What are the top 5 common resume mistakes to avoid?

The top 5 things I see with the transitioning teacher population are: 1) Too many teacher acronyms in the resume. 2) Sharing references in the document. 3) Sharing too many filler words like kind and energetic 4) Giving information that is too vague with no data. 5) Sharing information that is irrelevant to the job they are applying for like their college GPA. Resume that are clear, concise and to the point about your abilities and experience are the best.

I know the anxiety that comes with the job search process. Here are some tips I hope helps anyone currently at this phase: 1. Keep your resume clear and concise. 2. Highlight your achievements and contributions using the SMART method. 2. Avoid including very personal information e.g., date of birth 3. For Technical candidates - highlight your tech stack. Read the job posting thoroughly and edit your resume to highlight your skills that match the desired requirements. 4. Customize your resume to the posting. I know its tasking, but it helps. 5. Proofread! Proofread! Proofread! All the best!

-Recruiters scan resumes in an "F" pattern, concentrating on the left and top. Use key words at the start of your resume and don't bury vital information. -Stand out by tailoring your resume to each position, using keywords from the job description, highlighting relevant experience, and showing interest. -The ATS might not be able to read a creative resume with fancy formatting, so make sure it has a clean, simple layout that is ATS friendly. -It is important to balance text with white space to make resumes more appealing and easier to scan. If the document is difficult to read, recruiters may miss important information or lose interest. -Quantify success whenever possible with percentages, dollar amounts, and other concrete figures.

In this journey of 8 years in resume writing, what common mistakes I see in almost every resume are: - Repetition of Content - Explaining each and every task you performed including additional responsibilities, which unintentionally caters to irrelevant keywords. - Excessive Jargon and less of concrete information and clear descriptions of achievements and deliverables. - Overemphasis on Multiple Organizations: Individuals with extensive experience across multiple organizations often try to discuss about every company. Instead, it's more effective to focus on the most recent 7 to 10 years - Lastly, some candidates forget to highlight their transferable skills, which are essential for helping recruiters understand their core competencies.

We all know that typos and grammatical errors can make or break your application. So, how do we avoid them? Start by thoroughly proofreading your resume multiple times or using a grammar-checking tool to catch any mistakes. Consider asking a trusted friend or colleague to review your resume for errors, as a fresh set of eyes can often spot issues that you might have missed. Prioritize clarity and conciseness in your language, aiming for a well-organized and error-free document that showcases your qualifications effectively.

Say no to oversharing! Employers aim for fair hiring processes, so keeping certain details private not only maintains professionalism on your end but also helps protect your privacy and reduces the risk of potential bias. It's best to remove the following from your resume: ❌ Marital status ❌ Age or date of birth ❌ Religious or political beliefs ❌ Sensitive personal details (like ID numbers) ❌ Health or medical history ❌ Past salaries or salary expectations

One crucial thing to remember is that everything on your resume is in direction "competition" with everything else on your resume for your reader's attention. Certainly, we want to build on our experience and list accomplishment-based bullets, but we have to be careful NOT to include jobs that were 15+ years ago. Trust me, if you reader is focusing on a job you had in 2005, she will NOT be calling you in for an interview to 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆 her problems here in 2023!

People hold very tightly onto their qualifications and certifications despite many of them potentially being out of date. If a certificate has expired, don't add it to the CV. These are often associated with First Aid or certain driving licenses (especially in the UK and Europe). You may have been awarded a Microsoft Master of Windows 95 certificate, but we are in 2023 now. Windows has moved on. If you attended CPD training 12 years ago, it is probably already out of date so you should really carefully consider its relevance, value and importance on your CV. This also applies to internal CPD as these very rarely transpose across to other organisations.

When listing your contact information, keep it simple. List your name, email address, phone number, and maybe your LinkedIn profile address. TIP: Your email should be professional. If you don't have one, create an email specific for job searching. An email like "pinkparty333@yahoo.com" doesn't set the right image you want.

The biggest resume mistakes I come across every single day includes :- - writing the resume without understanding the job role and the industry. - writing the resume without assessing your own interests and skills. - writing the resume without researching on the organization and who will be reading your resume. - Copy, pasting any template available on the internet without any appropriate formatting. - sending the resume without tailoring it as per the profile and proofreading it. -

Please take off borders from your resume. What was once fancy back in the day, is no longer fashionable today lol. Also, if an ATS system is reading it and you have a bunch of unnecessary elements, it may make it more difficult for it read.

While we design modern, ATS-compatible resumes for our clients, for those creating their own resume, I encourage to KEEP IT SIMPLE. Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) is the gatekeeper standing between your resume and human readers. Therefore, ensure your content is ingestible by ATS. A simple, text-based format ensures that, which allows you to focus on content, keywords, and connecting the dots between your background and the needs of the position/organization. Avoid templates found online and those generated by MS Word. Often, they contain objects which can cause ATS issues. All recruiters/hiring managers I speak to note, it is not the look of the resume...It is the message within that garners interest and interview consideration.

Do you truly want to win interviews? The design and formatting of your resume are key to your success here. Your resume should be in a format that is highly scannable by the automated applicant tracking system (ATS). It should also be written strategically to draw the reader's attention to the most important aspects. The skills, achievements, and impact that position you as the perfect fit for the job. Your personal brand and unique value should perfectly align with the specific job and employer.

This is particularly important with the introduction of ATS (applicant tracking systems) used by many companies. Candidates want to avoid fancy fonts, graphics and tables. Whilst a graphic CV looks great, it is not ATS-friendly. Simple really is best.

The F Theory is a great way to understand the reading habits of recruiters. People scan documents in a 'F' Style meaning that key information needs to be down the left hand side as this is the area where people focus on more. This is where you add your action verbs, your metrics and demonstrate your impact. Don't put any important information over on the right hand side, less emphasis in placed over there, so your skills are more likely to be overlooked.

The person reading your resume probably already knows what you do in your current job... what they don't know is how well you do it! This is done by creating "accomplishment-based" bullet points. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝑺𝑶𝑳𝑽𝑬 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑩𝑳𝑬𝑴𝑺! That's essentially what a job description is... a "set of problems" that the hiring manager is trying to solve. This is why we take a few key words and phrases from the job description and team them with our concrete accomplishments. This gives our resume "𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒉"!

One thing about achievements - it's not just about throwing numbers in there and calling it a day. You get extra points for bringing a big picture understanding by tying in your actions to the bottom line of your company, team, or customers.

I have been witnessing this for the last decade or more and becomes the top most of all that as I still see a few do this mistake. "I participated", "I involved", "I supported", "I helped", "I was a team member", which doesn't give a clear objective of what was achieved or accomplished, as a mere participation is no longer going to make someone the best of all the applicants. Changing those to responsibilities towards tangible and measurable achievements, would give a great advantage.

The absence of keywords and achievements is a significant resume mistake that can hinder your job search success. It's akin to neglecting to speak the language of the employer and failing to showcase your impact. First, not incorporating relevant keywords may lead your resume to be overlooked by applicant tracking systems, which are designed to identify specific terms. Second, the lack of achievements diminishes the impact of your experience. Resumes should not merely list responsibilities but highlight accomplishments and contributions, demonstrating the tangible value you bring to potential employers. Avoiding these pitfalls ensures your resume effectively communicates your qualifications and stands out in the competitive job market.

I agree with you Scott. The focus should be on achievements, not responsibilities. The emphasis should be on the business benefit of hiring you and this is best demonstrated by showing what you have achieved for others. Problems solved, initiatives introduced, money made, money saved, etc.

90% of hiring managers look at a resume for just 7 seconds... and they rarely ever get to a 3rd page, if you have one. We need to be straight and to the point. Hiring Managers don't want you whole life story... they need to see power phrases, key words and industry-jargon that SOLVES their problems. Give them enough to garner their interest so they call you in for an interview... then close the deal in that interview!

One thing that I come across regularly with my resume clients is that they add significantly too much detail. For example, they list 8-10 bullet points for a given job, instead of a more readable and more concise 3-5 bullet points. In addition, distinguishing between job responsibilities and highlights/accomplishments makes it easier for hiring managers to identify your unique contributions and strengths.

Here are the top 5 common mistakes people make when writing their resumes. 👇👇 1️⃣ Exclude irrelevant information that doesn't showcase your fit for the role. 2️⃣ Avoid generic language and clichés; be specific and unique. 3️⃣ Tailor your resume to match the job description by highlighting relevant skills and experiences. 4️⃣Ensure a clear and organized layout for easy readability. 5️⃣Proofread meticulously to eliminate grammar and spelling errors, maintaining a professional image. 📌For instance, instead of saying "hardworking team player," specify accomplishments like "increased team productivity by 20% through effective collaboration." 🎯Always try to keep your resume focused, impactful, and error-free.

One of the most common mistakes is neglecting the necessary preparatory work before beginning the process of updating or creating your resume. Its crucial to understand your target role, conduct self-analysis, and analyze the job description to align with the job market and the potential employer's needs precisely. By identifying any gaps and addressing them through upskilling, you can ensure that you are prepared and relevant.

One common mistake is that "Most candidates" are too focused on what they want to tell instead of focusing on what the hiring manager wants in their ideal candidate and crafting their resume bullet points that address hiring manager needs.

Here are my Top 5 resume mistakes with a bonus! 1. Not ATS Friendly: If the resume fails to meet the very particular ATS format, you might as well pack it in. 2. No Keywords: I as a reader need to see your functional, skills-based, industry specific keywords. The ATS picks up on keywords to process the resume before being seen by humans. 3. Responsibilities over accomplishments: You will be hired for your accomplishments, not responsibilities. 4. Spelling, grammar mistakes. One error can count you out. Proofread, proofread and proofread. 5. Too Long, Too Short: A one pager is a non-starter for people with 8 or more years experience. A 3-pager is the upper limit. Bonus: Failing to customize for each application.

ALWAYS USE DATA! What’s more compelling? “Increased newsletter subscribers” Or “Grew our newsletter by 20% in Q1” Always find a way to quantify You might have to get creative, but usually there’s always a way