1. Create a resume using MS Word “Resume Templates”:
For many job applicants today, with the advent of Personal Computers equipped and bundled with Microsoft Office Suite, the “Resume Templates” that are available in MS Word become the first source of help. However, they produce the most unprofessional resumes that are designed specifically designed for electronic resumes. While printed resumes appear fine but it is better to build your resume from scratch using the template only to serve as a reference.
If you’re uploading your resume as an MS Word attachment, there is a greater possibility of it being examined first by specific software, also known in the industry as Applicant Tracking Software or ATS. This software eliminates resumes from the company’s tracker system because of the excessive use of style sheets, formatting tables and cells that are included in these templates that are pre-designed.
2. The reverse format is not the standard back chronological order:
Hiring managers are more interested in your present or latest one or two openings. When they look deeper into your background, they become less interested in the jobs you worked on in the past ten years. However, they are more interested in the jobs you’ve held in the last five or six years. This is why it is recommended to list your most recent work first and then list your first in the last paragraph of your resume. Functional resumes are often referred to as a cover-up for gaps and don’t fool anyone aside from the applicant looking for work and insisting on using them.
Two main styles of resume formats include:
Chronological
– Functional
3. Utilizing cute or extravagant fonts:
Most of the time, the use of too small or extravagant script-like fonts makes it difficult for your resume to be read unless you reformat them to a different style of font or expand up to 200 percent. Employers generally ignore these kinds of resumes instead of having to go through the trouble of decoding them.
4. Electronically unfriendly resume
Do not be “electronic skilled” when it comes to formatting your resume. That can lead to an electronic unfriendly resume format. Avoid overly graphic images or clip art, cell or tables. Even if you are an artist, graphic designer or artistic talent, you should submit a professional resume formatted in PDF and also a plain MS Word formatted resume, so you have both formats.
5. Identifying conflicting, duplicate or overlapping jobs:
Don’t list any overlaps between job posts in an attempt to cover what you believe to be deficiencies within your “daytime” job. This could cause confusion and which are in conflict with the primary objective of the career you’re pursuing.
6. Avoid splitting your “contact information”:
Don’t put your contact details in a manner that a portion of it stays on top of the resume while the rest is put towards the bottom. Most hiring managers only spend three seconds looking over an applicant’s resume and then proceeding to the next one. Therefore ensure that your details about your contact, including the email address and phone number, are in one place on the first page.
7. Don’t include personal details:
Be sure not to mention marital status, the size of your family, political associations or any other organization in the event that it is relevant to the job you’re applying for. They do not provide any benefit to your resume. However, the reverse effect is almost always against you.
8. Resumes that are too long:
For the majority of jobs, an average resume of two pages is enough. In reality, for those who have less than eight years of work experience, a one-page resume can be sufficient. Rarely is anyone looking to the following page. Most important is your most recent experiences, which ought to be prominently listed in chronological order.
9. A resume that seems cluttered
Beware of writing resumes in sections of continuous paragraphs that are packed into narrow, small margins on pages. They make your resume look unprofessional. Use a bulleted format instead that is broken up as it allows highlights to highlight strengths and showcases your talents.
10. Not mentioning an objective (in trying to make a career switch):
If you’re planning to make to change careers and are looking to make a career change, it is essential to include an “Objective statement” on your resume can be essential. In many cases, your qualifications do not match the job opening exactly when you are making a career change, and the objective statement can help justify why you’re sending your resume for an opening that isn’t necessarily the ideal fit.
