The Seven Sins - Resume Writing

Have you been turned down from a job application several times? Maybe you have missed out on something. Is it about your attire? Is it because of your hairstyle? Is it because of your height? Well, maybe one or all of these, right? Or maybe, it is because of your “poorly written resume.”

Most employers rely on your resume for information. What if you overloaded your resume with unnecessary facts like being the MVP of your basketball team back in high school? So, what does your potential employer has to do with your sports excellence?

Check this out and see what trash you included in your resume which needed to be omitted NOW. Here are some clutters people are not noticing flooding their resume.

• Including all job experiences not necessary in your current application. So what if you worked part time in a coffee shop as barista, what does it have to do with your application as marketing consultant? Your resume is not an archive of all your job experiences. Enlist jobs relevant to your current application. Relevance is important in enumerating which jobs you need to include and which ones needed not to.

• Relying in “as old as the oak tree” information in making a resume. Traditional resume writing may not be applicable these days as jobs and employers’ preferences also are dynamic. Go with change and find ways on how to effectively create a unique resume. Check out the online resources pages at Almeda University for a comprehensive guide.

• Listing only duties but never highlights in career. Many people think that listing down their complete job responsibility is enough to capture the attention of potential employers. What they might be missing out is to highlight milestones or perhaps achievements they had. What sets you apart from the rest of the applicants vying for the position?

• Pointing out the drama on subjective claims like excellent working skills, dynamic learner, etc. Your resume is not fiction which needs to be dramatic in any sense but it is a concise written piece. It should focus on facts not on “blah-blah. Show and don’t tell! What are evidences to support your claim on “excellent leadership skills”?

• Missing out on volunteer work relevant to the job application. Some people do not include volunteer activities in their resume because they think it wouldn’t matter. Avoid the same mistake; include volunteer activities related to your job application.

• Exaggerating too much on resume design is also a common mistake. If you want to make your resume appealing with different and colorful layouts, you might end up in a carnival. I mean your job application is a formal task which simply means conciseness and clarity must be kept at all points. Make your resume readable with clear organization of thoughts. Highlighting on the important points the employer has to notice is what you should be dealing on.

• Erroneously written resume is a “no-no” which some people often leave unnoticed. If you want to make a good impression on your potential employer, make sure your resume is free from typos like spelling, grammar, etc. A perfectly written resume will imply your consistency and reliability which can be tested in this simple task.

These are the 7 deadly sins people commit in creating their job application resume. Do you think you are guilty of them? Well, it’s time to get back into business. Face your computer and modify your resume. It’s never too late; after all, your resume sells you so make yourself sellable. Avoid these mistakes and get hired today.