Searching for a New Job? Avoid These Common Resume Mistakes

No one likes working on their resume, but it’s a necessary evil when it’s time for a new job. Condensing your entire work experience and qualifications into just one or two pages can seem like a huge ask. After all, how are you supposed to stand out from a crowd with so few words, and how are you supposed to score an interview without being able to put your achievements in context? Crafting the perfect resume isn’t always a simple process, but knowing what not to do is.

Messing Up the Length

Resumes are like a good book. They’re not too short or too long and should hold the reader’s attention from beginning to end. When your resume is too short, you miss out on vital details that would put you in the running for the rule. when it’s too long, you often lose the hiring manager’s attention.

The key to writing a solid, effective resume is finding that balance between being concise and specific enough. Ultimately, the hiring manager doesn’t need a play-by-play of every class you took in college, but they do need to know your relevant abilities and experience. Instead of trying to cram in everything you’ve done in your adult life into such a small, outline the most relevant information and focus on drawing attention to what the hiring manager will care about.

Using a One-Size-Fits-All Approach

Did you know that your resume should never look the same when applying to different jobs? It’s not enough to just slap on a custom cover letter and submit the same resume to multiple places, especially in a competitive job market. Take the time to customize your resume to catch the attention of recruiters.

Before submitting a resume, scan through the job listing. Tailor your resume to showcase the skills the job is asking for to catch the attention of recruiters and hiring managers. Cut out any information that’s irrelevant to the job to save space for the good stuff to improve your chances of getting called back for an interview.

Skipping the Keywords

Keywords are for more than just attracting clicks on websites. They also help your resume stick out of the crowd. Keywords relevant to the listing could be naming the specific credentials, tools, software and technology the job asks for. These keywords will help a hiring manager determine how relevant your experience is and can give you a big step up in the competition for the position.

Having a Cluttered Resume

How organized is your resume? All too often, people try to cram far more information than they need into their two pages, creating a cluttered, hard-to-navigate paper that’s going to cause a recruiter’s eyes to glaze over and get your resume tossed into the rejection bin. When your resume only has about 6 seconds to make a lasting impression, keeping it clean and clear and focusing on ease of readability will go a long way.

Skipping the Final Review

Once the resume’s all done, don’t just send it off without reviewing it first. Check all of the details to make sure you haven’t missed a typo or messed up some of the information. It’s always a good idea to get a fresh set of eyes to review the information in advance, so ask a friend, family member or significant other read over everything to check for anything you may have missed.