Writing a great resume isn't as easy as it seems. Here are some mistakes that can kill your resume, along with your chances of landing the job.
It used to be, back when I was in college, that students were taught that to land a great job in the industry they wanted, they needed an amazing resume. And, in order to craft that amazing resume, all you had to do was use a nice, sleek template and fill in the blanks.
First, you put in your contact information. Next, you write a great objective and then you copy your work and education history. Then, suddenly employers are lining up to hire you for exactly the job you were looking for.
These days, not so much.
In fact, if you were to do that today, odds are good that your resume wouldn't even be enough to get you considered for the job. Let's face it, times have changed. These days, in order to write a resume that will make you stand out from the line of other job seekers, you have to be willing to put in some time and effort. It doesn't matter if you are new to the workplace or if you have years of experience, either way, there are still some resume mistakes you may be making that can sabotage your efforts.
Here are some of the biggest mistakes you may be making on your resume:
- Spelling and grammar errors – You would think by now this would be common sense, but there are still people who don't take the time to proofread their resume before sending it out. Always proofread your document, run it through a spelling and grammar check in your word processing software. If you aren't able to deliver a professional, error free product for an employer during the application process, they probably aren't going to want to see what sort of work you will do if you got the job.
- A vague objective paragraph – Most of the time, experts recommend leaving out the objective altogether. But, I think that it is a good idea to use the space to write a short sentence that restates the job title you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a job as a junior editor, you may want to write Junior Editorial Qualification in that spot. This will allow the person who screens any new resumes to know what job you are applying for.
- Not using keywords in your previous work history – Make sure that you use all of the specific keyword that the employer uses in the job advertisement. For example, if they advertise that they are looking for candidates who have experience using PowerPoint, listing that you are extremely competent using all of the Microsoft Office Suite products isn't the same as stating that you have 5 years experience with PowerPoint. The reason this is so important is that most companies use filtering programs to sift through the resumes they receive and select only the candidates who the program determines are a good match.
- Making your resume too long – A resume is like an advertisement, not a complete history of every job you have ever had. The goal is to give the prospective employer an easy to read a document that tells them who you are and why you would be the perfect fit for the job. List your relevant experience and be sure that your resume tells a story. Let it illustrate how you got to where you are in your career and show the unique skills and experience that make you a candidate worth taking a second look at. If your resume is longer than two pages, it's probably a good idea to do some trimming.
- Lying on your resume – No matter what the reason is, just don't do it. In this day and age, most items on your resume are too easily checked. Do you really want to destroy your credibility and ruin your professional relationship? I didn't think so. If you are certain that there is something in your history (or lacking in your history) that will be a deal breaker for an employer, then you need to work a bit harder to find the right job. Lying isn't going to change anything.
What are some of the biggest mistakes you have seen on resumes? Let me know in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for CommunicationsJobBlog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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