Creating an effective resume is definitely not an easy undertaking, even with all the advice that is available in books, from well-meaning friends and family, and on the Internet. No matter how diligent you are in following the plethora of resume writing advice that you have gathered from a number of sources, if you are a job applicant writing a resume for the first time, it’s still likely that you may still commit a few mistakes that can actually reduce your chances for getting interviewed. Besides seeking the best advice available, another way to help you create a winning professional resume is to avoid the most common (and often most costly) blunders that new job applicants often make, such as:
Putting in too much information: What information should you include in your resume? What should you exclude? These are the two questions that have perplexed new resume writers since time immemorial. Resume writing experts offer the following answer to these two questions: include what is relevant and exclude what is not necessary. Relevant work details include educational attainments, internships, seminars, and other things that you have done that make you fit for the job. Unnecessary information includes personal data such as your age, birthdate, gender, or your hobbies. Passport date, complete addresses and contact information of your previous schools and employers, and personal achievements may also count as unnecessary.
Using too many keywords and business jargon: Those who are new to resume writing tend to find power words and phrases incredibly impressive, and thus end up incorporating just a tad too much of these in their documents. Of course, when used sparingly — and strategically — these words can attract a potential employer’s attention. On the other hand, using too many will just do the exact opposite.
Not tailoring resume content to the current job you are applying for: New job applicants are often too eager to showcase their achievements to potential employers, and thus end up citing each and every accomplishment in their resumes… including the irrelevant ones. It’s important to leave out past work details that are not related to your desired position so that employers can focus onthe ones that are. This way, they can easily assess your qualifications. Including irrelevant work details may just give the recruiter the impression that you do not have the necessary training and experience for the job.
Forgetting to check for spelling and grammatical errors: This is one of the most common resume writing mistakes that new applicants make. Ironically, it is also one of the easiest to prevent. Taking just a few minutes to scan your document can easily help you ensure the quality of your writing, an important feature that can make or break your chances in getting invited for an interview.
