Top 9 Resume Mistakes To Avoid That Could Cost You The Job
Do you know that no matter how qualified you are, there are some resume mistakes you can make that will deprive you of the opportunity of being called for an interview?
In this competitive job market that we are in, having flaws on your application documents, especially your resume, can utterly turn you to an underdog in the competition.
Want to learn about the resume mistakes to avoid that could cost you the job? We got you covered. In this guide I will be showing you all the possible mistakes to avoid that you can make that will make your resume ineffective.
Resume Mistakes
Below are top 9 resume mistakes you must avoid if you want to land the job you are applying.
#1: Spelling and grammatical errors
I am not even supposed to be talking about spelling and grammatical errors as part of the resume mistakes to avoid when writing your resume. It’s pretty obvious that your resume should be error-free especially from spelling and grammatical errors. But sometimes, candidates fail to read out aloud their resume at least three times before submitting it, or even give friends or family member to go through it for possible errors.
Spelling errors can be easily spotted, but grammatical errors are not. It takes a high level of experience in writing to be familiar with grammatical errors. That is why it is recommended you give your resume to any person you feel can help review it before sending it.
#2: Providing incorrect or missing contact information
The ultimate goal of submitting a resume is to land you an interview. Due to some reasons, candidates fail to provide detailed and correct contact information. These resume mistakes if not avoided can deprive you of getting an interview.
Apart from providing incorrect contact information, your contact information might be missing. If you are using a word document like MS Word, or others, it is best not to include your contact information on the header, and don’t put your contact information inside an image. The reason you should avoid these resume mistakes is that most modern companies make use of Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that cannot scan the contact information if placed there.
#3: Utilizing the “one-size-fits-all” approach
Applying in a company that uses ATS? If you want your resume to be easily rejected by the ATS, make use of a generic resume.
Applying in a company where the employer is the one to go through your resume? If you want your resume to get to the recycle bin, make use of a generic resume.
These resume mistakes to avoid is mandatory when you are serious about getting a job. The thing is that, you are definitely not going to be the only person submitting resumes to potential employers. They are getting tons of other resume, and are only interested in the candidates that set time aside to customize a specific result that impresses them. They feel that once you are not interested in creating a specific impressing resume, then you are likely not overly interested in the job.
#4: Including irrelevant information
There are certain information that is considered irrelevant and not supposed to be included in your resume. Information like age, marital status, or unrelated hobbies are considered irrelevant and not to be included on your resume.
Including this piece of information on your resume speaks of you as someone that is not up to the task for the job. And making these resume mistakes can as well end up your resume in the trash.
#5: Leaving off important information
I recently just talked about including irrelevant information to be one of the resume mistakes to avoid, but am also bring up leaving off some important information as a resume mistake you must avoid too.
Maybe you just feel like some information like the work you did while in school, internships, coursework, or even volunteer work are not as attracting as industry related work experience for the job, which you decide not to include on your resume. The technical and most importantly, soft skills (like work ethic, time management, etc.) are important to the employers than you might think.
Once you have little industry related experience for the job you are applying, this information can swiftly increase the recruiter’s faith in your abilities for the job.
#6: Making use of an unprofessional email address
Back in the college days, you were probably mocked by some of the people in your school. Maybe because they feel you don’t want to be part of the modern original guys. And that made you rebrand yourself and in the process created some c*ocky email address. Seriously, you don’t want the hiring manager going through your resume to come across email: , or something of the sort.
These resume mistakes is really weird and should be utterly avoided when creating your resume. Make sure you are using a professional email address.
#7: Not using action verbs
Action verbs are what triggers employers’ interest towards your resume. Once you keep using flat word like “responsible for” instead of action verbs, it will not help showoff your initiatives, they also help make your resume standout as a professional one. Instead, make use of action words like;
- Increased organic search traffic by 25% over a year
- Created a captivating sales copy of XZY company product that increased its revenue by 20%
#8: Not including keywords that match the job description
Your resume should include the right keyword for the job you are applying. You can compare the keyword you are using with the one listed on the job description. If they don’t match, consider replacing it and using only the keywords that you can find in the job description and others that are related to it.
If your resume doesn’t contain the right keywords, it won’t get noticed since it might not get passed the Applicant Tracking System that is used to scan resume before getting to recruiters.
#9: Using outdated resume
Your resume should be updated and targeted for every job you apply. Your skills section, especially the technical and computer skills should be current. And most importantly, your work history should be updated in order to make your resume standout. These resume mistakes can make you look like someone who is not stable in the workplace.
Conclusion
Your resume is an important document that can help you land a job. The above resume mistakes can ruin the possibility of you getting any job, which is why it is advised that you avoid them.
That’s it on my guide on top resume mistakes to avoid that could cost you the job
I’d love to hear from you
Hope you found the guide helpful?
What is your take-home from this guide?
And which of the above resume mistakes do you think is more detrimental to your resume?
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