Ten Things to Avoid in Your Resumes and Cover Letter
Posted in Resume Writing
When you are writing a resume, the thing that you have to consider is that it is not at all that easy. You have to brainstorm first. Then when you write, you have to undergo the tedious activity of writing and rewriting it.
Of course, that includes the proofreading and all. But above all things, the one thing that you have to consider is that even though you wrote the resume for hours, hiring managers only have less than a minute to review it and delete it if it did not pass their expectations of what a resume must be.
So if you think your resume is something that boasts your background and all, you better think twice. Simple errors may make its way to trash can in no time. Sad, but true. For your resume not to end up being a paper plane for the hiring manager to play with, avoid the 10 blunders resume writers sometimes do.
Having no cover letter
Hiring managers rejects resumes that have no cover letters. That is how important these letters are. It fills the gaps not tackled in your resume and provides an extra information about you and your previous employment.
Putting some extra flairs in your resume
Though standing out may be one of the requirements when applying for a job, it may be a bad idea if you are going to use unconventional fonts and neon pink paper for your resume. Just stick with the standard white-colored paper with common fonts in black type like Arial or Times New Roman.
Having more than three pages
As much as possible, go only for two pages long for your resume. If you had a previous job way back in high school where you stacked stuff in the storeroom, then it may irrelevant to the job you are going to apply now. In other words, include only the most recent job history.
Going only for duties and not accomplishments
It is best that you write about your accomplishments and not just your duties in your previous job. In other words, allow the hiring manager to know what you have contributed to the company where you previously worked. This way they may know how you can be an asset to the company.
Selfish objectives
For the employers to know whether you are fit in an organization, your resume has to speak about your experience. Do not use a generic statement that describes your objective. As much as possible, display your accomplishments and background. It is far more effective at that.
Too generic
When you write a resume and cover letter, always make it a point that it is tailored fit to the job that you're applying for. In other words, customize your resume if necessary.
Upgrading your previous employment information
Since there are background checks, any upgrading on your resume just to make it look better will finally get caught. So do not stretch the employment dates on your resume. It will save you from getting eliminated.
Tell everybody why you left
Always remember not to put anything deemed negative in your resume. If you lost your job due to a layoff or that you were fired, tell them only if the hiring manager asks you about it.
Including dozens of personal information
Unless your hobby has something to do with your resume, do not include it. Your height, weight and sexual orientation among others is useless to a hiring manager. So do not bother including them in your resume.
Having assumed that the spelling is sufficient
Several typographical errors persist despite the spell-checking. So review and proofread your resume as carefully as possible and as many times if necessary. You can even ask a friend to review it for some corrections.
