29 Aug 09 Top 8 Resume Mistakes

When applying for a job, or writing a resume, there are a ton of opportunities for error.  Any error can prove costly as well, as your resume is your first introduction to a job.  Essentially a pre-interview, interview, your resume says a lot about you, which is why you’ll want to be careful not to accidentally make a mistake.  You’d actually be surprised at the amount of people that make mistakes when writing their resumes, most of them simple changes that could have been avoided, had they been aware of the fact.  So here are eight of the most common mistakes, so that you can avoid them:

1. Not following submission directions.  This is a huge negative before you’ve even got your foot in the door.  Not following directions makes you look unable to follow directions, and not many people are interested in hiring a difficult employee to deal with.

2. The dreaded typo.  Spellchecker is your friend, but isn’t 100% accurate, so always, always proofread.  Read everything at least twice, and once backwards so that you can ensure all mistakes are completely eradicated.

3. Listing non-job related information.  The hiring manager that’s handling your resume doesn’t care about the info that doesn’t apply to that job, so don’t waste their time by adding unnecessary fluff.

4. Improper format.  All resumes basically follow the same exact format, and most corporations use this format to quickly scan through their masses of resumes.  If they find one that doesn’t follow the guidelines, usually they lose interest, as being different in the corporate world is never a good thing.

5. Don’t refer to yourself.  Whatever you do stay away from words like “I” or “me”, as referring to yourself on a resume is unprofessional, and makes you look bad.  It’s your resume, they already know that it’s about you.

6. Don’t make yourself look well-rounded.  Most people think that if they seem to have a broad skill set, there will be more availability for you at a particular corporation.  This isn’t true at all.  You want to describe a very specific skill set, as that’s what the job you’re applying to is looking for.

7. Writing too much.  Most people make their resumes much too long, loading the page with senseless facts, or worse, droning on for more than one page.  Your resume is supposed to be a short document to introduce a potential employer to your work experience, emphasis on the short.  A hiring manager’s time is valuable, they don’t want to read through pages of content, they want to get a feel for you as quickly as possible.

8. Inappropriate email address in your contact information.  There are a plethora of sources which offer you an email address for free, take advantage.  If you have something controversial, or possible offensive in your email address, don’t use it when you’re applying for a job.  You’re expected to be professional, an inappropriate email isn’t exactly that.

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