Daily Archives: August 2, 2014

The 5 Biggest Mistakes You Can Make On Your Resume

Posted: August 2, 2014 at 10:26 pm

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Writing an effective resume is an art. Not everyone can do it, and most people would benefit by hiring an expert. Here are the top 5 biggest mistakes most people make when preparing their resumes.

  1. Including too many typos, misspellings, and grammatical mistakes – Let’s face it. Not everyone is a writer. If you struggle with spelling and grammar, then you should hire a professional. Potential employers will judge your ability to pay attention to detail based on your resume. A single typo could disqualify you for the job.
  1. Providing too much or not enough information – The common myth that you should keep your resume to one page is wrong. Your resume should be long enough to include all of your relevant experience, but no more.
  1. Including an objective (or a poorly written one) – Many resume experts now believe objective statements aren’t necessary. Executive summaries are more professional. If you do use an objective statement, make sure it is relevant to the job you are seeking.
  1. It isn’t focused on your accomplishments – This mistake is played out in a number of ways. Many people write previous position descriptions that do not showcase their accomplishments. If they do, then they aren’t quantified. Present your past accomplishments in quantifiable terms, such as “increased sales by 50% over a 4-year period,” as opposed to “improved the sales ratio of the company.” Another way resume writers go wrong is by listing their job duties instead of their accomplishments. Make your resume specific and tell potential employers how you benefited previous managers.
  1. Absence of keywords – You’d better plan on posting your resume online, and if you do that, then it needs to include relevant keywords. Hiring managers will search for potential job candidates by keywords associated with the position for which they are hiring. Your resume should target those keywords.

How to Ensure Your Resume Does Not Include These Mistakes

If you expect to be called in for an interview on your next job search, make sure you present a professional and clean resume that highlights your career accomplishments. Don’t leave anything that is relevant to the position you are seeking off the resume. That includes hobbies and volunteer positions—if those experiences are relevant to the position.

If you insist on writing your own resume, have a friend or associate look it over and note any typos or ways it can be improved upon. Ask someone you respect to judge your resume as a potential employer would.

Your resume is the ticket to your next job interview. Make sure it is as near perfect as it can be. If you can’t get it there on your own, hire a professional. At the very least, you should hire a professional to edit your resume after you have written it to ensure it meets these quality guidelines.