Three Common Resume Mistakes

With the job market being as competitive as it is, you can't afford to let any opportunity to impress a potential employer pass you by. The first step towards doing this is to ensure there are no resume mistakes. Make your job application stand out above the crowd by formatting your resume correctly and avoiding these three common mistakes.

Filling Your Resume with Fluff

One of the most egregious resume mistakes is to try to pad your resume with useless fluff to try to seem impressive. A recruiter does not want to have to wade through irrelevant details to find the information that they are looking for. Be ruthless with what you allow to stay on your resume. You should be as specific as you can within each section. If you fear that your resume will be too bare, go as detailed as you can when you are describing the tasks and responsibilities that you had at your previous job(s). Giving quantifiable proof that you impacted the businesses that you worked for is one of the best things you can include on your resume. However, the worst resume mistake you can make is to lie about or exaggerate your qualifications. All it takes is five minutes for a recruiter to type your claims into a search engine and expose your deceit.

Trying to Make Your Resume One-Size-Fits-All

Another resume mistake to steer clear of is not customizing your resume for each job that you apply for. Job recruiters know when they've been given a catch-all resume instead of one that is carefully crafted to highlight your specific qualifications for that job. You should have a core resume that can easily be adjusted to reflect the specific requirements for each new position you apply for. Take the time to thoroughly vet and research the company you are applying to, finding all the information you can about the department you wish to join and what duties the position requires. With that information, you'll be able to successfully spotlight how you meet or exceed the organization's requirements, making the recruiter's job easier and your resume much more likely to catch their attention.

Ignoring Your Resume's Formatting

Making sure that your resume is legible and neatly formatted is a key component that too many job seekers ignore. According to research at The Ladders, the average recruiter only spends six seconds looking at your resume to find what they are looking for, so making sure the formatting of your resume is clean and eye-catching is vital to your job search. Avoid making this resume mistake by keeping away from dense blocks of text, as they are hard to read and not easily skimmed. Utilize things like bulletpoints and listing your information horizontally instead of vertically to maximize white space and allow the eye to be able to clearly spot the most important information first.

Every job applicant wants to make the best first impression possible. If you successfully avoid these three common resume mistakes, your polished and professional resume will go a long way toward helping you find the job that you need.

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