5 Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid

You have about 5 seconds to impress a recruiter or hiring manager with your resume. They can see well over a thousand resumes a day so it is important to grab their attention in the right way. Simple mistakes and a variety of red flags can cause an immediate rejection. Take your time to craft a resume that showcases what you do and why someone should care. Spend time reviewing your information before you submit it to any job posting. Here are the five most common resume mistakes and how you can avoid them.

  1. Don’t try to get too fancy or play tricks. It is unfortunately not uncommon for candidates to add wider margins or double spacing to make a resume appear to contain more information than it does. Recruiters and hiring managers are aware of this trick and don’t like to feel as though a candidate is pulling the wool over their eyes. Doing this to beef up your resume will get it rejected for sure.
  2. Be cautious about your personal information.  It is surprising how often candidates will include personal information on their resume such as social security numbers, marital status, and birthdates. This information should never be included. Also, only include personal hobbies as they affect your job search. For example, if you volunteer with a local co-op to write their blog, this may be great information to share if it relates directly to the job for which you are applying. Leave off any fluff just to build your resume up.
  3. Avoid typos and misspellings. Always read your resume several times before sending it to a job posting. It is also a good idea to have someone help you with this process to catch things you might have missed. This is especially true when it comes to including business names on your resume. Don’t guess how to spell something. Look the company up on the internet and be accurate. If not, it will show the reader that you don’t have attention to detail.
  4. Be consistent with formatting. Experts suggest that you include plenty of quantifiable data in your resume. When you do this look at the little things and keep the same format throughout the document. For example, don’t switch between $10 Thousand, $10,000, or ten thousand as you write your resume. Stay consistent.
  5. Follow the directions. Before you send off a resume, be sure to read the job description and application requirements completely. If you miss a step or ignore part of their request they will see that as a sign that you cannot follow their directions. In fact, companies often include these requirements as a way to see how you are able to follow directions and do what is asked.

Is your resume ready to help you find your next career opportunity? If you are looking for jobs in Arlington TX, contact us today.

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