Three Fatal Resume Mistakes!
Job seekers, beware! All it takes is just one of these errors to strike your job search dead in its tracks. Here are three of the most obvious - and fatal - resume mistakes!
1. Incorrect Contact Information
Contact information is the single most important section on your resume. Why? Because even if you're the most qualified person in the world, it's not going to matter much if a recruiter or hiring manager can't contact you!
In the digital age, where our lives are intertwined with technology, maintaining accurate contact data is more important than ever.
If a recruiter sends an email to connect with you, and it bounces back, they will simply move on to the next resume. Ditto for phone numbers. If a call to the phone number listed on your resume results in a wrong number, or ‘voice mail not initialized’ or ‘voice mail box full’ - a recruiter or hiring manager will not go further, and this is an obvious missed opportunity.
The more contact options you provide on your resume, the easier it is to miss an important message from a prospective employer. Avoid any confusion by streamlining your contact information. Include one — and only one — phone number on your resume. We suggest listing the number for your mobile phone so you can control the voice message, who answers each call, and when. Also, if employed, make sure you do NOT use your work email and phone number!
Always use a professional email address. You don’t want to be taken less seriously because your email address is something like “partyanimal@email.com.” Instead, opt for a simple and straightforward email address that includes your name. This will give off a more professional vibe and make others take you seriously in the business world.
Email addresses with numerals and dashes can be discouraging. People either don’t remember them, or they mistype them. Professional email accounts with clean and easy-to-type characters matter. Something like [Name] [Last Name] @ [Email Provider].com should work fine. Bonus points if you use Gmail and avoid outdated email providers. If you’re using an age-old email provider, the recruiter might think you’re not too tech-savvy.
Before submitting your resume, make sure to double-check, or even triple-check your email address and phone number.
2. Spelling Mistakes, Typos, and Grammatical Errors
This is the most obvious of all tips: your resume needs to be grammatically correct and without spelling mistakes. If you have errors, this is the easiest way to shoot yourself in the foot! Even a single typo or grammatical error can give the impression that you’re careless or sloppy, which is the last thing you want to show on your resume. In addition, some employers may draw not-so-flattering conclusions about you, like, "This person can't write," or "This person obviously doesn't care."
Always double-check the spelling on your resume. It doesn’t work to proofread your own work. To make sure your work is error-free, ask a friend or family member to go through your resume and catch any mistakes that might have slipped through. You can also use Grammarly or a grammar checker app.
3. Formatting
Unless you're applying for a job such as a designer or artist, your focus should be on making your resume clean, legible, and minimalist. Two pages max, three pages if you include a cover letter. At least eleven-point font, half-inch margins, white paper, black ink. Consistent spacing between lines, with all paragraphs and columns aligned. Formatting can get garbled when moving across platforms. Always save your resume in either PDF or Docx, both of which are compatible with applicant tracking software. (Your resume should never, ever be saved as a JPEG or PNG)
For more insightful information about resume writing, consult the experts at Calgary Career Hub!
Check out the category of Resume Writing in the Virtual Resource Room at Resource Room Register — Calgary Career Hub