Are you searching for a new job? Your resume is a crucial factor for any potential employer to analyze whether or not you are fit for the given job description. When you are writing a resume, you should learn about some of the common mistakes and challenges. It will help you creating a highly compelling document that recruiters would like to read. To know more about resume writing skills, discover more here!
It is quite easy to make mistakes when you are drafting your resume. Moreover, it can be quite difficult to repair the damages caused once the employer has it. Therefore, prevention is critical –especially if you are creating a resume for the first time. Here are some of the most common pitfalls that you can come across while writing a resume:
#Irrelevant Work Experience
When you are writing down your resume, it is advised that you should list down your skills and work experiences that tend to be quantitative. Moreover, your skills and experience should also be closely related to the position to which you are applying. The work experience that you have should clearly showcase your achievements and skills that recruiters can observe for the organization’s benefit. In case your previous roles might appear irrelevant, then you should list only the accomplishments and skills that are related to the given job description.
For instance, if you are applying for the role of a customer service representative, but you have experience working as a cashier previously, you can highlight how you are capable of helping customers.
#Too Many or No References
Not paying attention to your professional references can make the potential employers simply pass your resume. At the same time, when you have too many references, it can also impact how your employer is viewing your resume. In most cases, employers usually prefer going through 2-3 references. In addition to placing the right number of references in your resume, you should ensure that the connections tend to be individuals with whom you interact in some professional setting.
You can include references like your supervisors, office colleagues, or past clients who are capable of providing some positive feedback on your overall work ethic. At the same time, you should avoid giving references of family members or personal acquaintances in the form of professional references.
#Unrelated Skills to the Given Job Role
Just like putting in irrelevant work experience, listing down skills that are not related to the given job description can make the recruiter to pass through your document. You can avoid this mistake by including skills that might be directly related to the given job role.
For instance, if you have skills that can be useful for data entry-related jobs, you can highlight the same in your resume. This can come handy when you are applying for a job in the field of computer-related tasks.
#Using the Same Resume for All Job Applications
When you are submitting the respective job applications, it is crucial that you customize or edit your resume. The all-new resume should be specifically related to the particular job application. If you wish to make use of the same or a generic resume for every job role that you wish to submit, you can appear unconcerned or lazy about your job skills.
If you wish to avoid this mistake, you should adjust or customize your resume for every single job application. It might imply doing some extra work. However, when you come up with a targeted resume, it allows the potential recruiters to completely understand how well you fit the given position.
#Missing or Outdated Contact Information
Make sure that all your contact information is up-to-date in your resume. You should ensure that the contact number you input is accessible currently. Moreover, the address that you provide should also be your current residence. In case you need to revisit some past resume for job applications, ensure that you have revised or updated the existing contact information.
Conclusion
While some of these common resume writing mistakes can be redeemed easily, you can ask some family member or friend go over your resume to ensure that you have avoided all possible errors.