Creating a high-quality resume is an art, as a well-done resume tells your story and sells you. The resume continues to remain an integral part of the hiring process despite the advances in technology and changes in the way job seekers find open positions. In this article, we bring to you the nine common resume mistakes that you can avoid to improve the quality of your resume and ensure that your application gets noticed in a positive light increasing your chances.

  1. Incorrect spelling and grammar In this day and age, there is really no excuse for spelling and grammatical mistakes. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but even a misspelling can land your resume in the virtual recycling bin and could cost you the job. These mistakes convey your lack of attention to detail, unprofessionalism and a failure to invest in top-quality work. Therefore, it is very important to check spelling and grammar on your resume before you save and print it. While using spell check isn’t enough to ensure that everything is correct, you may however not want to do this mistake that could cost you a potential job.
  2. Poor formatting No matter how you lay out your resume, make sure that it’s clean and legible, as poor formatting can detract from your resume. Don’t use an illegible font (no matter how cool it might look) or inconsistent fonts, and keep your formatting (bold, italics, bullet points, sizes, etc.) consistent throughout. The readability of your resume is affected by the way you save it. If you’re submitting it as an email attachment, ensure that it is saved as a PDF so that the formatting isn’t lost when it is opened.
  3. Stress on tasks rather than achievements Each job entry should emphasize the impact of those duties. For instance, what did you accomplish in each role? How did your daily responsibilities help make or save money, boost efficiency, solve a problem, improve customer acquisition or retention, or otherwise make the company better? If you want your resume to stand out, you need to go beyond listing tasks and highlight the achievements that make you a valuable employee. Your goal is to showcase your talents and accomplishments to people who know nothing about you. Do not forget to explain the basis and communicate the proper context of information accurately. It’s also important to highlight your duties and responsibilities at past positions.
  4. Lacks keywords The technology in recent years has brought about employers’ reliance on keywords to find the job candidates they want to interview. Flooded by resumes from job-seekers, employers have increasingly relied on digitizing job-seeker resumes, placing those resumes in keyword-searchable databases, and using software to search those databases for specific keywords that relate to job vacancies. More than 90 percent of resumes are searched for job-specific keywords. In short, if you apply for a job with a company that searches databases for keywords, and your resume doesn’t have the keywords the company looking for a candidate who fills that job, then you are pretty much dead in the water.
  5. Not tailoring your resume to the job in question Your resume needs to target the employer. Employers want to see resumes that are tailor-made to them, even if it’s just in small ways. Take time to customize your resume that will demonstrate your investment in the position. Don’t include irrelevant information on your resume. Ensure that your most relevant accomplishments are near the top of the resume so that it catches the employer’s eye. Also, if the job in question require you to include specific information in your resume, ensure that you include it. “One of the best ways to make your resume stand out is by tailoring it to fit the job you’re looking to land,” says certified professional resume writer, Rebecca Henninger. “This gives you a big edge over applicants who are sending out a generic resume to hundreds of employers.”
  6. Sharing your address It used to be a standard to include your address at the top of a resume. But it is no longer expected in today’s mobile workforce. Your home address isn’t necessary and could hurt your chances if you’re trying to get an out-of-state job, but you can include it if you wish to. If you are regularly sending your resume as an e-mail attachment, it is recommended that you stick with your valid phone number and current email address.
  7. Lying Don’t lie on your resume, as every hiring manager in the country has stories of encountering half-truths and outright lies on resumes. These will come back to bite you. For instance, imagine getting a job that you are not actually qualified to do, and then in a few years getting a promotion but losing it all because of not having skills that you professed to have. It’s not worth it.
  8. Opening your resume with education Do not open your resume with education, if you have just graduated from college or are new to the world of work. Instead list your work accomplishments before your education, as employers are more interested in your achievements in the workforce than degree. So, keep your work-related information at the top.
  9. Including “References upon request” at the end of your resume Never list specific references directly on your resume. List them on a separate sheet, and even then, submit them only when specifically requested by an employer. Employers assume you’ll have references available. By including references, you are conveying that you are not up-to-date with resume etiquette. Source: entrepreneur