Today’s job market is extremely competitive. For every open position, employers receive many job applications. A well-written resume can increase your chances of landing a job. But when it comes to writing a resume, it’s not enough to know what to include; you have to know what not to include. Here are 10 things to avoid.
1. Too Much Information
Including too much information is one of the most common mistakes job applicants make. Resist your temptation to include everything, no matter how relevant they are. Hiring managers tend to ignore applications that lack concision.
So, rather than mentioning every job you have ever had, focus on the skills that are relevant to the position. If you look at the works of the best resume writing services online, you will notice that professional resume writers always avoid including too much information.
2. Multiple Phone Numbers
Maintain restraint when providing your phone numbers. Lots of contact information is not necessarily a good thing. If fact, it can lead to confusion. There is another problem: if your prospective employer sends you a message, chances are that you will miss it. So, make sure you include only one phone number.
3. Vague Objective Statement
Generic resume objective statements are usually vague, and they do not convey any meaningful message to the hiring recruit. “I am looking for opportunities to leverage my skills” is an example of a vague statement.
4. Grammatical Errors And Spelling Mistakes
Typos and grammatical errors may occur when you are tailoring your resume to suit a particular job, and adding new text. You may need to consider updating your resume for many other reasons. To make sure you have not overlooked any mistake, ask a friend to read through the resume and detect any mistake.
5. Details About Your Interests And Hobbies
Hiring managers expect to see some personal information in your resume. And it’s true that your interests and hobbies can make you seem cool, because these days everyone understands the need for downtime.
However, you should not provide too many details about your hobbies. Mention them in a couple of lines, and not more. Follow your gut feeling. Avoid any information about your hobbies if you think it might undermine your application.
Even if you want to get the job done by a professional writer and get in touch with the best resume writing service online, it is a good idea to remind the writer that you do not want to highlight your hobbies and interests in your resume.
6. Passive Language
Action words give a more positive impression than passive language. Do not write that the career just happened to you. Rather, write how you made things happen. Hiring managers like a strong action verb that exudes confidence.
With that said, the passive voice is not something you should avoid altogether. There are situations where the passive voice can communicate ideas better. So, it is important to learn when to use the passive voice. The key is to figure out how to use language in your favor.
7. Inaccuracies About Your Experience Or Qualifications
Avoid dishonest statements. Hiring managers are experienced, and most of the time they can detect misleading and inaccurate statements. An applicant may be considered even if he or she does not meet all the requirements. Do not try to embellish your history.
8. Your Age
If there is an age-related requirement, just state that you meet all the requirements. Otherwise, simply do not provide any reference to your age. Yes, there was a time when all applicants included their birth dates. But these days, excluding any reference to your age is perfectly acceptable.
9. Tiny Text
When you have to free up some space, reducing the font size can be helpful. However, tiny text means poor readability, which can be a problem. So, brevity is the key here. Use the most relevant skills and keep the word count down.
How many words should a resume be? There is no straight answer. However, as a rule of thumb, a resume should not contain more than 600 words. Make sure you clearly understand how words are counted. The visual appeal of your resume is something that you have to take seriously.
10. Headshot
Do not include a picture of you in your resume – unless the job post explicitly states that you need to include one. A photo reveals your age, gender and nationality, and these factors can lead to discrimination. This is why professional resume writing services these days avoid including headshots.
Some recruiters even automatically dismiss applications that include headshots, because these recruiters want to avoid being accused of discrimination. Apart from that candidates who include headshots may be perceived as egocentric.
Final Thoughts
When writing a resume, look at it from the perspective of a recruiter. Figure out ways to make the resume stand out to a recruiter. Focus on your strengths while maintaining utmost honesty. Restrain any temptation to include irrelevant information or embellish your achievements. Let your achievements speak for themselves.
