Creating your own resume can sometimes be tricky especially if you’re on the hunt for a new job. You need to make sure that your resume is catchy and will grab the attention of the employer. This is the first step in getting the interview, but the essential part is owning a resume that is professional and has no mistakes.
Making mistakes in your resume can cost you a job opportunity; you can have many years of experience but you can’t land a job just because you made mistakes when creating your resume.
So, today, we will tell you some common resume mistakes that you should avoid when you’re creating or updating your CV.
1- Grammar / Spelling Mistakes
This is a very common mistake that anyone could easily make!
Creating a resume requires a lot of writing, which can make you make grammar and spelling mistakes. Therefore, you have to always reread it when you’re done to discover the mistakes. Things like that can make your resume look bad, especially if you’re applying for a writing job.
So, after finishing writing, take a break and then start revising what you wrote and start editing.
2- Don’t Bold The Company, Bold Your Position
Your title or position is the one that should be written in a big bold font.
Your company’s name is important but your position is more important. So, when you’re including your previous experience in your resume, bold your position, not the company’s name. You want whoever views your resume to notice your titles first and know what your previous job was, then the company’s name comes later.
So, don’t write them in a small font, make them big, bold, and noticeable.
3- Don’t Add Unnecessary Sections
Your resume is all about experience and skills, don’t add irrelevant sections.
Some people add sections that include their talents or hobbies, avoid that. Your interviewer won’t be interested to know about your hobbies as much as they want to know about your experience and skills.
So, don’t try to stuff your resume with whatever you can add; avoid any irrelevant information that won’t benefit the job you’re applying for.
4- Unprofessional Resume Photo
Don’t just put any photo of you, you have to pick a proper one.
You can do some research on the type of photos you should put on your resume. What you should avoid is putting unprofessional photos, for example, you can’t upload a random selfie or a photo at the beach.
The photo should be professional with a nice outfit that represents your personality.
5- Don’t Over Design and Don’t Choose A Poor Design
Your resume should look professional, so you need to choose a proper design.
Don’t mix catchy with overly designed. You can make your resume catchy by the bold font and by how well organized it is. You don’t have to write every title in a color or a different font and don’t choose a design that will make it look messy.
Also, don’t just write on a blank page, as if it’s an article. It’s a resume not an article and it’s filled with sections, not paragraphs.
6- Don’t Put Too Much Information
Spare some of the details for the interview.
Your resume should include your previous job titles along with what you did, don’t add too much information. You don’t have to state how you solved a crisis or how you and your team collaborated. Spare some for the interview so the HR can find questions to ask.
7- Don’t Just Write A Job Description.
Don’t describe your position, write what you actually did.
A job description is sometimes broad, it also depends on the company. For example, what you’re doing in your current position can be more or less than the same position in other companies. This is why when you write the details of your title, you just write what you did and what your responsibilities were.
Remember, your resume is what gives the interviewer the very first impression about you, so, you have to put your heart and soul into it when you’re working on it.