Your resume plays a vital role in making the first impression on the recruiter when applying for a job. Creating a professional, well-organised CV that highlights your abilities, successes, and future prospects is very important. Everything counts in this cutthroat job market because even a small error might cost you an interview.
Therefore, you need to understand better what should and should not be included in your resume. We will discuss in depth the dos and don’ts everyone should be aware of when constructing their resumes through this blog. This guide will break down every element and explain what you need to focus on when making your resume, as suggested by professional resume writing services.
Resume Don’ts: Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here is the list of all those practices that should be avoided when writing a professional resume.
Using Unprofessional Emails
Your professional resume must not contain the same email you created when you were in high school.
For example:
Avoid using unprofessional emails, such as coolboy22@gmail.com or partyanimal123@gmail.com.
These emails give a very bad impression and may result in your application getting rejected. Instead, your professional resume must have a proper email, such as John.Doe@gmail.com. This simple detail can change how the recruiter perceives your resume.
Writing Personal Information
Refrain from mentioning information that is irrelevant to your job or the position you are applying for. Your resume should not include your personal details, such as religion, age, or political affiliation. You don’t need to include your marital status or any information about your family. This should be avoided as it leads to unnecessary bias or discrimination.
Moreover, employers don’t care about such details. They only focus on your skills, experience, and how you can contribute to their business, and help them in any way possible.
Lying Or Exaggerating
Don’t lie or cheat your way into a job because this is one of the most unethical things you can do. Misrepresenting your qualifications, job titles, date of employment, or responsibilities can be extremely detrimental.
Employers verify information, and being caught with a lie can cost you your job or even lead to being blacklisted from the company. So be truthful and honest about everything.
Making A Generic Personal Statement Or Summary
One of the common mistakes job seekers frequently make is using a vague or overly broad objective or summary in their resume. This fails to capture the interest of an employer and adds no real value to your resume if not written correctly. Pay attention to the following tips:
- Don’t write clichés such as “Seeking a challenging position to utilise my skills.”
- Avoid summaries that could apply to any job or industry
- Be specific, highlight relevant experience, industry focus, and unique strengths
- Tailor your summary according to your job description
Focus on just showcasing your value and how it aligns with the specific role you are applying for.
Writing Buzzwords And Jargon
When applying for any job, using industry-specific language is necessary, but overloading it with clichés can leave a negative impact.
Using words such as “Go-getter” or “dynamic leader” without evidence to back it up will only seem deceptive. Instead of using buzzwords, show your qualities through your real accomplishments or examples.
Including Irrelevant Projects, Volunteer Work, Or Education
A resume does not necessarily need to be a single page, but it does not mean that you keep adding unnecessary information to your resume. Don’t talk about any charitable event you held in school or volunteer work you did in your community. There is no need to mention a computer project you did during your high school.
Every piece of information that is irrelevant should not be a part of your professional resume.
Using Colourful Fonts Or Graphics
Overly creative resume designs are likely to do more harm than good. They may diminish your chances of getting hired more than they help, especially in professional or corporate roles. Make sure the layout is clean and employer-friendly, given the following tips:
- Avoid using bright colours or fancy fonts because they make your document very unprofessional.
- Avoid using images, graphics, or charts in your resume
- Flashy formats can confuse the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and may lead to rejection
Adding Obvious Soft Skills
When creating a list of your skills for a CV, it does not mean that you have to include every obvious thing in the document.
Your CV should not have generic soft skills such as “teamwork” or “problem solver”. These skills are necessary, but they can make your resume seem too generic. Instead, try to demonstrate your skills through your achievements and experience.
Listing Every Job You Have Done
There is no point in having each job listed, including those that are outdated or unrelated, since it weakens your resume. The employer desires to see your latest up-to-date experience.
Point out those positions that will best represent your abilities and contributions that made a difference to the position you are seeking.
Repetitive Language
A repetition of the same descriptions or the same verbs in your resume makes it boring to read. Change your wording to maintain the reader’s interest. For example, rather than repeating “managed”, change to either of the following: led, supervised, directed, or controlled.
Resume Do’s: The Best Practice for a Winning Resume
Now you know what things to avoid, it’s time to learn what must be present in your resume to impress the employer.
Tailor Your Resume
The most effective thing you can do is to customise your resume for every job you go for. The hiring manager can easily discard a not-so-personalised resume.
Start by reading the job description and then mention keywords, skills, and achievements that correspond to a given job. This demonstrates that you are not only interested in the job but also have made an effort to understand the employer’s needs.
Use A Professional Format And Layout
One of the best resume tips you can get is to prepare a clear, well-structured document that is easy for an employer to read and understand.
The following tips will help you with the formatting and layout:
- Use simple, readable fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman (10-12pts)
- Ensure consistent formatting by adding headers and bullet points.
- Keep your resume to one or two pages, depending on the experience
- Use standardised margins and an organised section for: summary, experience, education, and skills
- Add plenty of white space to make it easy to read
Include a Strong Professional Summary
Your personal statement or summary must provide a concise overview of your professional career and your personal background. You need to explain your objectives, achievements, and experience in a few strong words to capture the attention of the recruiter.
This section provides a snapshot of your career highlights and unique strengths. Make sure this is not more than 5 to 6 lines and is tailored according to the job requirements.
Highlight Achievements
Whenever you ask a professional about what to include in a resume, they would surely ask you to talk about your achievements or skill sets confidently. Employers always want to know about your previous achievements as a professional in the field.
Make sure that you highlight your achievements and use quantifiable metrics to demonstrate their impact. This will show the employer that you have concrete evidence of your capabilities.
For example, “Increased sales by 15% in 6 months” or “Led a marketing team of 20 people as a team supervisor”. All these help to explain to the employer what value you would add to their organisation.
Use Action-Oriented Language
Use strong, determined phrases like developed, led, implemented, managed, or designed to start each bullet. This is a more lively approach to strengthening your resume content. Avoid passive constructs and focus on how to create an impact.
Proofread Your Resume
Typos or grammatical errors will give the impression of a sloppy and non-professional person, and you might even lose an interview because of it. Hence, before submitting your resume, proofread it carefully. Getting expert help for a CV writing service is the easiest way to avoid this mistake. Otherwise, you can use online tools such as Grammarly or spell-checking programs when writing a resume on your own.
Read out loud to identify awkward wording and invite someone you are close with to take a look. The error-free resume demonstrates your attention to detail and shows that you applied with a serious approach to the position.
Keep it Honest and Authentic
Never lie in your resume. Being overly optimistic about skills, position held, and achievements can cause trouble, such as job offers being revoked. Concentrate on what your real strengths and experiences are because employers highly appreciate honesty and integrity as much as qualifications.
Include Relevant Keywords
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are widely used in the job industry to filter resumes using keywords specific to the job. Therefore, you must include them in your resume. Study the job description and use matching words and expressions in your resume in a natural way.
Pay attention to skills, qualifications, and industry-specific terminology. Do not stuff keywords and maintain a consistent flow throughout the content. Employing the appropriate keywords enhances the likelihood of making it to the first screening and even draws the attention of the hiring managers. This is one of the most important things executive resume writing services pay attention to, as their clients are too busy to do this themselves, so they incorporate relevant keywords according to the positions they are applying for.
Showcase Ongoing Learning
Demonstrating ongoing development shows employers that you are keen on improving yourself, growth, and levelling up your skillset. Highlight relevant learning as follows:
- Include industry-specific certification, such as SAP, CIPD, PRINCE2
- List completed courses, workshops, or training sessions
- Prioritise qualifications related to the job
- Keep dates recent to reflect up-to-date knowledge and current skills
Provide Relevant Information
You should only provide information that is relevant to the position you are applying for. Emphasise the latest, applicable work experience, qualifications, and skills. It is best not to list outdated jobs, hobbies that are not relevant, or too much about you. A focused and customised resume will help the employer to spot your relevance to the job quickly, thus enabling you to move forward in the recruitment process.
Final Takeaway!
An outstanding resume is more than just a list of prior experience. It is a well-considered, polished piece of advertising that highlights your strengths and what employers are looking for. You have a higher chance of drawing attention if you optimise your information, display it in an organised manner, and demonstrate measurable results.
Avoiding common mistakes like inconsistency, inefficiency, or grammatical faults is also crucial. By spending a small amount on professional resume writing services, you can get a resume that is updated, relevant, and opens doors to more opportunities.fres