When you apply for a job, you have approximately 6-8 seconds to capture the attention of recruiters. This is where your resume plays a significant role. A shabbily written resume will immediately lead to rejection. However, there’s no need to be alarmed just yet.
The first step to presenting effective resumes is to identify common mistakes. Having complete clarity about these mistakes will help you eliminate them effectively. In these blogs, we will mull over several resume mistakes to help you prevent them in future.
- Presenting Generic, Boring Details
As you prepare to apply for jobs, think about the recruiters. They are probably sitting with a pile of resumes, many of which look similar. They are the ones you need to impress, hence sharing a generic resume isn’t going to cut it.
Tailor your resume so it shows your potential employers that you’re a perfect fit for a specific position they’re hiring for. At the very least, ensure that it shows you’ve read the job description, meet the required qualifications, and are capable of taking on the responsibilities.
Even if your resume already fits their job description, spare some time to go through it. Highlight any particular experience that aligns with the job description and includes data and metrics from your work experience to indicate how your work has brought a positive impact to your previous employers.
2. Not Supporting Your Claims With Valid Data
Let’s compare the following statements:
Increased sales
Vs.
Maximized annual sales by 25% from the year 2021 by successfully altering the sales script
Which one do you think looks more effective? That’s right, the second one. The statement is specific. It allows recruiters to see the applicant’s precise achievements, as well as how they achieved them and how long it took to succeed.
For any kind of experience mentioned in your resume, it’s ideal to incorporate details on the:
- The outcome. What kind of results did you bring? Use numbers to elaborate.
- How You Achieved The Outcome. What did you do to achieve the results?
- Timeframe. How much time did it take for you to achieve the results?
3. Adding the obvious skills
Speaking of skills, another common resume mistake is incorporating the obvious skills everyone possesses. It’s 2023, and it’s already implied computers, Microsoft Office, Excel, and the like of them. You’re only wasting precious space on your resume by including such skills when you could use that space to better present yourself.
It’d be wise to incorporate more technical skills that set you apart from other candidates. Some of the most popular skills include:
- Google Analytics
- HTML and CSS
- Salesforce
- Photoshop
4. Grammatical and Spelling Errors
Imagine the irony if you put “attention to detail” as one of your skills on the resume but it’s riddled with grammar and spelling mistakes. That’s one way to drive the recruiters away!
Before submitting your resume, always ensure to:
- Run it through a grammar-checking tool to detect the mistakes.
- Look for sentences that don’t sound right or things that could be expressed better. Read it slowly and carefully, you can read it aloud if that helps. While grammar checkers are efficient, they are not 100% accurate.
- Ask a friend or a family member to read through and spot any mistakes that you have skipped.
5. Not Tailoring your Resume Based on the Specific Job Requirements
It’s common for most job seekers to create one resume and apply to multiple jobs with it. However, this isn’t a good practice.
At the end of the day, every single job you’ll apply to is different in terms of the skills and experiences they require. Hence, your resume should focus on what they’re looking for. Even if the companies belong to the same industry, their requirements may differ.
Thus, it’s vital to read the job description carefully and then tailor the resume based on the requirements specified there.
6. Picking the Wrong Template
Not all resume templates have the same impact.
Some templates are attractive, simple to skim through, and they’re noticeable even in a pile of a hundred other resumes. Then there are the mediocre ones. Thus, choose a resume template that:
- Is visually appealing. It’s advised that your resume should have some colour other than the simple black-and-white. However, you must ensure your resume templates aren’t too over-the-top when it comes to design.
- Legible font style and size. It’s best to use simple font styles such as Calibri, Arial and Times New Roman.
7. Not Maintaining a Clear Formatting
Ideally, there are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse- Chronological
This is the traditional format with a specific emphasis on work experience. According to this format, you need to first present your most recent experience and work your way to the previous ones.
- Functional
This one emphasises more on the skillsets of jobseekers instead of their work experiences. It’s ideal for recent graduates and those looking for a career switch who don’t have a lot of experience to incorporate into their resume.
- Combination
A mix of the other two formats, with equal emphasis on work experience and skills.
While combination and functional formats are great options to choose from, the reverse-chronological is the most recognized format and, in many cases, a more appropriate option to pick.
8. Using Paragraphs Instead Of Bullets
Work experience is the most significant in resumes. Hence, it’s imperative that this section is accurately formatted, intelligible, and represents your skills and experiences efficiently.
Many candidates write their work experience in paragraph form, which defeats the purpose of making the section easy to comprehend and more organised. Instead, write the section in bullet points. It’ll enhance readability and maximise your chances of getting selected for the job. Use action verbs and power words to the bullet points.
9. Listing Unrelated Hobbies
Incorporating hobbies in a resume is advisable only when it adds value to the position you’re applying for. For instance, if you’re applying for a management position, and your hobby is volunteering for a social cause, you can include it in the resume as it highlights your leadership abilities.
On the contrary, if your hobby includes playing the piano and you’re applying for the position of web developer, you should avoid adding it to your resume altogether.
10. Not Pointing Out a Career Change
If you’re switching careers, it’s essential to highlight it in your resume. Otherwise, the recruiter will think you’re just applying to random jobs and will reject you automatically reject your application.
For example, if your past experience is in public relations and you’re applying for a role in graphic design, you must point it out.
Now, how do you mention in your resume that you’re switching careers? First of all, write a resume objective.
“Experienced Public relations professional looking for an entry-level job in graphic design.”
Next, write a skill summary to show that you have the required skill.
Parting thoughts,
An attractive resume is a gateway to various lucrative job opportunities. One small mistake means one opportunity is lost and subsequently leads to disappointment. However, identifying the common mistakes can ensure you never lose out on any job opportunity in the future. We hope these insights will guide you to craft the best resumes and win over the recruiters in the process.