Ah, April 1, April Fool’s Day. A day of pranks and jokes where anything posted online is to be looked at with skepticism and doubt. But not here on Job Journey! We’re serious about the job search, and you won’t find any silly tricks or made-up stories here.
However, we want to take this chance to keep you from being seen as a “fool” when it comes to your resume. You might think you’re doing everything right, but a slight typo or other mistake could keep you from getting the job. Here are a few resume mistakes to avoid.
- Terrible Typos and Formatting Fails
Hiring managers go through tons of resumes, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. That’s why, as noted by Glassdoor, on average they only spend about six seconds looking at each one. Six seconds is all it takes for them to decide whether your resume goes in the “yes,” “no,” or “maybe” pile.
The easiest way to get your resume thrown out? Bad formatting and typos. If you’re not sure whether your resume is in tip-top shape, ask a friend or colleague to take a look at it. Odds are they’ll be able to tell you if there are any major misspellings or odd formatting errors. You can also find resume templates online.
- Applying to the Wrong Positions
If your resume doesn’t match the basic qualifications of the job description, you probably aren’t going to get an interview. It’s totally fine to switch industries in your career, but you should tailor your resume for those new opportunities. Look at the job description and edit your experience to match what your potential employer is looking for.
If you aren’t able to make your experience match up, it might be time to look for training opportunities or other ways to gain the necessary skills for the job you want.
- Extra Information
Even if you have the necessary qualifications, recruiters might pass you over if your resume isn’t streamlined to focus on what they’re looking for. Having too much info makes it difficult for recruiters to see the story you’re trying to tell.
As Elizabeth Harrison, Senior Recruitment Partner at Decision Toolbox noted in an interview with Glassdoor, “content that does not relate to the job and does not address what qualifications a candidate has for a job can absolutely eliminate a candidate who may have accomplished many of the tasks that job is looking for, but was not articulated in the resume.”
Essentially, your resume goal is to get a specific job, and everything in the document should relate to that job.
Now that you’re prepared, get out there and update that resume! A bit of resume spring cleaning and you’ll be nobody’s fool, April or otherwise.
Do you have any other resume tips? Let us know in the comment section below!
