Resume Mistakes You Should Avoid in Crafting Your Job Search Tool

2 min read
three crumpled paper with horrible resume mistakes written next to a notebook

No one can argue how resume plays an important role to step up you job-hunting game. Your resume represents your personal brand to potential employers. Therefore, it should be concise yet detailed enough to convince them you’re worth the job. But what if it catches their attention in a different way? A poorly-written resume upsets hiring managers – and worse – it leaves an ugly mark that will taint your reputation. So make sure you’ll never (ever) commit these horrible resume mistakes from Best 10 Resume Writers.

Seven Horrible Resume Mistakes You Must Never Do

annoyed man due to horrible resume mistakes in front of a laptop

Text Languages

“Skills & Abilities: Proficient in Adobe Photoshop & Adobe Illustrator.”

Texting and social media have influenced us to write words shorter by substituting them with abbreviations and symbols such as BRB, LOL, ICYMI, &, and @. But it’s funny to think that some applicants use them on their resumes to show they’re “tech-savvy.” Seriously, don’t. It’s your first-hand tool to land the job so make sure to use formal language and aim to look professional.

Improper Abbreviations

“Professional Experience: Bridgeway Enterprises, Boston, MA – Ass. Manager”

If you think a certain word sounds awkward as it looks, then you definitely should change it. In writing a resume, it’s best to fully spell out words than potentially conveying a wrong message.

Unprofessional Title and Email Address

“William ‘Lil Will’ Hired.”
[email protected]

Employers don’t care about your aliases and they surely are not interested to know. Plus, these will not make you sound and look professional. So best to create a professional e-mail address (sans the alias and numbers) and write your full name instead.

The Template Joke

Resume templates make resume writing extra easy. Just fill the template and voila! But one of the most horrible resume mistakes is forgetting to ensure the resume template is completely filled up. This blunder offends hiring managers as it’s unprofessional, impersonalized, and indolent.

TMI (Too Much Information)

“…I’m currently on trial for drunk driving and illegal possession of firearms.”

Your potential employers want to know you, but not all about you. So include only the important and relevant information to your resume, and leave the rest unmentioned.

Weird Achievements

“Awards: 2008 National Holder for most walnuts cracked in 5 minutes.”

Congratulations for such a great achievement, but clearly it’s irrelevant to the position you’re applying for. Include only the relevant achievements and awards in your resume.

Misspellings and Bad Grammar

“Professional Experience: Braxton PR and Advertising Agency, Newton, MA – Pubic Relations Manager.”

Don’t forget to proofread your resume. It will save you from potential awkward slipups. Hiring managers know what you actually meant, but still, it’s embarrassing and unsettling.

Indeed, these horrible resume mistakes can kill your chance of landing a job. Though some of these mistakes are common, you should still watch out for these to pop in your resume. Crafting a perfect and interview-guaranteed resume should not be a tough task. But if you insist on finding the best provider of job search tools, the top resume writing company from our list got your back.

Sources: Work It Daily | LiveCareer | HuffPost | Inc.
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