15 Must Avoid Resume Mistakes To Score A Job In 2022
Olivia Attwood
Certified Professional Resume Writer ● Career Coach ● Executive Resume Writer ● MBA, BEng, CPRW, CPCC
Not every applicant on the job search maze is lucky enough to have a perfect resume to guide them to success.
If you are applying for jobs with a self-written resume, you will probably have several mistakes on your resume that are affecting your job search negatively. Don’t be discouraged if your resume has made errors. We encounter all kinds of resumes from the entry-level to the c-suite with multiple errors.
Here are 15 resume writing pitfalls you must avoid, to succeed in your job search:
1.Attempting to write your resume from scratch
No employer will put you in career jail for sending in a job application with a resume created using a resume builder. There is no need to spend days formatting margins and fonts of your resume using MS Word when there are hundreds of free tools available to do the job for you.
2.Adding a photo of yourself to the resume
No one recommends attaching pictures to resumes at present due to discrimination based on race or appearance. Unless you are applying for a modeling job or a job as an actor, skip the picture and use that resume space for something important.
3.Applying for jobs without tailoring your resume
The current trend is to tailor your resume for every job that you apply for. A general resume without the right list of keywords will perform poorly on the ATS and be rejected before the hiring manager even sees it.
4.Jampacking your resume with “fluff skills”
Entry-level resume writers tend to add random vague skills on their resumes to make their skills section look more powerful than it actually is. However, hiring managers are trained to spot such examples and are likely to skip the whole thing if they see generic skills.
5.Submitting a resume file named “jjkfgnjfg”
We have all saved files with gibberish names when in a rush. But when it comes to your resume, you must professionally name the file. Your first name and last name followed by the word Resume should do the trick.
6.A serious lack of numbers in your resume
Anyone can claim they “saved the company money” on their job duties list. But a hiring manager is more likely to believe the candidate who says that they “created a new inventory management software for the company to reduce purchasing costs and save $15,000 a month”.
7.Not choosing the best resume format to suit your case
Everyone’s career journey is different. If a highly qualified person chooses a functional resume format. Their work experience will be lost in the formatting. Therefore, be very careful when you choose the format of your resume.
领英推荐
8.Selecting the wrong resume template
Online resume templates come in all styles, colors, and appearances. Choose your resume template to suit your preferences as well as the standards of the industry for which you are applying. Always choose an easily readable and visually appealing resume template.
9.Listing ‘computer literacy’ as a professional skill
Basic skills such as computer skills were used to impress hiring managers two decades ago when even 5-year-olds didn’t have them. Today, almost every applicant out there knows how to use a computer, and no one is impressed seeing it listed as a professional skill.
10.Making a laundry list of job duties
If an employer managed to post a job description for a Lead Bookkeeper, chances are that they already know the job duties of a bookkeeper. Don’t waste resume space writing a set of job duties they won’t even read. Instead, write about your best professional achievements at previous jobs.
11.Not proofreading your resume before sending it out
Having grammatical errors and spelling errors on your resume is the easiest way to let the employer know that you are careless. No one wants to hire a careless person. So, always run a spell and grammar check on your resume before you send it out.
12.Stating unnecessary work experience on your resume
Your 6 months gig as a waiter in a small-town restaurant would have zero impact when you are applying for a senior accounting position 10 years later. Teach yourself how to recognize the relevant experience and fill your resume with those to make a compelling case.
13.Choosing to create an infographic resume
An infographic resume is an ATS nightmare. The software will not be able to parse most of your resume. Also, recruiters find infographic resumes confusing. Employers do not appreciate them unless you are applying for a graphic design job.
14.Glossing over career gaps
The best way to deal with a career gap on your resume is to be upfront about it. Use the career gap to your advantage and list it as a sabbatical where you gained multiple professional skills to perform better at your job.
15.Sending your resume in the wrong format
If the job advert specifically asks you to send a PDF file, don’t send it as a JPEG. Different software accepts different file formats. When in doubt, PDF always works the best.