10 Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Resume Tips to Help Make you a Standout Candidate For Your Dream Job

Are you preparing to apply for your dream job but don’t want to fall into the common job seekers traps?

Your resume has one job to do – get you an interview. Mistakes can be expensive and may cost you an interview and even the job. What are the 10 resume mistakes to avoid?

1.    Typos and Grammatical Errors

Typos and grammatical errors on a resume will make you look unprofessional. They scream ‘this candidate has no attention to detail’. Typos and grammatical errors make your resume hard to read, and the reviewer may question your ability to be diligent. At best you’ll be labeled as lazy. At worst, as incompetent. Carefully proof your resume, as these types of errors are 100% avoidable.

2.    Omitting Important Information

Your resume should make it easy for the reviewer to select you as a qualified candidate. Neglecting important information – such as qualifications, skills, and experience – the reviewer may pass over your resume. With gaps in your resume,  the hiring manager might begin to question what it is you may be hiding.

3.    Not Tailoring the Resume to the Job

Do you want it to appear that you haven’t done your research, and that you don’t really care about this specific job? If your resume lacks focus, how does the reviewer identify that you have the skills and qualifications needed? How do they know that you are really interested in joining them?

By tailoring your resume to the job, you are more likely to stand out from your competition. The reviewer will see that your skills and experience are exactly what is needed.

4.    Using a Generic Personal Statement

Your personal statement is brief; you grab attention and compel the reviewer to learn more about you. To take this opportunity, it must be meaningful and emotive. It’s got to outline why you want the role, how your qualifications and experience make you the ideal candidate, and how you will be an asset to the company. Saying that you wish to ‘obtain a challenging role in a dynamic organization’ just doesn’t cut it.

5.    Exaggeration or Dishonesty

Exaggerating your qualifications and experience might get you an interview, but you’ll soon be found out. People talk and that’s going to rule you out of being hired and could damage your chances of getting a job elsewhere. You don’t want to gain a reputation as being untrustworthy and unreliable.

6.    Including Irrelevant Information

You should keep your resume as brief as possible. Hiring managers are busy people, and including irrelevant information makes it difficult to quickly see why they must interview you. Plus, of course, it makes it look like you haven’t paid attention to the job advertisement.

7.    Using an Unprofessional Email Address

An unprofessional email address makes a poor first impression. It distracts from your qualities, and is a red flag for hiring managers who wish to hire a mature and conscientious candidate – not someone who hasn’t moved on from their teenage email address of ‘bobthecaveman@bigboymail.com’.

8.    Overuse of Technical Jargon

Your resume must be clear, concise, and easy to read. Remember, the reviewer may not have the in-depth knowledge and experience that you have. So keep the technical jargon to a minimum and use keywords that are included in the job advertisement.

9.    Using an Outdated Format

Part of what makes your resume easy to read is how it looks on the page. Using a modern and professional format can help to make a good first impression and demonstrate you are organized and serious about your employment.

10. Not Including Enough Action Words

Action words such as ‘managed’, ‘created’, or ‘improved’ can help to demonstrate your accomplishments and make your experience and qualifications stand out.

Make Your Resume Stand Out

Remember, your resume is often the first impression that a hiring manager will have of you, so it’s important to make it as polished and professional as possible.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll be able to increase your chances of landing an interview and getting the job you want.

But, even with a sparkling resume, it can still be challenging to secure a job interview. Which is where we come in.

To learn how we help candidates land their dream job – which is often not advertised – submit your resume to 6 Degrees Group.

Take the next step in your job search today