Avoid these common mistakes to help make sure your résumé stands out to robots and humans alike.
Though today’s job market is highly competitive, there is never a better time to apply for a job. Especially since job openings and wages have increased in recent months. However, having a carefully crafted resume is even more important than ever.
As the owner of a brand coaching and PR agency, I’ve reviewed and written more than my share of resumes. This also means that I’ve seen a lot of things that can hurt your chances of landing an interview. But for most, the resume writing process can be pretty frustrating. To aid in the process here are five resumé mistakes that I often see when working with clients. Learn how to use these common mistakes to get you past the applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Resume Writing Tips to Keepp in Mind
1. An unprofessional email address: With the job market being tight and competitive, the goal is not to disqualify yourself before you’ve even started. Hiring managers want someone who is at least professional, which means if you’re still using “browngirl21@gmail.com” you might want to change it to YourName@gmail.com.
2. Overstuffing your resume with fluff: While you want to mirror keywords from the job posting so the applicant tracking system (ATS) doesn’t discard your resume, be careful not to over-inflate and embellish. You need to strike a balance so you don’t come across as fake, plus hiring managers are hip to this ploy.
3. Not adding your LinkedIn URL: Do ensure your LinkedIn profile URL is listed next to your contact info. When working with my clients, especially those at the executive and c-suite level, I typically include email, phone number, and LinkedIn URL at the top of their resumes. With WFH more the norm, your complete address is not relevant. If necessary, simply list your city, state, and zip code.
4. Not having a clean and effective format: A resume template won’t land you the job, just ensure your resume is clean and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. While most resume templates may look beautiful and flashy, they’re often not compatible with the applicant tracking system which scans your resume from left to right. Often, these flashy templates come with vertical columns or crucial information is left off.
5. Irrelevant hobbies: The truth is, hiring managers are too swamped to care about your hobbies…Unless they’re related to the job at hand. Otherwise, skip the hobbies and focus on zeroing in on positioning your experience and expertise to align with the position.
Here’s one for the road…
Leaving out your GPA: From time to time I work with those in the early stages of their career. And in situations like this, I’ll include their GPA or if they graduated summa cum laude. But if you have more than 5 years in, your GPA is not as relevant.
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