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Common Resume Mistakes

Can't figure out why no one is calling you about your resume? There are many reasons employers may be overlooking you. Some of those reasons are out of your control. With the current recession climate, there are a lot more candidates for every open position, and a job which may have been easy to get five years ago may be nigh impossible to get today. Problems with your resume can also cause you to be overlooked, however, and that's something you can deal with. What are some common resume mistakes which cause hiring managers to pass otherwise qualified candidates over?

• Your resume is too long. If you think that sending in a ten-page resume is going to attract extra attention and demonstrate extra effort, you're wrong. All it tells a hiring manager is that you're wordy, can't make a succinct point, and aren't concerned with wasting the hiring manager's time. By the way, did you know most hiring managers skim the top third of the first page of your resume before deciding whether to set it aside for careful consideration or throw it away? They certainly aren't going to get to page ten.
• You forgot to say you wanted the job. Believe it or not, this matters. Hiring managers just want to hear you say it. They also wouldn't mind knowing why you want the job, and don't just say that you want it because you need it. Tell the hiring managers why their company or position appeals to you personally, and why you are the only real candidate for the job.
• You didn't include a cover letter. Resumes can speak for themselves, but why let them when you have the opportunity to include a cover letter which says something unique? Again, don't make your cover letter a novel—one short paragraph is usually sufficient.
• You neglected to mention how unique you are. Don't just tell employers a laundry list of tasks you were given at your previous jobs. Tell potential employers what you did—especially ways in which you went above and beyond your past job descriptions to deliver extra value to your employers.
• You shotgunned out your resumes. "Shotgunning" resumes is not a good tactic for getting a job. One really good resume which is sent to a specific job and which includes specific information about you that corresponds to that job opportunity is more likely to get you a job than a hundred resumes which aren't custom tailored for each position.

These are just a few of the mistakes which can cost you job interviews and keep you pounding the pavement. Don't let your next job get away from you because you aren't willing to take a little extra time crafting a great resume. You can get started using our free resume tool. This information should help you to fill in the boxes with helpful information, and you may want to generate a unique resume for each job you're applying to.