Have you been pushing out your resume and wondering why it’s not generating any interviews? It’s most likely your resume and not you! You’re resume is the very first impression you give off, and it needs to make a good one. You’re resume should be strong, memorable, and show just how amazing you are at what you do.
Here are 5 of the most common resume mistakes:
1. Visually unappealing:
· If your resume is packed full of text with three different fonts, it will be overwhelming to the employer and likely deter them from reading it. If it’s hard on eyes, revise!
2. Highlighting duties instead accomplishments:
· Your resume should show the employer just how great you are at what you do, but it’s easy to start listing what your duties are, instead of what you’ve accomplished. Employers don’t care as much about your duties but want to know what you’ve achieved.
3. Having a generic resume:
· Having a “one-size-fits-all” style resume implies that you’re not so much interested in the company, as much as you just wanting a job. Employers want to feel as though you want to work for them, not just work anywhere. Try tailoring your resume to fit the job description for what you’re applying for.
4. Typos and grammatical errors:
· We know, we know, its common sense, but it’s a big one! You’re resume needs to be grammatically perfect. If your resume contains typos or errors, employers will get a negative first impression of you. They could conclude, “This person can’t write,” or, “This person doesn’t care.”
5. Annoying buzzwords or apparent keyword stuffing:
· It’s important to use key words from the job posting in order to have your resume pass the applicant tracking software, ATS, that hiring personnel use to weed out unqualified candidates. However, you must make sure that your using keywords in a way that sounds natural. If you’re just throwing the keywords in wherever, it will be embarrassingly obvious to the person reading it. Only use keywords sensibly and ensure they flow naturally.