. In today’s job market, you need to make sure your resume is going to be read rather than quickly scanned and thrown away.
You want your resume to impress the future employer reading it. So, do you know what your resume really says about you? Here are some typical resume mistakes job seekers make and how they translate to employers.
1. Forgetting To Proofread Your Resume
Typos, misspelled words, and bad grammar mistakes can make a hiring manager think you’re careless or won’t pay attention to details on the job. Show you are serious about the job opportunity and capable of doing the job by choosing words carefully and catching any mistakes.
2. Including Too Much Information
Including too much information can make employers think you aren’t able to write clearly and concisely, which has become increasingly important in today’s high-tech world. Your resume might not be read if it’s too long, either. For an effective resume, focus on white space, bullet points, and quantifying your work experience.
3. Your Resume Is Poorly Organized
A busy, cluttered resume may make employers think you are unorganized and scatterbrained, and that those characteristics could carry over to the job. Make sure your resume formatting is consistent throughout the document and use headings and bullet points to organize information on your resume.
4. You Send The Same Document For Every Job Opening
This shows you don’t care enough about the job opportunity to send a tailored/customized resume. It might also tell employers you aren’t great at adapting. Always customize your resume for each position you apply for. That way, the potential employer will see the exact skills and experience you have that are relevant to the position and realize you’re a great, qualified candidate who could help them reach their goals.
5. You Use An Inappropriate Email Address
This will very likely make hiring managers skip your resume altogether. It’s unprofessional. Create an email account with some variation of your name for job-seeking purposes.
6. You Include Incorrect Or False Information
This can make the employer think you haven’t updated your resume for the job opening—or worse, that you aren’t being honest. Lying on your resume is never a good idea. Instead, learn how to properly demonstrate your value as a business-of-one.
Need more resume tips? Here’s how to spruce up your resume in just a few minutes:
- Change all responsibilities to accomplishments you had at the position. Most people who’ll read your resume don’t want to hear about the general tasks you did, but rather how you benefited the company while you were there.
- Eliminate anything that doesn’t pertain to the job for which you are applying. You want to show the employer you know what they are looking for and you are it.
- Read your resume out loud or have a friend look it over. You will catch anything that sounds awkward and your friend can probably give you some suggestions you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.
- Don’t bury important skills. If it’s important in your field to have extensive computer skills, write about that in your “Experience Summary” section (at the top) rather than burying it in a “Skills” section (at the bottom).
The lesson is to take your time to make your resume showcase the best “you.” Highlight those accomplishments. Update it when necessary. Make it concise, compelling, and error-free. Once you do this, you’ll be ready to apply for your dream job and find the career success you deserve.
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