Resume writing is not as easy as it looks. The most important part of your resume is your professional experience, but many people make mistakes when they’re trying to put together the best resume they can. We have compiled a list of the 10 mistakes you should avoid when writing your resume. Whether you are just starting to look for a new job or have been working in a post-secondary institution, this article will help you Avoiding Resume mistake and common errors and create a professional-looking resume that will get you noticed by potential employers.
Avoiding Resume Mistake #1: Failing to clearly identify your skills
The most important part of your resume is your professional experience, and it’s difficult to highlight that information without a clear understanding of what you’ve done professionally. Your skills section is one of the first sections people will see when they look at your resume, and if there are no clear qualifications listed in your skills section, you’re likely to be overlooked for a job.
One way to avoid this problem is by highlighting the specific skills you have used during your time as an employee.
You should also identify any skills that are transferable to other positions. If you have experience working with a particular type of software or managing a certain function, these transferable skills can help you get ahead of the competition by proving that you’re capable of providing value in more than one area.
Remember, if it doesn’t say specifically on your resume what your skillset is, then employers will not know how they could benefit from hiring you.
Avoiding Resume Mistake #2: Lack of professionalism in the resume
Creating a professional resume is vital to the success of your job search. If your resume doesn’t feel professional, then it’s likely that other employers won’t want to give you a second look. So, avoid making these common mistakes: Avoid using slang or abbreviations in your resume
- Don’t use “I”, “me” and “my” too often in your written work
- Avoid writing about yourself in the third person
- Don’t use text speak or acronyms in your resume
- Use bullet points instead of sentences for the most important information
- Employ a formal writer and proofreader if this isn’t your area of expertise
Avoiding Resume Mistake #3: Not using a professional-looking font
Resume fonts are important because they can make the resume look more professional. A good resume font should be easy to read, have bold and legible font, and not be too distracting.
You want to avoid a font that is too small or too big because it will take up too much space on your page and make the text hard to read. Instead, opt for a font that is around 10-12pts in size. If you’re using a sans serif fonts like Arial, Verdana, or Helvetica, you should avoid using anything smaller than 12pts in size. If you’re using a serif font like Times New Roman or Garamond, you should keep your font at the same size as it is set in Word with no extra spacing.
Avoiding Resume Mistake #4: The lack of an objective statement
When you’re writing your resume, it’s important to keep in mind that resumes are meant to be marketing. That means they need a good sales pitch! And what’s a good sales pitch? It’s an objective statement. Did you know that most employers will only look at the first three lines of your resume before they decide if you’re worth the time to read through the rest of it?
To make sure your objective statement is effective and catches their attention, avoid general statements that don’t offer a clear picture of who you are and what you have to offer. Instead, list specific skills and experiences that speak to the employer’s needs and goals. For example, if you’ve been working as a bartender for five years, try saying something like “I have extensive bartender experience with a focus on customer service training.”
Avoiding Resume Mistake #5: The lack of a clear and professional format
It’s important to have a professional-looking resume. One of the most common mistakes you will see in resumes is the lack of a clear and professional format. If you aren’t careful, this can make your resume look poorly formatted and unprofessional. Make sure your resume includes sections for a summary, personal information, education, work experience, and contact information.
The summary should include your skills, experience, key accomplishments, goals, and interests. This section should be one that employers can quickly skim over to get an idea of what you are looking for in a job or program. Your personal information section should include useful information about yourself like where you were born, who your parents are/were, your full name and date of birth as well as who you live with now and what languages you speak fluently or have basic knowledge of (if any). You’ll also want to include things like your email address or preferred method of contact (phone number or email), emergency contact information (name and phone number), and your height/weight. The education section should include all institutions attended along with dates when attended. The work experience section is usually the largest part of a resume so it needs to be detailed enough that potential employers know what you did there along with when it began and ended as well as notable achievements during those periods. Lastly, the contact section includes at least two ways to get in touch: by telephone or email address, both labeled prominently on the page.
Avoiding Resume Mistake #6: The lack of an online presence and social media presence
Don’t forget to include your social media profile, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Although these profiles don’t have a direct impact on the way that employers view your resume, they show that you are engaged with the latest social media trends and platforms.
While your potential employer is browsing through your resume, make sure that you are using keywords in both the title and summary of each section so that your resume pulls up relevant results in search engine results pages.
Avoiding Resume Mistake #7: Poorly structured qualifications section
The organization is one of the most important aspects of any resume. If the content in your qualifications section is poorly structured, it’s going to be difficult for employers to find what they need and read your resume with ease.
Avoid this mistake by making sure that your qualifications are ordered chronologically, starting with your most recent experience as well as including skills and accomplishments across a range of years. This will allow you to clearly define your professional history and set yourself apart from other candidates.
Avoiding Resume Mistake #8: Including irrelevant information.
One mistake people often make when writing their resumes is including irrelevant information. You might be thinking that it’s okay to include personal information about your hobbies or life outside of work because you want to be the best candidate for a certain company. This is not always the case, though, and your resume should only include relevant information. If you have a hobby that doesn’t relate to your job history, then don’t put it on your resume.
Avoiding Resume Mistake #9: Improper spelling and grammar
Many people are not aware of the importance of proper spelling and grammar in a resume. It is your first impression, so it is important to ensure that you have all the letters and words spelled out properly on a resume.
One mistake that many people make when they are writing their resumes is they use acronyms or abbreviations. There is nothing wrong with using these acronyms; however, you should be careful because sometimes employers may not recognize what you mean by the acronym. Additionally, if it is not clear to an employer what the acronym means, your resume won’t get read. Employers want to know who you are as a person and if you’re going to be able to do anything for them. Make sure that your resume has all of the important information spelled out in full sentences rather than jargon or abbreviations–it will make your job search much easier!
Avoiding Resume Mistake #10: Failing to include an objective statement
One of the most important things that you need to include in your resume is an objective statement. It’s a brief overview of what you are looking for and how you plan on using your skills to achieve this goal. It will also give potential employers an idea of what you’re looking for, which will make it easier for them to find a job that is a good fit for your career goals.
When writing your resume, you want it to be valuable and help you get the job. When it comes to a resume, there are a lot of mistakes you shouldn’t make. This article has a list of some of the most common errors to avoid when writing your resume.
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