Everyone knows that if you are looking for a new career, you need to put together your resume. Too often it is not handled in the most effective / shocking way. The first impression a recruiter or hiring manager has of you is through your resume, and there are some common mistakes that could land your resume on the “do not call” pile. Here’s a list of the biggest mistakes: don’t leave employment gaps, don’t skip employment dates, don’t list two jobs at the same time, don’t be more than 2 pages long, and don’t. write your resume as a job description.
Nothing leaves more room for an employer’s imagination than leaving holes in your resume. If for any reason you were unemployed for a significant time (6 months or more), you need to address it. If you don’t, the hiring manager may make assumptions that aren’t flattering, such as that you left your job for no good reason and were sitting in front of the television for that period of time. If it was downgraded, write down the date you left and some bullet points about what you’ve been up to since. If possible, try to fill in the gaps with business or sales consulting. Make a to-do list / take action to show you want to get back to work. Here is a good example:
May 2015 to present
• Part of the business reduction
• Part-time consulting while looking for full-time employment.
Another mistake people make is that they don’t put the dates of employment on the resume. Employers want to see a clear, concise, and consistent employment history. This starts from your first job after college, even if it is not related to the industry you are in. They also want to see longevity in their jobs. No employer wants to hire someone who goes from one job to another; They will be worried that you will do the same to them, whether you did it on purpose or it was scaled down. If there are no dates of employment, employers will assume that you are looking for work.
If you have overlapping dates, showing you have / had 2 jobs at the same time, that’s a big “no-no”, unless they are 2 part-time jobs, in which case you should list them as such. Employers want employees to focus on the job they were hired for and to be fully engaged. If you were working two positions at the same time, the hiring manager may think you are lacking commitment.
A more common mistake people make when writing a resume is making it too long. Never have a resume of more than 2 pages. There’s a very simple reason: recruiters and hiring managers don’t have time to read long resumes with too much information. Get to the point and use bullet points to highlight your experience and accomplishments. Presented correctly, a hiring manager can take a look at your resume, see your wealth of experience, and make a quick decision to schedule you for an interview.
One more final “no” is to not cut and paste job descriptions, or have it read like a list of obvious responsibilities, to your job description. Take the time to add points that are very specific to your experience in the role. A hiring manager looking for a sales rep knows what a sales rep is. They want to know what sets you apart.
If you are changing careers, there are many articles written on how to write a good resume, but if you follow our advice on what not to do, you are well on your way to having a great resume.