You have one of the best resumes, but you don’t seem to land any interviews, what could be the problem? Well, sometimes it is not as clear as it might seem. Unlike what you may think, see, or know, your resume could be having simple errors that can cost you the job that you have been anticipating to get.
But what type of error can this be? There is quite a number. While they may range from simple typos and grammatical errors, additional factors such as; improper articulation and falsifying information may also cause problems. More often than not, there lie things that you may not even have the roughest idea on what they are. These things will include but are not limited to what I am going to give you in this post.
Need to Avoid Your Resume Errors
Let’s take a look at some of the things that could ruin your interview chances even though you have a great resume.
Inconsistencies
Put simply, several contradictions in a resume that owners will have both consciously and unconsciously are the leading cause of alarm. Over time, I have seen many resumes with several of these inconsistencies. While it might not occur to you when you are working on the resume, these inconsistencies will be a great turn off to any hiring manager. Take a look at some of these inconsistencies.
Periods
Periods such as commas and full-stops are often misused. One of the ways that the latter is often misused is on bullets points. Some people will write their bullet points with the full-stop and, at the same time, ignore other bullet points. It gives the resume a bad shape.
Here is the thing. If you plan on using periods throughout your bullet points, stick to it in every section of the resume. If you don’t want to include a period, then don’t do that all through the resume for every bullet point that you will have.
Dates
The way some people write the time in their resumes is also wrong. While they may have included the months in words for a specific part of the resume, they will jump to use numerical on another piece. If you do so, it looks misplaced and hinders the smooth floor, clarity, and visibility of the resume.
It depicts a writer who doesn’t have a focused personality and who might not see any job to the perfect completion.
The same applies to the spacing between the dates, months, and the years. If these spaces are uniform, the resume will look very presentable and straightforward. You can always double-check the spacing using your computer to determine if they are equal.
There are a whole lot of other things that you should also know about dates. They include the following:
- It would be best if you always listed both the months and the years that you worked
- Do not try covering up the period that you did not work by listing years only
- Do not falsify any information to try and fill the period when you had no job
- Try to align your dates to the far right
- Bold up the date for every company so that they are conspicuous
- If you have any gaps in employment – show them.
NOTE: Any hiring manager will still take you even if you have gaps in your employment. However, you should be ready to explain the discrepancies. It is the right thing to do.
Tenses
I can’t withstand someone who mixes tenses. If this is the case, how many hiring managers do you think will want to listen to broken grammar?
Proper communication skills start with how best you can express yourself on paper. This is true for resumes. While you may have all the ability to close a deal, it will be quite appealing if you can do the same with a smooth and calm demeanor.
TIP: Everything that you include in your resume is probably in the past. So stick to the past tense. Do not state in one paragraph that you managed ten people while in the next, say that you are managing ten people. It is not cool.
Numbers
The use of numerical in a resume is not something that we can write off anytime soon. While we may want to do that, it is nearly impossible because you will have to quantify something along the way.
Even so, it is a general rule that the numbers that are less than 10 are written down in words while those that are more than 10 you can list numerically.
However, if you choose to go with numerical, you stick with it throughout the resume. Let us not have one bullet point with 5 and the next with “five” in words.
Spacing
Another thing that you want to pay attention to is the spacing. Between the paragraphs should be equal spacing. The same should apply for the spacing between the lines too.
You can always set a writing template before you choose to get down with your resume. If you do this, it will help you to minimize any mistakes with the overall spacing of your resume. It is also easier to use.
Conclusion
There is no lie that your resume precedes you. It is your best piece of work yet. More importantly, it is your primary marketing strategy and the first interaction that a hiring manager has with you.
Your resume can take you as far as the interview. Therefore, it is essential that you polish every edge, so you don’t experience any problems.
It is, therefore, essential you take your time to proofread your resume, share it with a loved one to countercheck, and gather as much knowledge as possible on how to write a great resume.
If you find this to be tricky, maybe hiring a certified professional resume writer will ease up the load. Make sure that you get a writer that is tested.
Some of the best places you can get the best resume writers are online on professional social networking platforms such as LinkedIn.
