Top 10 resume mistakes...

There is a good saying “Making mistake is not a crime but not learning from the mistake is a crime”, and that my friends is very true, when it comes to resumes. A resume is your identity, that the reader sees, and creates an impression about you. So we cannot afford to make mistakes with that one, can we?

I have come across some resumes which have such silly mistakes and some grave ones, that I found it appropriate to share in this forum. These mistakes on resume are exceptionally difficult to repair the damage once an employer gets it. So we need to take extreme care that we do no make any mistake in resume. Here are the most common errors and how you can avoid them, to make an impressive resume:

1. Silly errors

Your resume needs to be correct in all aspects. If it isn’t, employers will conclude that this person is not serious about how/what someone thinks about him. It is a good idea to check your resume twice to ensure there is not any silly spelling mistake or grammar mistake in it. Or better still, ask someone else to proof read your resume.

2. Lack of achievements

Employers need to understand what you’ve done and achieved. So please mention both of them together and don’t stop at one. For example a statement like “Team leader in XYZ BPO”, will capture less attention than “Supervised more than 15 employees for XYZ BPO and was also part of client interaction to understand their requirements and expectations from us”.

It is a good idea to spend some time thinking and mentioning about your achievements at workplace than simply rattling of your responsibilities.

3. No correlation between resume and requirement of job

Employers want you to write a resume specifically for them. You need to create a correlation between requirement of the job with your skill and experience. Only then you will stand out as a deserving candidate for that particular job.

4. No keywords

When applying for a position in a particular industry or company, it is important to speak the same language. It is desirable for the company to know that the prospect candidate knows about the company, industry. Please use keywords relevant to the job you are applying for.

5. Irrelevant information

Sometimes candidates get carried away and stuff our resume with information which the employers have no interest to know. Some examples like:• Won painting competition in class 8th• Was class monitor in 9th standardStatements like these are considered irrelevant information and is not in sync with the job requirement. Please be specific, to the point and be concise.

6. Vague statements

Exaggerated statements like, “Seeking a challenging position that offers professional growth” puts of most employers I know. Give employers something specific and, more importantly, something that focuses on their requirement as well as your own. Tell them truly what your short term and long term goals are.

7. Cover letter

An intelligently drafted cover letter can increase your chance for selection. A cover letter gives you an opportunity to mention what you may have not added in the resume. You can mention the reasons as to why you are suitable for the the job opening. You can talk about the skill sets you posses or the relevant experience and interest that you have, which makes you a good candidate for the job.

8. Clumsy formatting

Your resume should be well formatted. The font should be professional and not a fancy looking one. Use fonts like TimesNewRoman or Calibiri or Verdana or Trebuchet for creating an impression. Try using a standard font size across the resume. Too much of variations causes distraction.

9. Silly email ids

Email ids like resumes help create an impression about the person that you are. Email ids like love4uxxx@abc.com are not favorable. We suggest you have a more professional email ids for resumes like firstname.lastname@mailprovider.com

10. Incorrect information

The purpose of creating and sending cover letter and resume to prospective employer is to get contacted by them. So if you give incorrect information w.r.t any part of job that you have not done or exaggerated about or as simple as your contact details, employers will shy away from contacting you and your whole purpose of having a good resume will be defeated.

This is true that we get the job if we fulfill the requirements of the job but if we take care of these hygiene factors mentioned above then we can put forward our resume in an effective and efficient way.

All the best for your job search