With Halloween around the corner, there are plenty of frightening experiences just ahead. Make sure your resume isn’t one of them for hiring managers. When you’re putting yours together, avoid the following mistakes, so you don’t scare off your next potential employer:
Mistake #1: Making hiring managers crazy by not following directions.
Hiring managers will often include specific instructions in their job postings. For example, they might ask you to send in a work sample or to include a certain subject line when you email your application materials. If you don’t adhere to these simple instructions, they’ll wonder how well you’ll follow the rules once on the job.
Mistake #2: A frightening lack of experience.
Sometimes, a job comes along; that’s your dream opportunity. Even if you don’t meet every qualification, you apply anyways, just in case. This is ok once in a while, but don’t make it a habit. If you’re consistently applying to jobs just out of your reach due to lack of experience, you’re not going to be taken seriously by hiring managers.
Mistake #3: Ghastly formatting.
When hiring managers are reading resumes, they only take a few seconds to devote to each one. That’s why yours needs to be easy to scan with consistent formatting. This includes making sure margins are wide enough, and the font is at least 10 points in size and an appropriate choice, like Calibri or Cambria. Also, job titles should be bold-faced with the content underneath bulleted.
Mistake #4: An alarmingly generic resume.
If it’s clear you pulled your resume off the web and just tweaked it slightly, it’s not going to stand out to a hiring manager. You’ll sound just like every other candidate out there. That’s why it’s so important to create a unique one from scratch. While you can certainly look to the other resumes for inspiration and examples, don’t copy them verbatim.
Mistake #5: The too-much-information plague.
Whether you send in a resume that’s four pages long or include personal information, the bottom line is that you’re making a mistake. Keep the length to two pages or less. Also, avoid anything personal, such as hobbies, unless it’s directly related to the opportunity.
When it comes to your resume, it’s your ticket into the interview process. Make sure yours doesn’t frighten off hiring managers by avoiding the mistakes above. And if you’d like more help with the job search process, turn to the Tempe employment team at PrideStaff. We have the tips, advice, and opportunities you’ve been looking for. We’re just a call away!
