A resume is similar to a company website, or brochure for a service. Have you ever looked at one and thought ‘I’m definitely not going with this company – they just don’t look professional’? Resumes are similar. Resumes sell your personality, skills and credibility, and if there are errors in spelling, if the resume uses unprofessional clip art, or if the layout makes understanding the information inside impossible, then chances are the resume has just undermined your potential for employment at the company in question. Don’t let these mistakes happen on your resume:
#1 – Spelling/grammatical errors
With computer spell-checks spelling errors are typically happening with words such as ‘there/they’re/their’ etc. Or a word that is correctly spelled, but that is a typo in the context (using the word ‘out’ when you meant to write ‘our’). Another place to watch for errors and typos: contact information. An error here, even on a superb resume, could mean that a hiring manager won’t be able to get a hold of you – hiring managers are busy people, they probably won’t try beyond the first phone number or email address – if it’s wrong, you won’t be receiving a call.
#2 – Poor layout/arrangement of information
The brutal truth is that the document you have spent the better part of the day preparing will receive 8-10 seconds of a hiring manager’s time, at first glance. If the information is arranged in a way that is difficult to understand, the person reading it will probably not even give it that. Make sure that you clearly arrange information, label important sections, have a linear job history. Make it immediately obvious what position you are applying for, and how your skills fit into that position.
#3 – Not qualified for the job
It does not matter if you are qualified for the job or not – what’s important is if your resume says that you are. If you have all the qualifications in the world it will not help you if your resume does not list those! Remember a resume is not a biography, and does not need to have every jobs you’ve ever held in your life, if certain jobs are not related to the position at hand. If you are mass-mailing resumes, you will probably find that your resume is disqualifying you simply because it is not targeted, and it is unrelated. The problem with this approach is that you are burning bridges with only the click of a mouse – you only get one shot in most cases, and it’s important to view that as an opportunity to succeed, not as another email address to add to your resume email blast.
#4 – Using inappropriate information
If your hobbies are not related to the position, don’t list them. They are unnecessary. Make the resume as simple as possible – resumes that are too flowery tend to get on hiring manager’s nerves, because it makes the information within less accessible, not more. No personal information beyond what’s required (name, phone, email, address). Even previous jobs that are unrelated to this position could be considered ‘inappropriate’ however this is left to the resume writer’s discretion, since a solid job history is extremely valuable.
#5 – Poor/unprofessional graphic elements
Often times in describing Professional Resume Design, the first question people ask is if we use different colored paper, or clip art to spruce up the resume. We do neither of these things, but I have even seen poor clip art choices in ‘How-To’ resume books from Amazon.com, so I understand why people might believe that it’s a smart thing to do. Using poor-quality clip art (from Microsoft Word or other word-processing programs) is a big no-no. Trying to professionally design a resume yourself is a poor idea – we have graphic designers who are professionally trained, and though it may look easy, we assure you it is not. Using a colored paper to stand out is not a good idea. It screams ‘unprofessional’ and diminishes your credibility. If the paper’s tone approaches the tone of the printer ink, it makes the resume that much harder to read.
If you are in any way unsure, play it safe – use a standard layout, standard font choice (Times New Roman), standard paper color (white) etc. In fact, always use white, or slightly off-white paper. Everyone needs to look like a professional in the eyes of their peers, and colored paper is a guaranteed way to diminish your professional credibility to someone you have never met. Not a good way to start!
