3 Resume Sins

Writing an effective and attention-grabbing resume is a challenge, especially in today's competitive job market. Your resume is the one document that gets hiring managers to notice you above all the other qualified candidates vying for the same position. Don't fall victim to some of the most common resume mistakes. Avoid the following resume sins to increase your chances of getting an interview.

A common resume mistake many candidates make is not including keywords in their resume. Employers these days receive hundreds - if not thousands - of resumes, so they utilize computerized tracking systems to help weed through stacks of applicants. These tracking systems seek out certain keywords that are important to the company and relevant to the job description, and any resumes that do not include these specific words may be discarded. To avoid this, make sure you incorporate the same keywords from the job description into your resume. Be very specific about your degrees, licenses, certifications and software experience, and include how many years of experience you have with each of your qualifications. The more specific you are, the greater the chance that the applicant tracking software will consider your resume a good match to the job description.

Another common resume mistake is not watching out for spelling and grammatical errors. The most professional, eye-catching, and detailed resume on the planet will land right in the hiring manager's garbage pail if it has spelling or grammar mistakes. There are several ways to ensure your resume is free of errors and flows naturally: read your resume out loud to yourself, look over a printed copy of your resume, and use the spell checker in your word processing program. Even with these tricks, it is always recommended to have another person proofread your resume for you. A second set of eyes can bring a fresh, objective perspective and give you helpful feedback.

One of the most common resume mistakes is having a resume that is too long. Hiring managers have stacks of resumes to contend with, and most resumes receive only a quick skim before moving on to the next. If your resume has multiple pages or contains big blocks of lengthy text, chances are it won't receive more than a passing glance before getting tossed into the "no" pile. Your resume does not need to include every single job you've ever had. Choose the most relevant experience and highlight only those skills and experiences. Try to keep it to just one page, or two at the most.

While there are quite a few common resume mistakes candidates can make, consider these three to be the cardinal resume sins. Fortunately, for each resume mistake, there is a simple fix. By including relevant keywords, proofreading your resume thoroughly and keeping it concise, you increase your chances of having your resume selected by discerning hiring managers.

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