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The most
common resume mistakes people make and how to avoid
them.
A well
written resume and a poorly written one are usually
the difference between getting a chance at getting
an interview or not. In this guide we are going to
go over the most common mistakes employers complain
people constantly make on their resumes and how to
avoid them.
1. Typos and other Grammatical Errors
People make this mistake all too often. When an
employer reads a resume that has typos and/or
grammatical errors they think the person is careless
and obviously doesn’t care about presentation or
that they just don’t know how to write. Avoid these
errors by getting several people to proof read your
resume before you submit it, relying on spell check
isn’t good enough.
2. A Boring Resume
A resume is your way of marketing yourself, don’t
use phrases such as “responsibilities included” or
“duties included.” Your resume should be about what
you have accomplished at the company and not a list
of your duties.
3. A General Resume that doesn’t have any Focus
Making one resume and submitting it too many
different hopeful employers is not a very good idea.
You should tailor each resume to a specific job
within a company so your resume shows exactly how
you will fill their position.
4. A Poorly Organized Resume
A resume that isn’t organized properly will likely
end up in your employers recycling bin. Don’t
include a list of your hobbies first; dates of
employment are not as important as job titles, and
if you don’t have very much work experience related
to that specific job it is a wise idea to place your
education before your work history.
5. From Little Fibs to Blatant Lying
Lying on a resume is a very bad idea. Everyone wants
to shine a positive light on all of their work
history but lying is not a very good idea. Even if
you can look past the moral implications there is a
very good chance you will get caught.
6. A Bad Objective
Employers do read your objective but often don’t pay
attention to cookie cutter sentences like “Seeking a
demanding position that offers expansion
opportunities.” In your objective you should focus
on the employer’s needs as well as your own.
7. Forgetting to Include Important Information
Many people forget to include certain information on
their resume that they think employers might not
care about. Things like extra education, awards,
volunteer work, or other recognitions are important
to employers because it makes you look like a well
rounded person that would make a good employee.
These little extras will also make your resume stand
out from other applicants without such
accomplishments.
8. Including Personal Information
If you have personal pictures on your website or
private information on your blog, or if your email
address is something along the lines of
“smoochiepoo87@hotmail.com” it might be a good idea
to leave those things off of your resume.
9. Too Flashy
If your resume contains small page margins, 6
different styles of fonts, and 3 different colors
you can be the smartest person in the world and I’m
willing to bet money on you not getting the job.
Stick to one font and a basic resume template and
you should be fine. It is also wise to pass your
resume around to some friends and family before
submitting it to an employer and get their opinion
on the layout.
10. Forgetting Important Contact Information
Don’t forget to include your phone number, cell
phone number, email address, fax information,
mailing address, and double check them to make sure
there are no errors.
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