Have you been applying for lots of jobs but got a response from none? You might be making some serious mistakes, then. Resumes are very common to mistakes, as they are very technical and critical to write. But, it is never too late to fix the errors. You can still land your dream job if you are aware of your mistakes and correct them on time. If not today, you can get the job tomorrow(if you fix the problems). In this article, you will go through the nine deadliest mistakes in writing the resume that is preventing you from getting the right kick in your career. Without further ado, let’s jump straight into it.
1. Avoiding customization of your resume:
Although usually overlooked, this is one of the essential things that job aspirants need to know. Your resume should appeal to the niche of employers and the designation you are applying for. A generic resume does not work well for all sorts of jobs and vacancies. For example, you will need a differently structured resume each for the job of a social media manager and graphic designer.
The recruiters of each job require different skill sets and different work experiences. It means that your resume should be tailored to their requirements. One report suggests that 54% of recruiters think that the lack of customization is one of the common reasons for rejection. Yet, it is one of the most common mistakes that job seekers make. They keep applying for all jobs with one time created resume, which is the biggest barrier in getting them the opportunities out there in the market. Therefore, it is essential to update and tailor the resume for each job according to its requirements.
2. Improper structure:
Improper structure or layout is one of the key elements of low-performing resumes. It is because almost 24% of recruiters spend less than 30 seconds on checking a resume. It means that each resume has less than a minute to appeal to the recruiter. Now, you can imagine what the recruiters will do if they find a dense and hodgepodged resume in front of them. Of course, that will put it in the trash bin.
In order to click the recruiter immediately, you need to focus on the overall look of the resume. The appeal of the resume includes the proper structure and format that highlights the keywords and key points. In essence, you must create a resume that is neat and has good organization and a hierarchical flow of information. Separating each section with a considerable margin and white space and using bullet points instead of paragraphs can enhance the layout of the resume. The proper structure enables the recruiter to grasp all essential information at a glance.
3. Grammatical and typo errors:
Imagine a university professor wearing a disco-styled jumper and flip-flops to deliver a lecture to the class. Looks weird right? The same is the kind of impression that a resume can have on the employer with grammatical and typo errors. According to Careerbuilder, typo and grammatical mistakes are the potential deal-breakers in resumes for the recruiters.
The language used in the resume is always simple, so you do not need to write complex sentences (which has more chances of grammatical errors). You must use simple sentences but make sure they do not have grammatical errors. To avoid such errors you can ask an expert to proofread it for you or take the assistance of proofreading software.
It is also very necessary to avoid typo errors which happen very commonly. To remove this error, it is essential to check and recheck the resume. By making your resume void of grammatical and typo errors, you can increase the chance of getting a call for an interview from your dream job.
4. Focusing on duties instead of accomplishments:
The accomplishments of the candidate speak themselves about the skills and aptitude of the candidate. It is essential to spare enough room for the accomplishments in the resume. However, many applicants with professional work experience emphasize their duties instead of their accomplishments. They forget that the title of their job says well about their duties; the resume should tell about how they accomplished their duties for the benefit of an organization. Focusing on the duties instead of accomplishments in the resume can be a fiasco. The recruiter needs to know how good you are at your job; that is why you have to be concerned about the achievements in a job instead of roles.
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5. Neglecting essential skills:
One essential thing that most people miss is the inclusion of essential skills in the resume. The essential skills refer to the relevant skills of the applicant to the vacancy he is applying to. People omit skills or mention a few skills that do not relate to the job requirement. Mentioning in the resume that you are a good painter while applying for the job of a web developer does not only look meaningless but can also cost you the job. However, mentioning skills related to programming languages may spike the interest of the recruiter. Therefore, it is essential to mention the relevant skills that can make your resume stronger.
6. Unprofessional email address:
The unprofessional email address makes 35% of top resume dealbreakers for the recruiters. So, first of all, let’s break down what is an unprofessional email address. Defining a professional email address will help us identify an unprofessional email address.
A professional email address is an email that you use for business communication. It should have your half/full name and the business name(if applicable). Using adjectives and informal words in the professional email is highly unprofessional.
The following are examples of unprofessional email addresses:
7. Way too long, or too short details:
Bear in mind that you have to restrict yourself from writing very few or very long descriptions. Giving a small description means giving incomplete information, where the recruiter is unable to completely grasp the information that you want to deliver. The too-long descriptions, on the other hand, cause visual stress. Also, they are hardly read by a hiring manager, given that he has to review plenty of other resumes.
Make sure you contain yourself to the right length. Now, what is the right length? An ideal resume is one page long; therefore, you must keep this length in mind and try to adjust all the sections seamlessly. However, it is absolutely fine if the resume becomes two pages long. It means you must never constrict the information to one page without leaving any white space that makes the resumes visually anomalous. Remember, any resume longer than two pages is a deal-breaker.
One another thing to note is that you must add keywords to the resume as 75% of recruiters use the ATS (applicant tracking system) that automatically scans resumes for keywords. Most of the resumes are rejected before they are reviewed by a human.
8. Writing an inappropriate objective or summary:
The objective or a summary is an essential part of the resume. It offers a precise overview of the resume, that makes it easy for the reviewer to pick key points or key information. However, writing an objective or summary that does not link to the job requirement is a big blunder. The objective or summary should aptly encapsulate your skills and professional work experience related to the job requirement. Make sure you mention the essential keywords in the objective or summary that makes your resume relevant to the job requirement.
9. Wrong Information:
Writing wrong information on the resume is the biggest mistake that jeopardizes the professional career of the candidate. The recruiters are able to catch the false information on the resume immediately. 75% of recruiters have caught false information on the resume(Careerbuilder). Even if the candidates are able to deceive the recruiters and get called for an interview, they are easily caught in the process of the interview.
Many ask if a lying resume can get a candidate in real trouble. Precisely, it does. It gets you in trouble in a way that you may not get the job and once you lose the trust among the employers, it will be difficult for you to get a job. But it is not essentially illegal because it is not a legal document. In essence, it is about being loyal to yourself and the job requirement. Therefore, it is essential to be honest with the recruiters and yourself if you are passionate about a job.
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Other elements of bad resumes:
The other indicators of bad resumes that can trouble your job application are:
Confusing flow:
The information on the resume must have a flow that creates an image in the recruiter’s mind regarding your persona and work experience. For example, it may begin with objective/ summary, then move to work experience, skills, and education. A haphazard and interrupted flow is a major cause of distress in the hiring manager that ends up with the rejection of the resume.
Lack of interest:
You may have lots of potential and aptitude but what matters in the resume is how you put it. The resume must show that that you are most suitable for the job. It must show that you have made an effort to create the resume to get hired. Most recruiters ignore typo and grammatical mistakes when the candidate has ample skills and work experience. But when these mistakes cross a limit, it shows the lack of interest in the applicant. Therefore, checking and rechecking the resume are essential steps post-writing.
In a nutshell…
Before you apply for any job, make sure you avoid some of the common and significant mistakes. Such mistakes include bad formatting, grammatical mistakes, irrelevant information, wrong information, and too lengthy or too short descriptions. That said, if you do not want to tire yourself tailoring to the job’s requirement every time, leave that job to our expert resume writers who can create professional, ATS-friendly, and tailored to job requirement resumes.
