Boost your resume and land a new job this year!
Hannah Williams
Certified Resume Writer ● Career Coach ● Executive Resume Writer ● CPRW ● Top 100 Executive Resume Writer ● C-suite LinkedIn Optimization Expert
If you are having trouble attracting interview offers with your current resume, it is a sign that you should take a step back from your job hunt to rejuvenate the document. You might be making some grave resume writing mistakes without even realizing and they could be sabotaging your job search.
We always talk about how you?should?write a resume to get the attention of hiring managers. Today, we will talk about what you should?not?do when writing a resume if you want to get hired.
Tips to boost your resume for a Dream Job
1. Providing unprofessional contact information
Does your resume still display an email address that you made for fun back in high school? Unprofessional email addresses do not send a positive message about you to a hiring manager. You can start by creating a professional email address with your first and last names. Then, you can include it on your resume. You should also avoid using your work/college email and phone number when applying for a job.
2. Listing outdated information
If you have had a longer career, your resume has the potential to contain outdated information. High school achievements, irrelevant jobs, unrelated skills, and personal information all make your resume cluttered and unorganized. Make a habit of reviewing your resume regularly to remove outdated information from the document.
3. Not getting rid of typos
Typing mistakes are the most common resume mistakes out there. If you don’t proofread your resume for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, you are self-sabotaging your job search. Take an hour or two away from your resume after you have completed it. Then, go through your resume carefully to spot any mistakes you may have made. You can even get the help of an AI assistant, friend, or family member to proofread your resume.
4. Missing quantifiable achievements
When writing a resume, it is important to use numbers and metrics to quantify the results of your accomplishments. Providing these specifics makes your resume an interesting read. Also, hiring managers can clearly see the context for your skills and achievements, making you more memorable in their minds. Use bullet points to bring out quantifiable achievements on your resume. And don’t forget to start each bullet point with an action verb.
5. Not explaining career gaps
Having career gaps is not a crime. It sure doesn’t get you disqualified during a job application either. However, unexplained career gaps on your resume may make recruiters wonder about your suitability for the role. The best thing for you to do is to list your career gap upfront and provide a brief explanation for it on your resume.
6. Forgetting keywords when writing the resume
Keywords are very important for your resume, especially when you want to get through the ATS. If your resume lacks the necessary keywords for the position, it may never even be seen by the employer. Keywords improve your visibility to employers online and make it easier for your resume to come up in online searches. You can use the job description as a guide to incorporate keywords into your resume.