Yes, we know, it’s probably the most obvious of all resume tips: It needs to be grammatically perfect. If your resume isn't, employers will read between the lines and draw not-so-flattering conclusions about you, like, "This person can't write," or, "This person obviously doesn't care."
2. Lack of Specifics
Your resume shouldn’t simply state the obvious to a hiring manager. Employers need to understand what you've done and accomplished. For example:
A. Worked with employees in a restaurant setting
B. Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a restaurant with $2 million in annual sales
Both of these phrases could describe the same person, but the details and specifics in example B will more likely grab an employer's attention.
3. Attempting the "One–Size–Fits–All" Approach
Whenever you try to develop a generic resume to send to all job ads, you almost always end up with something employers will toss in the recycle bin. Your lack of effort screams, “I’m not particularly interested in your company. Frankly, any ol’ job will do.”
Employers want to feel special and want you to write a resume specifically for them. They expect you to clearly show how and why you fit the position in a specific organization.
4. Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments
Your resume needs to show how good you are at your job, but it's all too easy to slip into a mode where you simply start listing your duties. For example:
Attended group meetings and recorded minutes
Worked with children in a day-care setting
Updated departmental files
That’s more or less an echo of your job description. Employers, however, don't care so much about what you've done as what you've accomplished in your various activities. One of the most basic resume tips is to go beyond showing what was required and demonstrate how you made a difference at each company, providing specific examples. They're looking for statements more like these:
Recorded weekly meeting minutes and compiled them in a Microsoft Word-based file for future organizational reference
Developed three daily activities for preschool-age children and prepared them for a 10-minute holiday program performance
Reorganized 10 years worth of unwieldy files, making them easily accessible to department members
Need help? Ask yourself these questions:
How did you perform the job better than others?
What were the problems or challenges faced? How did you overcome them? What were the results? How did the company benefit from your performance?
Did you receive any awards, special recognitions, or promotions as a result?
5. Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short
Many people try to squeeze their experiences onto one page, because they've heard resumes shouldn't be longer. By doing so, job seekers may delete impressive achievements. Other candidates ramble on about irrelevant or redundant experiences. Despite what you may read or hear, there are no real rules governing resume length. Why? Because human beings, who have different preferences and expectations where resumes are concerned, will be reading it.
That doesn't mean you should start sending out five-page resumes, of course. Generally speaking, you usually need to limit yourself to a maximum of two pages. But don't feel you have to use two pages if one will do. Conversely, don't cut the meat out of your resume simply to make it conform to an arbitrary one-page standard. When writing your resume, ask yourself, "Will this statement help me land an interview?" Every word should sell you, so include only the information that elicits a "yes."
6. Bad Summary
Many candidates lose their readers right at the beginning, with their career summary. Employers do read this portion of your resume, but often they plow through vague pufferies like, “Accomplished professional seeking career growth." Such statements are overused, too general, and waste valuable space.
Give employers something specific and, more importantly, something that focuses on their needs as well as your own. Example: "An accomplished marketing manager that developed award-winning campaigns for Fortune 500 clients that contributed to 50% increase in stock value.”
7. No Action Verbs
Avoid using phrases like "responsible for." Instead, use action verbs. Not only do these words help to show off your initiative, they also help punch up the overall tone of your resume. For example:
Resolved user questions as part of an IT help desk serving 4,000 students and staff.
Increased organic search visits 20% year over year
Developed a comprehensive onboarding program for new hires
Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments. ...
Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short. ...
Bad Summary. ...
No Action Verbs. ...
Leaving Off Important Information.
What makes a good resume 2020?
Use clear section headings and make them stand out with bold type, capital letters, and/or a different color. Make sure there's plenty of white space—an overstuffed resume is hard to read. Skip the fancy graphics, pie charts, and illustrations, which don't play well with resume-scanning software.
Answers & Comments
1. Typos and Grammatical Errors
Yes, we know, it’s probably the most obvious of all resume tips: It needs to be grammatically perfect. If your resume isn't, employers will read between the lines and draw not-so-flattering conclusions about you, like, "This person can't write," or, "This person obviously doesn't care."
2. Lack of Specifics
Your resume shouldn’t simply state the obvious to a hiring manager. Employers need to understand what you've done and accomplished. For example:
A. Worked with employees in a restaurant setting
B. Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a restaurant with $2 million in annual sales
Both of these phrases could describe the same person, but the details and specifics in example B will more likely grab an employer's attention.
3. Attempting the "One–Size–Fits–All" Approach
Whenever you try to develop a generic resume to send to all job ads, you almost always end up with something employers will toss in the recycle bin. Your lack of effort screams, “I’m not particularly interested in your company. Frankly, any ol’ job will do.”
Employers want to feel special and want you to write a resume specifically for them. They expect you to clearly show how and why you fit the position in a specific organization.
4. Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments
Your resume needs to show how good you are at your job, but it's all too easy to slip into a mode where you simply start listing your duties. For example:
That’s more or less an echo of your job description. Employers, however, don't care so much about what you've done as what you've accomplished in your various activities. One of the most basic resume tips is to go beyond showing what was required and demonstrate how you made a difference at each company, providing specific examples. They're looking for statements more like these:
Need help? Ask yourself these questions:
Did you receive any awards, special recognitions, or promotions as a result?
5. Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short
Many people try to squeeze their experiences onto one page, because they've heard resumes shouldn't be longer. By doing so, job seekers may delete impressive achievements. Other candidates ramble on about irrelevant or redundant experiences. Despite what you may read or hear, there are no real rules governing resume length. Why? Because human beings, who have different preferences and expectations where resumes are concerned, will be reading it.
That doesn't mean you should start sending out five-page resumes, of course. Generally speaking, you usually need to limit yourself to a maximum of two pages. But don't feel you have to use two pages if one will do. Conversely, don't cut the meat out of your resume simply to make it conform to an arbitrary one-page standard. When writing your resume, ask yourself, "Will this statement help me land an interview?" Every word should sell you, so include only the information that elicits a "yes."
6. Bad Summary
Many candidates lose their readers right at the beginning, with their career summary. Employers do read this portion of your resume, but often they plow through vague pufferies like, “Accomplished professional seeking career growth." Such statements are overused, too general, and waste valuable space.
Give employers something specific and, more importantly, something that focuses on their needs as well as your own. Example: "An accomplished marketing manager that developed award-winning campaigns for Fortune 500 clients that contributed to 50% increase in stock value.”
7. No Action Verbs
Avoid using phrases like "responsible for." Instead, use action verbs. Not only do these words help to show off your initiative, they also help punch up the overall tone of your resume. For example:
Worst Resume Mistakes to Avoid
Typos and Grammatical Errors. ...
Lack of Specifics. ...
Attempting the "One–Size–Fits–All" Approach. ...
Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments. ...
Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short. ...
Bad Summary. ...
No Action Verbs. ...
Leaving Off Important Information.
What makes a good resume 2020?
Use clear section headings and make them stand out with bold type, capital letters, and/or a different color. Make sure there's plenty of white space—an overstuffed resume is hard to read. Skip the fancy graphics, pie charts, and illustrations, which don't play well with resume-scanning software.