So, you’re looking for a job. In today’s economic climate, that shouldn’t be very difficult to do. The number of available jobs far outnumber the amount of people currently looking. That’s good news! The bad news is, if you make mistakes on your resume, potential employers will quickly overlook you. It shows a lack of attention to detail.
If you’re really eager to land the job, then make sure your resume is perfect. Pour through every detail. You might get an interview, but if you want that all-important call-back, then you should avoid these common resume mistakes.
“If crafted well, your resume is one of the most valuable marketing tools you have,” says CareerBuilder chief human resources officer Rosemary Haefner. “In a matter of seconds, it can make or break your chances of moving along the hiring journey with a company. That’s why it’s important to be proactive with your resume and avoid embellishments or mistakes.”
1) Mucking It Up
Forbes says the number one thing potential employers look at is skill and experience. Yet, people choose to muck up their resumes to try and add too much personal detail. For example, they’ll list all the exotic places they’ve been or a list of their favorite movies. Employers don’t really care about what places you’ve visited or the movies you watch.
Instead, prove why you’re an asset to their company. Let your work ethic, experience, skills, and personality shine through. Don’t waste their time with frivolous stuff they don’t care about. Be straight and to the point.
2) Don’t Lie
A CareerBuilder survey once found that 75% of hiring managers caught someone lying on their resume. If you want to know what the biggest mistake you can make is, this would be it. You have about 30 seconds to make an impression with your resume. Making up stories and adding fake skills never pays off. Your potential employer will check and call your bluff.
3) Grammar and Spelling Errors
Time magazine says a hiring manager only takes a few second to glance over your resume. They know what they’re looking for right away. If you want them to take a longer look, make sure your resume is free of spelling and grammatical errors. If they see any, especially in the first few lines, that’s a straight line to the reject pile.
Again, your resume is the greatest marketing tool you have. Take the time to proofread it. Have a family member or a friend proofread it. Carefully look over every word. While those types of errors are common to make, overlooking them shows you don’t back up your work. That will turn off any potential employer in a heartbeat.
4) Not Keeping Your Resume to One Page
You might think it’s a good idea to list all the work experience you’ve had or every skill you possess. In the long run, that might be a bad idea. Some people create resumes that are more than a page long and that’s a serious mistake. Hiring managers won’t look at that second page, so it’s not worth the effort adding it.
If you have a lot of work experience, you don’t have to put down every single job. The more jobs you add, the hiring manager will start wondering why you can’t keep a job. And adding every single skill you think you know might lead them to believe you’re embellishing. Only add relevant skills to the job you’re applying for. Keep it simple!
5) Listing Education as a First Item
Remember, hiring managers only take a few second to glance over the resume before deciding if it’s worth a read. You may be proud of your education and want to list it first. That’s great, but to a hiring manager, having a degree isn’t as important as experience. The reason why is simple. Just about every applicant who applies probably has the same degree.
In that case, the employers want to see your experience first. They want to hire the candidate who has the most experience in the job. If they find that candidate, then they might overlook whether they have a degree or not. Your GPA, electives in college, or details like that don’t matter to them, so save space and leave it out.
6) Listing References Without Asking their Permission
Your references might be an important part of the hiring process. In most cases, before a hire is finalized, the manager will call one or all of your references. And if the reference listed isn’t prepared, they could say the wrong things. Even saying something like, “Oh, I didn’t know I was listed as a reference” can turn a manager off.
Asking people is more than a common courtesy. It allows them the opportunity to think of what they’re going to say and how it relates to the job. Also, it’s important to list relevant references. Adding your mom down won’t work. Everyone knows mom won’t have anything bad to say about their precious child.
The best thing to do is list other professionals. Professors, previous employers if you left on good terms, advisors, and so on. Whoever you choose, take the time to notify them and tell them the type of job you’re applying for. This will go a long way in securing the job you’re looking for.
At the end of the day, you are in charge of how you look to an employer. There are multiple facets to the hiring process. So, if you desperately want that interview, take your time on the resume. Don’t rush through it. Make sure it’s absolutely perfect and lists all relevant experience, skills, and employment history.
Don’t leave it to chance. Check multiple times and have someone else look over it. The person best qualified and with the most experience will get the job. Keep that in the back of your mind when filling out the application and creating your resume. You should even consider several resumes and not a one-size-fits-all approach to cover your bases.
