Top 6 Resume Errors People Make

With hundreds of people applying for each job, how does your resume stand out from the crowd?

Your resume and cover letter is a good example of your written communication skills. If you cannot prove on paper that you are the best person for the job, you will not be doing it in person at the interview. These are the top 6 errors most people make in their resumes.

1: Poor Formatting and Spelling Errors

A Resume is your one and only chance to get a seat at the interview table. Ensure it is a well-formatted document free from spelling and grammatical errors. A word of caution - always spell check your document, but do not rely on spell check as it does not pick up correctly spelled words used in the wrong context.

2: Your Resume is not ATS / Resume Scanner Compliant

Covid-19 has highlighted several major issues in the recruitment process. HR departments are being swamped with applications so they are relying more and more on Applicant Tracking Systems. Make sure your application gets through this stage by making sure your resume and cover letter contains the answers to the job specific criteria laid out in the advertisement.

3: Avoid Cliché’s and Fluff

Back up the words such as “Team Player”, “Motivated”, “Enthusiastic” and “Interpersonal Skills” with an example, otherwise it’s just fluff.

4: No Achievements Listed

Brag a little, what difference did you make? When it comes to behavioural interview questions an employer is looking for how much of a difference you can make to their organisation. In todays job market it’s more important than ever to make sure you stand out from the crowd – in a good way.

5: Employment Gaps

Do not leave a significant job gap on your Resume without addressing it. It’s okay if you were a full-time parent, on a career break or off work due to COVID-19.

6: Age Identifiers and Other Personal Information

Remove these from your Resume. Do not include your Date of Birth, Year you graduated, really, really old jobs, marital status, number of kids, religious affiliations or anything else that could be used to discriminate against you.

A great CV or Resume is your passport to success. For more information on how to write resumes that beat the odds visit http://www.perthresumewriter.com.au/index.html