4 Common Resume Mistakes Which Are Costing You Jobs - And How to Fix Them

by Tanuja Ramchal

Your resume is the first evidence of your work potential employers see, and they evaluate you accordingly. If poorly presented, your resume will disqualify you as a candidate for the jobs you want. Below are 4 common mistakes I often see in resumes and the fixes which will help you build a stronger brand.

Mistake #1: Overlooking details

Attention to details matter. Why? It shows that you are diligent and care about meeting or exceeding standards. Can you spot the issue below?

Two common details which get overlooked in resumes I review are:

• Bad grammar - grammar and spelling indicate your ability to communicate. Activities which took place in the past must be in past tense. A spell-checker would not catch this type of error. Have several people, including a career advisor, proofread your resume.
• Mismatched formatting and uneven spacing - you must pay attention to formatting, ensuring the same case is used for headings and that font type is consistent throughout the resume. It is also important that dashes and bullets match and spacing is even. For example, 09/15 - 11/15 is not the same as 09/15— 11/15.

Mistake #2: Using weak verbs to describe your experience

You goal is to stand out among many candidates applying for the same job. Using verbs such as ‘assisted’, ‘helped’, and ‘supported’ are vague and do not accurately convey the value you have to offer. Instead, use strong power verbs such as ‘initiated’, ‘transformed’, ‘executed’, ‘redesigned’ and ‘analyzed’ to show off your skill-set to potential employers.

Mistake #3: Not demonstrating what sets you apart

For some resumes, the experience section reads like a to-do list:

• Prepare tax returns for individuals
• Answer questions from customers
• Produce quarterly financial reports

A strong resume shows not only what you did, but how you did it, why you did it, in what quantity, and the results you achieved. Here’s an example:

• Prepared 50+ tax returns using Excel and TaxPro and reviewed completed returns with clients for accuracy and to ensure best outcome

Mistake #4: Not being intentional

Landing the right job requires being intentional. This means being clear about where you want to go and knowing what is necessary to get there. Haphazardly including items on your resume is not a winning strategy.

A better way is to identify the skills and experience required for your target job and ordering your bullets from most important to the least important based on that. From the perspective of a hiring manager, it could be a deal breaker if the first bullet is not compelling.

In addition to prioritizing your bullets and emphasizing relevant experience, consider removing unnecessary descriptions which do not align with the requirements of your target job. For example, a chemistry research project from two years ago might be a good way to demonstrate your teamwork skills but the actual topic of the research might not be relevant to the IT project management job you’re applying for.

Remember your resume represents your brand. It is usually the first impression someone has of you and your work before they even meet you. And while it does take work to write a stellar resume, the payoff is huge. Invest the time and effort up front because your career should never be left to chance. 

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