It's obvious how important your resume is to securing your ideal job. Your resume is your first impression on employers, so it is imperative to make sure your resume is error-free, and provides them with a very clear indication of the value you will bring to their company.
Below are a list of 5 common resume mistakes to avoid:
- Spelling Mistakes: Do not rely on spell check. Not only does it not catch all of the misspellings on your resume, but it also cannot catch all of the grammar errors. Grammar errors are one of the #1 things that employers look for to see how effectively the candidate can communicate. Always have another pair of eyes look at your resume before sending it out to an executive recruiter or a company.
- Email Address Errors: Always double check that your email address is correct. This may seem obvious, but it is one thing that is often overlooked. Also, it is important to avoid using your company e-mail. Even though this might be the easiest e-mail to check frequently during the day, your company could be monitoring you and seeing that you are searching for another job. Lastly, make sure to use a professional e-mail address (i.e. firstname.lastname@gmail.com).
- Too Much Information: Don't forget who you are writing to when you provide information on your resume. Your resume needs to get to the point and advertise exactly why they should call you for an interview. You may only have 10 seconds of that employers time before they move to the next candidate. Too much information, and irrelevant information for the job, is actually going to hinder you from getting to the interview stage of the process.
- Passive Voice: Do you have a tendency to write in the passive voice? Make sure to avoid that on your resume. Resumes need to be a powerful indicator of why you are the best person for the job. Through your wording on your resume, you can make sure that you are persuading the recruiter or the company to call you for an interview. Also, be sure to include industry keywords so that they know you are familiar with their line of work.
- Poor Design: Make sure that your resume is designed in a clear and concise way. Well-designed resumes in PhotoShop or InDesign are more geared toward the design industry. That does not mean that your resume should not have a cohesive flow and design to it to ensure you get the message across about exactly why you are the best candidate. Try a few different templates and see what works best for the message you are trying to convey to the audience.
The experienced recruiters at Phoenix Group International have over 28 years of experience working with candidates in a variety of industries. Register and submit your resume, and a member of our team will reach out to you to review your resume and see what career opportunities would be the best fit for you.
What resume mistakes have you seen in the past? We look forward to hearing your comments!
