Job Seekers, Are You Committing These Resume Sins

Job Seekers, Are You Committing ansicht Resume SinsPosted on September 10, 2014October 29, 2018 by Trista Winnie With the average job posting receiving more than 250 applications, recruiters and hiring managers spend most of their time reading resumeslooking for ways to weed out candidates. What mistakes will keep you from being considered? Read on to learn some of the ways your resume may be hampering your job searchNot using keywordsMost employers these days use applicant tracking systems as part of their hiring process. This means that your resume will be scanned for keywords relevant to the job listing. If the right keywords dont appear on your resume, your resume will get passed overeven if youre actually qualified.Common keywords include things such as job titles industry-related tools (such as certain software programs) and degrees, certifications, or licenses. Applicant tracking systems make it even more important to be specific. For example, the terms accounting software and photo editing software are too generallist the specific programs youve used.Not having someone else proofreadHaving just one or two typos on your resume will get you immediately placed in the no pile 76 percent of the time, according to an Accountemps survey. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to make sure your resume is error-free. Tricks such as looking over a printed copy of your resume, or reading it out loud, will help by giving you a fresh perspective. Tools such as spell check are helpful, but will elend catch every error for you. Spell check wont notice if Marketing Manger is among your job titles, for example. Afresh set of eyeswill spot things that you dont, so ask a mentor, friend, or family member to proofread your resume and provide you with honest feedback.Not using enough white spaceYes, you can fit a lot of text onto a page by using 0.25 margins and 9-point text. No, that does not mean you should. Your resume should be easily readable at a glance. Avoid using p aragraphs key information is too easily buried in dense blocks of text, and hiring managers will not sit and dutifully read each and every word.Your resume is not an autobiographyits job is to quickly and clearly make the case that you are a good candidate for the role. White space is pleasing to the eye and makes it so that the text you do include stands out.If your resume is two pages long, and you have already resorted to tinkering with tiny margins and font sizesto keep it from getting any longer, then formatting isnt your issueyou need to edit.Not including months inemployment datesStreamlining your resume is a good idea in general, but in this instance, its best to err on the side of providing more information. Many people with employment gaps think that they can hide their period of unemployment by listing only the years they spent at each position, leaving off the months. Hiring managers know about this common trick, and will assume you are trying to hide something.Further, they will be left wondering how much experience you actually had in each role. If you say you worked someplace from 2012 to 2013, does that mean that you worked there two months (December 2012 to January 2013) or 24 months (January 2012 to December 2013)?The purpose of your resume is not to leave a hiring manager wondering about your experience and qualifications, but to provide them with all of the information they need to decide whether youre a good candidate for the position theyre filling.Using clichesWhen writing resumes, many people kiste back on corporate jargon because of a misguided belief that it makes them soundauthoritative. In reality, it mostly makes them sound vague. The verb interfaced is one of the more common culprits. When a job seeker says that they interfaced with someone, all they are really saying is that they met with someone. Remember, an effective resume is more than simply a list of job duties. Meeting with someone isnt an accomplishment in and of itself, and doesnt belong on your resume. Instead of putting the focus on the fact that you interfaced with someone, put the focus where it ought to be on why you met, the project you were working on, and what that project ultimately accomplished. Simplify your language and highlight specific achievements.The good news for those who have committed these resume sins is that each one involves a simple fix. Correct these errors, and your resume will garner much more interest.facebook inc Commentswpdevar_comment_1 span,wpdevar_comment_1 iframewidth100% important