Your resume is often the first point of contact with your potential employer, and first impressions count.
Presenting a professional document will not only help you stand out amongst the many other applicants, but will increase your chances of gaining an interview and securing employment.
Resume not getting responses? Here are our top 9 resume mistakes to look out for before your next application:
1. Spelling and grammatical errors
Ensuring your resume is grammatically correct and error-free will not only demonstrate that you have good written communications skills, but that you pay attention to detail and take care in your work – All qualities that a potential employer will look for. Make sure you read it over and ask someone else to proofread it as well.
2. Visually too busy or inconsistent formatting
Stick to a simple, clean resume design that makes the information easy to read. Ensuring formatting is consistent across all sections will help your potential employer to quickly understand why you are right for the role.
3. Missing or incorrect contact information
An employer cannot get in touch with you if your contact information is wrong or phone is disconnected. Also similar to spelling errors, if you aren’t detailed-oriented enough to provide the correct phone number what does this say about how you will perform as an employee?
4. Using an unprofessional email address
Remember, every word on your resume builds a story about who you are. Don’t miss your chance to make a good first impression by using an inappropriate email address. Using your name is a good choice (e.g. [email protected]).
5. Listing too many roles or qualifications
Most employers will agree that your resume should be 2 pages or less. If you have information that exceeds this try to focus on your last year, or get some advice on how to highlight only what is relevant.
6. Listing duties rather than skills and accomplishments
Employers want to know which skills you will bring to their business. What were you responsible for and what did you learn from this? For example, rather than listing ‘cafe cleaning duties’ you could summarise your knowledge of cleaning standards for food processing equipment.
7. Including irrelevant information
Avoid listing your age or family status on your resume. Likewise, unless you are using your hobbies to demonstrate skills that you can bring to a role, leave them out. A general rule of thumb is that if it isn’t relevant to the workplace it doesn’t belong on your resume.
8. No references or information incomplete
Stating that your references are ‘available upon request’ or listing no references at all won’t always be a deal breaker, however for the best chance at making a good impression you should aim to include two current references at all times. Get more tips on references.
9. Not customising for each application
To get the best results, you should review and tweak your resume as required with every job application. Sending out the same general resume and cover letter month after month is unlikely to get results. Read the application criteria for each role and ensure you address it directly.
As you can see, getting your resume ‘right’ can be tricky! Our experienced Employment Consultants can help you find the right balance.
Give us a call on 1300 SUREWAY (1300 787 392).
