It’s a fact; there’s no such thing as a perfect resume. Every employer looks for something different, and each candidate is going to have their own unique set of skills and experience. However, a great resume is the backbone to your career and it will make or break your future career. Even though your resume may never reach perfection, you can still strive for it. Here are the top six resume mistakes you should look for while writing and sending your resume.
1. Grammatical ErrorsYou would be surprised at how many resumes are sent out with something as small as a punctuation or spelling error. Revise, edit and proofread! Just like in a college essay, small mistakes are costly but can be easily and quickly fixed. It helps to have someone else look over it to catch anything you may have missed. As soon as an employer finds a small typo, your resume is most likely thrown in the trash. Failing to revise shows laziness and lack of passion. Employers are looking for hardworking people who are passionate about their career and company.
2. Bad ObjectiveThese are more important than some may think. Someone who’s interested in you and looking at your resume will read your objective. They want to see something specific and that it not only highlights your needs but the company’s as well. They know your objective is to get the job, obviously, but they are looking for more than a “Hi, please hire me.” Employers want an objective to stand out and showcase where you want to be and how their company will improve if you are hired.
3.“One Size Fits All”One of the biggest mistakes with resumes is sending it out like a mass text. It’s impersonal and it will make you look generic. Each company you apply for is different even if you are applying for similar positions. Small touch ups to your resume to tailor it to a certain position will go a long way. Companies are looking for employees who are passionate about their particular company. Employees want you to showcase your passions and ambitions throughout your resume! Just remember that some of your particular past experiences and involvements may be on a higher priority list for different businesses.
4. Substance Over StyleYou may have heard this a million times, but colored font is a no no NO. Employers will be looking at your qualifications, not how pretty your resume is. So yes, unfortunately scented paper is also a waste of time. With that being said, I’m not saying your resume shouldn’t be visually appealing especially if you are applying for a craftier job, like graphic design for example. In that case, your resume should be eye-catching, but if you’re not, please just keep it simple. Busy resumes can be a big turn off for the majority of companies.
5. Missing KeywordsNow a days, a resume will go through a series of steps before it actually makes to the big dogs. You have to incorporate keywords from the job description into your resume or else it will look like you aren’t a good fit for the position. This goes along with avoiding the “one size fits all” (#3) method, because like I’ve said before each position will be slightly different and most likely will be looking for different key words. The easiest way to do this is to make a list of qualifications from the job listing and then match them up to your own skills.
6. Not UpdatingThis one is the killer, and almost seems like a no brainer. Update your resume sooner than later. As soon as you start a new internship, job or any organization, it should be added to your resume. You want to make sure that you don’t forget about any experience or skills you have that could be important to a various number of your job interests. Also keep your contact information updated or you could possibly miss out on an opportunity.
By now, most of us know how to write a good resume; but there is always room for improvement. Resumes are crucial, so don’t fall behind in making yours’ the best it can be. Refreshing yourself every once in awhile on these steps may help you land your dream job.