Your resume is the first impression you make on employers. If they don’t like what they see, they’ll send it straight to the reject pile.
If you’ve been searching for new jobs for a while now, but are hearing crickets, there’s a good chance your resume is the problem. Take a look at these common resume blunders, and if any sound familiar, it’s time to make a few changes.
Not Tailoring the Content for Each Opportunity
It takes a lot of time and effort to tailor your resume for every job you apply to, but not doing so isn’t an option. These days, employers expect resumes to be written specifically for the opportunity at hand, and if they’re not, it will work against you in more ways than one.
Opting out of this step will send the impression you’re not that excited about the position. It also keeps you from crafting a resume solely focused on your fit for the position.
Focusing on Responsibilities Instead of Achievements
When reviewing your past work experience, hiring managers want to know what you accomplished. If the bullet points describing your time in each position read more like a job description, they won’t be able to gauge your impact.
Failing to Quantify Your Accomplishments
It’s very important to list achievements on your resume, but make sure they tell the full story. When at all possible, always quantify your accomplishments, because numbers really drive your value home. For example, saying you had the highest sales in the company last year is nice, but specifically noting your sales were $300,000 leaves no room for interpretation.
Relying on Spellcheck as Your Sole Proofreader
While a solid starting point, spellcheck should never be your sole copy editor. Always review your resume content several times on your own, then ask at least one person you trust to do the same. Even one spelling or grammatical error can ruin your chances of moving forward, so take this step very seriously.
Including Incorrect or Inappropriate Contact Information
It should go without saying that you need to put the correct phone number on your resume. However, it’s not unheard of for job seekers to accidentally include an outdated number or to mistype at least one digit.
A cute or funny email address might impress your friends, but it will not amuse a potential employer. Any email address used professionally should only contain your name — and a few
numbers if your name was already taken. Several domains — including Gmail — allow you to create a free account, so take advantage of this if necessary.
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