Avoid These 6 Deadly Resume Mistakes

Categories

by Heather Huhman, Glassdoor Blog

resume mistakesEvery job seeker knows the importance of writing a quality resume.

Quality resumes are error-free, illustrate your accomplishments, and are targeted to the employer. While most job seekers follow these guidelines, there are some mistakes that are easily overlooked when writing a resume.

If you feel like your resume is perfect but you still haven’t received any job interviews, here are six deadly resume mistakes you’re probably making:

1. Wrong tense.

When talking about previous experience, use the past tense. When talking about your current position, use the present tense. Seems easy, right? While this seems like a simple grammar fix, it’s a mistake many job seekers make on their resumes.

As you proofread your resume, pay close attention to the tense of your writing. Read your resume aloud multiple times and think about the verb tense you use for each section. You might be surprised at the mistakes you find.

2. Poor word choice.

Another common mistake is poor word choice. As you proofread your resume, be aware of the words you use to describe your experience and watch out for homophones (words that sound alike but are spelled differently).

For example, be aware of words like “to, two, and two”, “affected and effected”, and “their, there, and they’re.” Checking for this common mistake can prevent your resume from going in the trash.

Also, remember to use specific words on your resume. Avoid using vague words such as “many, varied, or some.” For example, instead of saying “improved company profits,” change it to “increased company profits by X dollars.” As you can tell, by changing “improved” to “increased,” you create more impact with your statement.

3. No links to social media profiles.

If you’re not on LinkedIn or don’t have a digital portfolio, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to impress employers.

To make your resume stand out, it’s essential to include links to your social media profiles. URLs for your LinkedIn or Twitter accounts can be placed in the header of your resume following your contact information.

4. Putting your skills section last.

Every resume must have a skills section. However, what’s even more important to remember is the placement of your skills section.

The skills section of your resume should be the first thing employers read. When you write your skills section, target your skills towards the qualifications for the position. This will help your resume stand out from other applications.

5. Unnecessary details.

Employers don’t care about every job you’ve had in your entire life. They only care about the experience you have that pertains to the position you’re applying for.

For example, if you’re applying for your first entry-level job after college, don’t include your extra-curricular activities from high school or the babysitting jobs you had in college. Employers only want to learn about the jobs you had that will make you a great fit for the position.

6. Sharing too much information.

Your resume isn’t meant to be your life history. Don’t include information regarding your religion, marital status, hobbies unrelated to your job, or how many children you have. These are details that should stay out of the application and interview process during your job search.

Share It