Common Resume Mistakes

It doesn't matter where you're applying, you really need to stay away from these resume mistakes.

Make sure you steer clear of making these mistakes on your resume at all costs.

Companies do not recruit individuals based on resumes but rather on people themselves. However, your CV is often what gets you the interview, and if you can't obtain the interview, it will be quite difficult to persuade someone to hire you.

The effectiveness of each resume is determined by a variety of elements, one of which is the kind of position for which the applicant is seeking. If you want to get a job as a CPA, you may want to stay with something a little bit more conventional, however if you want to land a position at Google, a well-crafted online video CV is definitely going to be appreciated by the hiring managers there. On the other hand, there are certain things that are always considered to be wrong.

Here are eight mistakes that you absolutely DO NOT want to make on your CV...

8. The C.V. that is just one page

Unless you are a recent graduate without much experience, you should avoid using resumes that are just one page long.

Having said that, we still see a significant number of one-page resumes for more senior job searchers coming in for reviews, which surprises me to say the least. When a candidate for a job attempts to restrict the substance of the resume so that it may be presented on a single page, he or she is omitting important information in order to comply with a "regulation" that is not applicable to the majority of resumes. It is permissible for certain senior level applicants to have a resume that is three pages long. Many resumes, including those for candidates at the mid-level, are two pages long.

7. The inclusion of personally identifying information

The fact that you are an ardent player of skeeball or that you collect ancient world coins has no bearing on whether or not you are qualified for the role. The same goes for any other hobbies or interests you may have. Why therefore should we add information on our interests, sports, or hobbies?

If the topic arises throughout the course of the interview, that is perfectly acceptable. If not, you should completely ignore it.

6. Using a Format Functional to Your Advantage

If you want your resume to be successful, you should avoid using the functional style, which is also known as a skills resume. This is arguably the mistake that may ruin your chances the most.

The functional format is something that recruiters and employers actually despise. They are unable to get the information they need in the format that best suits their needs. Additionally, it is often an indication that the job seeker is attempting to conceal something since the functional format is used to cover up difficulties such as date gaps, job hopping, or a lack of experience. This is because the functional format is used to cover up these issues.

Just the sight of the functional format alone is enough to completely turn off decision-makers in large numbers.

5. An Excessive Amount of Information

Job searchers often fail to remember for whom they are writing in their applications.

The human resources representative or recruiter is just going to scan your resume and search for the most important information first. On the other side, the individual looking for work believes that it is essential to include every piece of information that may possibly be included in the CV, even down to mentioning that Eagle Scout designation from 1984.

One of the most typical mistakes made on resumes is include excessive or unnecessary material, which almost always results in the document in question being thrown away.

4. Insufficiency of Available Data

Too little information, or TLI, is the antithesis of too much information, or TMI.

On a CV, the only thing that is worse than being overly wordy is being too generic. In most cases, insufficient information manifests itself as a lack of specificity on accomplishments. The majority of individuals are capable of understanding their work responsibilities or position descriptions, but they struggle when it comes time to quantify their achievements in some form of quantitative or qualitative manner. As a direct consequence of this, the information is scant or uninteresting, and it does not motivate the reader to get in touch with the job seeker.

3. Using Fluff Phrases

Creating the profile or summary portion of the resume is often the most challenging aspect of the process. As a consequence of this, job applicants resort to using terms that emphasize their "soft skills" or "fluff phrases," such as "excellent communicator" or "hard-working." These phrases are pleasant to listen to, yet they provide the reader no information. These are subjective qualities that are determined by one's own judgment.

Even if you believe you are an excellent communicator, it is possible that others may disagree with you. Because the interview is where these qualities will be evaluated, you shouldn't spend too much time listing them on your resume. It is important to keep in mind that 99.9 percent of the other applicants will also claim to possess similar talents. Have you ever seen a candidate who included the phrases "poor communicator" or "lazy with careless attention to detail" in their resume?

2. Errors Caused by the Machines

The most prevalent kind of mechanical error is an incorrect spelling.

The overuse of spell check is a problem in today's society. There is a possibility that using spell check will spare you from making spelling errors, but it is unable to differentiate between the two in terms of meaning. For example, if you type "manger" instead of "manager," the spell checker won't mark it as an error. Alterations to the verb tense and incorrect capitalization are two other examples of mechanical errors. It might seem that job applicants may capitalize anything simply "to be on the safe side" when they are unsure, however doing so will only result in a mistake being made.

1. Email Errors

An erroneous email address is one of the most frequent mistakes that we notice, and it can be quite expensive.

Because the majority of job search efforts are concentrated on electronic mail (email) exchanges, having an email address that is incorrect or difficult to comprehend might be a significant obstacle on the path to achievement. Please ensure that your email address is accurate by doing a thorough check. Do not include your email address from your place of employment on your resume, and make every effort to steer clear of using the number one anywhere in your email address, since it may be difficult to identify whether it is a letter or a numerical. Try to steer clear of silly or whimsical email monikers like "vanhalenlvr83" or anything like. Recruiters and line managers despise email systems that employ automatic spam authenticators; thus, you should steer clear of these systems over the course of your job hunt.