An employer spends an average of under 30 seconds looking at a résumé that crosses their desk. They look to see if it captures their attention before progressing to either the yes, maybe, or no sections. Unfortunately, many candidates are making way too many unnecessary errors that are costing them a chance to further their application.
For some specific jobs, recruiters and hiring managers may receive hundreds of job applications. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to know the mistakes you could potentially make, before you make them. Some of these fatal errors could cost you your next job.
- Incorrect use of clear and logical layout and font
If the employer has to go searching through your Resume to find simple details about yourself, then they may not decide to waste their time. The best practice is to keep it simple unless your role requires you to be creative, such as a graphic designer role. Using appropriate text is also important, hard-to-read text will elicit an immediate rejection.
- Placing your personal statement in the wrong place
Your personal statement should be strong and should be at the beginning of your resume. Use this statement to showcase your employment values, motivators, and work culture preferences to your potential employer.
- Not utilizing the beginning of your Resume to highlight key skills and experience
If a recruiter or a potential employer cannot immediately see your current and transferable skills, as well as, the vast amount of experience you have, they may get bored very quickly. Keep the recruiter interested, and don’t let yourself be compared to others because you forgot to mention a specialised skill or experience you have. Impress the recruiter or hiring manager and keep your Resume in with a chance, or it may not even get a further look-in.
- Including a photo (know when it’s required and when it is not, if required, then include an appropriate photo)
Choose wisely! If it’s a picture from Facebook, then there is a good chance it’s the wrong picture to use. Consider using the professional one you took for LinkedIn; it may paint a better picture of you!
- Stretching the truth
A small lie or omission may render your resume inaccurate. Do not lie on your Resume. It might have been a good idea at the time, but if you are going to spend over 40 hours with your team, I am sure they will eventually find out, especially with obvious skill gaps. Additionally, if your potential employer finds out that you misrepresented yourself, you may have a bigger issue (even a legal one) on your hands.
- Allowing spelling or grammar mistakes to pass
If your CV has spelling or grammar mistakes, then your potential employer will be very concerned about your attention to detail. Use tools in MS Word or other software to check your grammar and spelling. You can also ask friends or colleagues to check your Resume.
- Confessing to hobbies that do not align with the values of the company
You may have a fascinating hobby that you wish to share on your CV. Please remember that a CV is more like your LinkedIn page and less like your Facebook page.
If your hobby is contributing to society or assisting you with your state of mind (yoga, meditation, etc.), then this would allow you to promote your ability to help others or maintain a healthy lifestyle. Include this, as it will assist in demonstrating your personality traits.
- Adding useless information
Do not include information that is not relevant to your potential role. Write your resume with a purpose. Make sure it reflects your abilities for the role and the workplace. Avoid putting in unnecessary information, especially if it’s just there to increase the word count.
- Using inappropriate email addresses
When applying for a job, professionalism matters. Using an inappropriate e-mail address will give the hiring manager doubts about your level of professionalism. To give you an idea, if you use an email address that resembles happybunnypurplemonkey@hotmail.com or love2b-unemployed@gmail.com then consider it inappropriate. Creating a new e-mail address doesn’t cost anything if you use a free provider, and please choose the name of your e-mail address carefully.
Take note of how you come across on paper and make sure you have an appropriate e-mail address.
Happy writing!
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