The Most Common Resume Mistakes | Staffing Agencies in Dallas TX

It can be frustrating when you submit resume after resume to jobs that seem perfect and yet still receive no response back. While competition is fierce in a very one-sided job market today, there are things that may be imperfect on your resume causing recruiters and hiring managers to overlook you as a candidate. Here are the top 5 resume mistakes and how you can fix them.

  1. Failure to follow directions. Companies will often indicate how they want your resume. Some companies haven’t moved to the latest version of Office so they can’t read .docx format resumes. Or some companies may prefer that you send your resume as a PDF. Create several versions of your resume so you can send whichever the company requests. If nothing is specified it is recommended to send a PDF.
  2. Failure to customize. Companies don’t want to see generic resumes especially since the language you use might not be in line with the type of work they do. Always customize your resume to fit the job you for which you are applying. Yes, this is some additional work but it will pay off when you get those interviews.
  3. Failure to edit. Typos happen. However, when they do happen you really need to fix them as soon as you see them. Before you ever send out your resume have another pair of eyes or two look it over. Sometimes it is hard to spot typos when you are so close to the writing. When you finish your resume, set it aside for a day or two before looking at it again. If you spot an error down the road correct it and move on.
  4. Inappropriate use of personal information.  There are times you want to include your personal interests or hobbies and there are times when you want to leave them off. If the hobby relates to the job, such as blogging for a company looking for marketing experts or gardening for a sustainability organization, you want to make sure you include them. You want to leave off anything that really is fluff and be sure that you do not include personal information like your date of birth, social security number, or family information.
  5. Exaggeration. Most people don’t realize that a little embellishment is actually lying. You would never say you have a PhD if you only have an associate’s degree so why would you think it is okay to call yourself a director of a department when you were an assistant manager?  It will be embarrassing, or worse, by costing you the job if a reference at your old company tells the potential employer that this isn’t true. They will begin to wonder what else you weren’t honest about.

Are you looking for the best tips to enhance your resume for the coming year? If you are looking to work with one of the top staffing agencies in Dallas TX, contact Cornerstone today!

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