Resume mistakes, can quickly take your resume from the ‘to interview list’ to the reject pile. In order to ensure your resume, does not end up in the garbage bin, make sure your resume makes a positive impression on prospective employers, by creating a resume that meets the employer’s needs and by avoiding these top 10 resume mistakes below.
Typos
Proofreading your résumé is critical to your success. Your application is a representation of your best work to a potential employer and one of the biggest gripes of employers and recruiters are of documents littered with errors, including typos. To ensure that your document is error-free, use Australian English on your computer’s spell checker, have at least 24 hours away from the document before proofreading it and get a 3rd party to proof read your document for you.
Poor formatting
Yes content is KING – but equally important is the formatting of your document. Your document should be visually appealing, in the same way company’s package their goods in a way to enhance their appeal for buyers. I mean what would you as a consumer choose for a gift – chocolate wrapped in white butcher paper – or for the same price, chocolate wrapped in rich-looking gold foil with ribbons, in a heart shaped box?
When formatting your résumé, be consistent in design treatments, be conservative, and avoid starting too many consecutive lines with bullets, add white space, break up lengthy paragraphs, balance the résumé top-to-bottom and left-to-right and use no more than 2 font styles.
Using templates from the major job search sites
Literally thousands of job seekers use these templates and if you are in the business of recruiting people, you know straight away the origin of the template and trust me – these online templates don’t make a good first impression!
Not highlighting skills and knowledge
Most resumes get scant attention, so if your resume simply lists your job duties, but fails to draw attention to the skills, knowledge and contributions you have made to prior employers, then it is highly likely your resume will get overlooked.
Creating a one-size-fits-all approach
An effective resume is one that is crafted specifically for the employer and job in question. So don’t send out a one-size-fits-all document, it could result in your application being overlooked.
Developing a wordy, rambling, long, repetitive document
Keep it tight and concise and include only information that is relevant to the position in question. I mean, that award that you got in 1985 for playing soccer is probably now irrelevant and completely redundant information.
Not including a cover letter with your resume
Some employers and recruiters won’t even look at a resume, unless the job candidate has gone to the bother of writing a cover letter. So make sure you include a cover letter with your resume.
Cheap or Coloured Paper
You can design the most amazing resume ever and then spoil it by sending our your resume on pink coloured paper. If sending a hard copy, a straight good quality white paper is all you need, with the document simply stapled at the corner. It is unnecessary to bind your document, in particular if sending your resume through to HR. Bound documents are difficult, if not impossible to scan, so sometimes get discarded.
Incorrect information
Proofreading is not just for the body of the resume, but also for you heading, dates and details about the organisation you worked for. Make sure you read everything.
Cutesy or inappropriate email addresses
Don’t include your work email address, unless applying for an internal position. Instead use your home email address and ensure this is a nice conservative one, i.e. leave the “starstud1@iprimus.com.au”, or “bigkaren@hotmail.com” for family and friends!
Remember resume mistakes will detract from your credentials, reflect badly on you personally and will literally take you of the running for jobs you are more than qualified for.
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Carolyn Smith BA, LLB, PLSC, CARW, CEIC, CERW
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