Unsurprisingly, mistakes on a resume are the #1 error recruiters see. A resume is a career representation of yourself and you always want to give the best impression. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we thought we’d take a look at the most heartbreaking mistake we see.
Old Contact Information
Double-check your contact information on your resume to make sure it is correct and up to date. Recruiters often come across resumes with incorrect phone numbers or no contact information at all.
Formatting Issues
The best resume is sometimes the simplest resume. Make sure to use the same text style and font size throughout your resume. Bold and italic font may be used for job titles or dates of employment, but you don’t want too many clashing elements. If you need help formatting your resume, look at one of our first blogs “Seven Resume Tips to Land an Interview.”
Misspellings
Check for misspellings or grammatical errors. The best thing you can do is have someone else review your resume to check for any errors you may have missed. Depending on the position you are applying for a spelling error may stop a recruiter from reaching out to you.
No Dates of Employment
Always provide your time of employment with a previous employer on your resume. Employment history can be very informative for a recruiter. You may be wondering, “what if I do not remember the day I started?” There is no need to be specific, providing the month and year of the start and end date is widely acceptable.
Out of Order Employment History
A great resume is well organized. This can be done by placing your employment history in chronological order. Always put your most recent employer at the top of your experience section and the oldest employer at the bottom of the section.
Images Included
It is best to never include an image or picture on your resume. Not only are they distracting, but they can also make your file more likely to be caught in a spam filter.
File Type
It is recommended to share your resume using a universal file type such as a PDF (.pdf) or Word document (.doc or .docx). Using a different file type may make it difficult for a recruiter to open and view your resume.
No Description or Leading Keywords
Share a little bit about your previous positions. A recruiter will not know if you are a good fit for a job if they don’t know what you have done in the past. When crafting your description remember to use action verbs to help yourself stand out.
Resume Length
When reviewing your resume, be considerate of the length. You never want to have too short of a resume or one that is pages long, only include the relevant employment information. It is best practice to keep your resume to one full page.
Resume File Name
When saving your resume use a professional file name. A good file name to use is your last name, month, and year. This is a great format to use, especially if you make changes to your resume often because you are able to track every time you have updated your resume. Remember when naming the file that anyone you share it with can see your file name.
Much like dating, job seeking is all about first impressions. Your resume can be a strong resource to get you in front of the right hiring manager, but you want to make sure to double, or triple check what your presenting. If you are looking to chat with a recruiter about your resume, give us a call or email us your résumé to get started today!
