6 Resume Mistakes To Avoid
They say you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression and when it comes to job applications, the resume is very often that first opportunity to impress. And so, we don’t want avoidable mistakes to get in the way! Avoid these 6 resume mistakes to make sure you get off on the right foot, and showcase your skills with confidence.
RESUME MISTAKE #1 Spelling mistakes and basic formatting errors
Yes, it sounds obvious and it is but these basic errors can leave you on the ‘no pile’ before you’ve even had a chance to be considered. Leave your document and return to it another day when reviewing as you may be surprised what you miss after hours of looking at the same thing and hence what you may pick up the next day, get someone else to read it if you can for an external opinion. Use consistent fonts and sizing, make sure your titles and headers stand out with bold or larger / different fonts and check how your document presents when opened from email, as well as when in read and print formats/ First impressions count and often a file may open and appear poorly formatted when saved in certain document types so cross check what you are working with and be confident in your presentation. Use dot points to make the content easier to digest and navigate.
RESUME MISTAKE #2 Unnecessary text
A resume should be to the point and filled with facts about your experience, skills, qualifications, personal details. Avoid ‘storytelling’ in your resume and leave that for your cover letter or interview. Recruiters and hiring managers are more often than not, short on time and want to be able to find the key information quickly to make a decision, the narrative and use of text that just isn’t necessary can make this harder for them and leave you missing out on a fair review. Help them to help you and get to the point.
RESUME MISTAKE #3 Generic statements and information
You need to be showcasing facts about your experience and as such ensure that you are specific in what you did, when you did it, and how much you did. E.g. ‘Team leadership’ should be ‘Team leadership of up to five ranging from Graduate Engineer to Lead Project Managers.’ That level of detail helps to add credibility to your experience and showcase the true breadth of what you have done. Just because something is obvious, and perhaps a given to you, does not mean you shouldn’t include it, remember that the reader may not be an expert in your field and will need to visibly see key words and experience in order to pass you to the next stage. Make their life easier, and, again, help them to help you!
RESUME MISTAKE #4 Gaps left unexplained
In this day and age there are so many more gaps on peoples resumes that I would argue it is more accepted but you still need to explain the detail of what you were doing during those gaps. Renovating property, travelling with family, re-calibrating post redundancy, whatever it is add the dates and the facts and you can avoid any doubt that may arise otherwise. But what if I am judged for having the time out I hear you cry!? Well, the truth is the truth and you’ll get found out eventually so act with integrity from the get go, give the explanation, what skills or experience you gained from it and rest easy knowing you are being true.
RESUME MISTAKE #5 You are lacking achievements
Outlining a list of your responsibilities is useful but you need to include your key achievements specific to that role as well or in some cases, instead. This helps you to stand out from any other ‘insert job title here’ and ensure that your noteworthy accomplishments are clear. When noting them, again be specific. How many people did you lead on the project, how much money or time was saved as a result of your work, what was the %ROI you achieved on the budget of X that you managed…..you get the picture. The detail adds credibility, and allows you to show off the impact of your efforts.
RESUME MISTAKE #6 Using a generic resume
Writing a resume can be hard work, and something many would rather do once and leave it well alone BUT sadly this is unlikely to get you the best result. You need to ensure that you are checking and tailoring the resume you submit each time you apply to a job. Understand what the key criteria or deliverables are for the role and ensure your resume speaks directly to those areas. Add more detail to experiences that the role talks more about, and take away detail if necessary on experiences the role talks less about. Move the big ticket items to the top of your page / lists so they are easy to find, and try to use the language used in the advert or job description where possible. This will all help the reader to see that you are clearly a contender for the role. Taking things for granted, being generic with language can leave the reader mis-understanding your resume and mistaking it for someone who can’t do the role. It happens a lot, so try your best to avoid being in that situation.
Did you find these resume tips helpful?
There are so many different, and sometimes conflicting, views on resume content and style which can be confusing, and so if you are stuck as to how best to present yourself to maximise your chances of success, reach out to us and seek more personalised advice to your situation and we would be happy to ensure you are selling your skills to best effect. We know that the cost of getting it wrong can far away any investment you may make.
