Because your resume is your only way to introduce yourself to a potential employer it is vitally important that you do it in a professional manner. Everybody understands that no resume will be read twice: either you make it to a potential candidate pile or you don't. Therefore, you better do your homework and create a solid resume that will be able to generate the interest of a potential employer. Another alternative is to entrust your career to writing experts - there are plenty of resume writing companies who can provide comprehensive assistance in the job search process. However, there are some that don't trust such services choosing to write the resume on their own. For those who want to develop their application papers on their own, we would like to offer some insightful tips on how to stay away from things that can ruin your job hunt.
Common Resume Writing Pitfalls
Most job seekers realize that a resume is the most important document. Not cover letter, not even an application form (if there is one). Those are to complete information about you. Therefore, a resume is usually the paper one should pay special attention to. Remember, your resume is your marketing tool and there is only one reason to see how effective this tool is. If you have your resume developed a few years ago, but it never landed you a single interview you might want to consider updating or modifying it. When you sit down to create or edit your resume there are several things you should know that can ruin your document making it not interesting for hiring authorities to read. And because it gets reviewed in about 10-20 seconds every detail matters. Below you will find things that can ruin your resume (i.e. things you should avoid):
- Empty words/phrases. Some people believe that the more of the "strong" words they use, the more chances for employment they will have. However, the job search process is not the contest where the one who uses more "strong adjectives" gets the job. Using words like "talented sales associate" or "dedicated professional" make no sense unless you provide substantial evidence for these characteristics from your work experience. More than that, such words often become a turnoff if not backed up by experience.
- Wrong resume format/flow of information. Every resume is to be designed for a specific job opening. For example, if you are applying for a sales management position, you may want to emphasize relevant skills and experience for this position. Some facts about your career that have nothing to do neither with sales nor management may be omitted completely. So it is about putting the most important information up front as well as choosing the most relevant information. -
- Design. Many job seekers try to attract the employer's attention by adding bright graphic elements to a resume. Very often graphic design features tend to distract hiring authorities from the content. Therefore, if you are not applying for the position of a graphic designer we recommend you stick to a conservative layout in order to highlight the content.
