Edison found 1000 ways not to build a bulb. Well, he was lucky he got a 1000 chances to fail! And then fortunately, he proved a point, so let’s just congratulate him and move ahead.
I’m sure a lot of you have read the much interesting novel “The 3 mistakes of my life”. It inspired me when I sat to write this post. It’s interesting how it talks about one guy who commits 3 ordinary mistakes that end up changing his life. It’s such ordinary mistakes that the wise seek to avoid. This is why posts about “10 Mistakes your mind is making”, “10 Mistakes you might be making at work”, etc. do so well and enjoy huge readership. This is because people in general seek to be cautious, they don’t want to be reckless and want to take the right decisions. This article centers around your how to write a resume without making ordinary mistakes that could affect your candidature for your dream job or career, at large!
The 10 Mistakes that you have got to stop making on your Resume are-
1) No Specifics
– Are you being abstract?
It’s all about the numbers. Define/ascertain the metrics for each experience and then provide for the specific outcomes or quantitative and measurable impact. What was the outreach of the event you organized? What was your contribution to profit maximization and cost reduction? Or how many students participated in the competition you won? All give you the opportunity to use numbers. When you have numbers to talk about, talk about them!
2) Not action-oriented
– Are you talking less about yourself and more about the world?
No one is interested in just knowing what happened at the cultural event or the NGO you were a part of. They want to know a lot more than that. They wish to know what exactly you did and the activities you undertook to reach the end goal. Again, it goes without saying, how you should express your end-goal? Make it specific!
3) Overused words
– Are you repeating words to ensure emphasis? It’s outdated and monotonous!
Make sure you are not overusing words like “Won”, “Participated in”, “Concluded”, “Executed”, “The”, “Their” etc. There are 8537 verbs in the English dictionary, make sure you find your unique set!
4) Using Avoided Words
– Are you using generally avoided words? They won’t do you any good!
Don’t use generally avoided words like ‘such as’, ‘which’, etc. Such words are avoided words for a reason. Check if you have used avoided words on your CV at www.vmock.com and get rid of them now!
5) Missing crucial sections
– Are you categorizing your activities?
There could be a ton of experiences you`d have encountered or there could just be a few. In either case, do go ahead and categorize. It`s better when it’s diverse and stated! Do justice to your experiences. For instance, don’t put your leadership experiences under ‘Awards and Achievements’ or ‘Extra-curricular record’, instead create a separate section named ‘Positions of Responsibility’ and add it there. It’ll stand out and make an impact!
6) Spelling Errors
– Are you making spelling mistakes? It’s the worst thing you can do!
Please spell check your resume multiple times, go to www.vmock.com and check it for spelling errors. Language and attention to detail are aspects where there is no room for mistakes. There are resumes where words as simple as “Address”( Addres), “Achievements” (Acheivements) or say “Reseume” are spelled wrong, it’s the best way to tarnish your first impression. I’m sure you don’t want that, do you? So, spelling mistakes are a strict No-No!
7) Missing out on substantiating as well as showcasing your Soft Skills
– Are you JUST stating your soft skills? Wouldn’t help!
Hard skills are hard to imbibe but easy to reflect on a resume. It’s a challenging task to substantiate soft skills well on your resume. Make sure you are showcasing the most important soft skills for resume, based on recruiter criteria. Some of them being, Teamwork, Initiative, Analytical, etc. There are 5 core skills we have identified based on our research and interaction with top HR personnel and recruiters. Rate your Resume on the same and use samples to reflect better on each one of them at www.vmock.com!
8) Too Long/Too Short a Resume
– Are you making sure that your resume is of an appropriate length?
Although there is no key to this, because it’s a subjective decision and not an objective one, but still precision is always good and is much appreciated! In this world of time crunch, you’d find yourself appreciating short and crisp dialogues and expression in general. So make sure, you have figured out the perfect length for your profile and personal set of experiences. Ensure you are not bragging but ‘stating’ and ‘substantiating’. It really is the key!
9) Using Paragraphs
– Are you using long paragraphs to describe your experiences? Don’t, use bullets instead!
It’s true that your resume is the Story of your professional lives, but don’t take that so seriously and actually write it like one. It’s a story to be read in 6 seconds so make sure you are using appropriately long and crisp bullets that can be rated a 10/10 on being action-oriented, specific and relevant. Every bullet should be capable of making the employer recruit you for something or the other! If you can make that happen, you have done a good job!
10) Going wrong with the resume format
– Is your Resume template ready to crack the 6-second recruiter test?
Yes, 6 seconds is ALL that’s spent on your resume before a recruiter accepts/rejects it. This is as per a study that analyzes eyesight behaviour which builds this “six seconds” metric. It’s this ‘blink of an eye’ decision that affects your career to an unprecedented extent! Make sure your format is making an impact and is talking to the recruiter about essentials so that he is able to understand at least part of your mettle within 6 seconds of his sight!
With the above key guidelines fueling your resume building process, there’s nothing that can stop you from rocket launching your career with a bang! Good Luck, hoping for you to share your thoughts with us!