Sending out a great resume can help you stand out in a competitive job market.
Here is a checklist to avoid common resume mistakes before you hit that “Send” button.
1. Put your contact details in an easy-to-find manner
Missing or wrong number is a surprisingly common error, according to employment websites online. One candidate even posted his brother’s number instead of his own.
A good spot to highlight your name and contact details is usually at the top of the page, in an easy-to- read font.
2. Flow of your resume
If you are a new job seeker or junior level staff, start with your education first, then your most recent job experiences.
For seasoned job seekers, start with your latest work experiences, and information such as education, programme proficiencies and others to follow.
Listing down any skills or hobbies are also relevant and interesting, and can be a great conversation starter during interviews.
3. Be specific
Other than responsibilities, your resume should indicate the scale of your competencies, technical capabilities, and achievements.
Listing down your day-to-day tasks are not necessary.
If you need ideas on how to describe your work, LinkedIn has many resume profiles for you to discover.
4. Cover letter and tweaking
There is no one size fits all approach to resumes. Read the job description well and tweak your resume accordingly to highlight the requirements that they might have mentioned.
Cover letters may sound outdated but it is still read by many hiring managers. It gives the applicant a voice and a glimpse of their personality, and most importantly, it gives a chance to sell yourself.
5. Make sure your information is accurate
It is best to present your capabilities and job history as accurately as possible.
Reference checks are still a standard practice these days, so are background and health checks.
6. Don’t forget to double check and spell check
After your resume is done, take a break then sit down, and have a look again to check for spelling, dates, and content.
Getting a second opinion is also a good way to check if your resume is understood or needs clarification.
7. Look and feel
For corporate jobs, avoid using visually stunning and confusing templates. Keep your resume simple, neat, and clean; and not more than two pages long.
It is also good practice to save your resume in a PDF format to avoid it being tampered with or have portions accidentally deleted.
8. Photos
As the saying goes: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. If you wish to include a recent photograph of yourself, it is best taken with you in a professional outfit and in an appropriate setting.
Casual clothing, filters, or photo-shopped images are not suitable for job applications.
Your resume is the first impression a potential company has of you, don’t let mistakes hinder you from conveying your capabilities in the most effective manner.
Main image from Pexels
