Many job-seekers can share the same story: they found a job posting that fit their skills and experiences perfectly and fired off a resume in excitement…only to hear nothing from the hiring company. What happened?
While it’s often difficult to guess why a seemingly-qualified individual’s resume didn’t catch the attention of hiring managers, in fact many resumes get overlooked or tossed aside because they present one of several common mistakes. No matter how much experience you have in your field or how well your skills fit the job description, your chances of hearing back from a hiring company are slim if your resume contains any of these six “red flags”:
- A generic resume. Hiring managers who review resumes have one question in mind: “What can this candidate do for our company?” If your resume doesn’t answer this question promptly, it may get passed over. Take some time to adapt your resume to echo the primary skills and qualifications listed in the job description, highlighting the capabilities you have that match what the employer is looking for.
- Impossible formatting. Is your resume’s font too small? Are the margins nonexistent? Does it read like a single unbroken “wall of text”? Hiring managers will frequently pass over resumes whose formattting makes them impossible to parse quickly. Use a standard font and font size, and use bullet points and white space to make the key points stand out.
- Grammar and/or spelling errors. These easily-fixed mistakes do major harm to your credibility – especially if the job you’re applying for requires attention to detail or sharp written communication skills. Double- and triple-check your resume for grammar and spelling errors that your computer’s spellcheck function may have missed.
- Un-addressed gaps in the timeline. Being out of the workforce for several months or even years doesn’t have to harm your job prospects – but you should address it in your resume. Even a single bullet-point comment before the gap, such as “Left to attend graduate school,” explains the gap without being evasive or dishonest.
- An unprofessional email address. You may love football only slightly less than life itself, but asking hiring managers to contact you at a team focused email address isn’t likely to help your career. Create an email address that contains your initials, name, or some combination thereof, and use it to handle all your job-search correspondence.
- Buzzwords. “Communication skills.” “Team player.” “Innovative.” “Forward-thinking.” Common buzzwords may sound like the language of business, but when selling your skills on your resume, it’s best to stick to concise, concrete descriptions of your accomplishments.
At ABA Search & Staffing, our experienced recruiters will help you find and eliminate resume “red flags,” in addition to helping you find a job that is a great fit with your skills and experience. Contact our team of experienced recruiters today for more information on how a partnership with our team can positively impact yours!