4 common mistakes to look for on a resume
As a hiring manager, your email likely compiles dozens upon dozens of resumes every week, especially when you’re looking for a new employee. The number of interested candidates can be overwhelming, especially when they have the skills, education and experience needed to fulfill the job description. Hiring managers like yourself, however, need to dig deeper and examine resumes from top to bottom, as there are a number of mistakes that can make one of your most promising candidates look extremely unprofessional. According to a survey by CareerBuilder, 7 in 10 employers reported spending less than five minutes reviewing a single resume. In regard to those who spent more time looking them over, more than 1 in 2 hiring managers reported catching a lie on the resume.
“Job seekers have the unenviable challenge of grabbing – and holding – a hiring manager’s attention long enough to make a strong impression,” said Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder’s chief human resources officer. “Embellishing your resume to achieve this, however, can ultimately backfire. Most hiring managers are willing to consider candidates who do not meet 100 percent of the qualifications. Job seekers can increase their chances for consideration by proving past achievements that exemplify an ability to learn, enthusiasm and cultural fit.”
To ensure you’re bringing the right candidate in for an interview the first time around, keep an eye out for these common resume mistakes:
1. Typos
This is an obvious blunder, but it still happens from time to time. It’s unfortunate because a typo can make the most qualified candidate look lazy and unprofessional. This counts for misspelled words, punctuation problems and grammatical errors.
“With competition for jobs so tight, a typo or two unfortunately can knock a candidate out of consideration because at that point in the process, that is all the person hiring has to go by,” career coach Maria Katrien Heslin shared with Monster. “Typos can give the impression of a lack of attention to detail, sloppiness and an uncaring attitude.”
If you don’t catch the typo the first time around, you’re not spending nearly enough time reviewing the resume.
Check for grammatical errors, misspelled words and punctuation issues on a resume.2. Missing keywords
Whether you’re scanning the resume at first glance or giving it the in-depth analysis it deserves, be on the lookout for the keywords that match your job posting. This helps you navigate through the candidates who don’t have the experience that qualifies them to fill the position, according to The Balance.
3. Outdated style, font and text
You can tell by the font, format and text of the resume if the potential candidate has spent time revising and keeping everything up to date. If the individual graduated college years ago and has held a steady job for a century, there’s no reason for him or her to include a high school graduation date. Likewise, listing a job from high school that has little to no relevance is just taking up space on the candidate’s resume.
4. Over-exaggerating unique structure
There’s nothing wrong with trying to stand out, but candidates can easily distract you by developing an out-of-the-ordinary resume that’s screaming for attention. Candidates should attempt to stick out without going overboard, as suggested by Cheryl Rich Heisler, a career consulting firm founder.
“We tell job seekers to be unique. To be authentic. To ‘keep it real,'” she told Monster. “But then we tell them to keep their style within industry norms, don’t stick out, don’t make an employer wonder about your ability to fit in.”
Be on the lookout for these common mistakes during your next round of hiring.