Resume Writing Mistakes To Avoid

Crafting a well-written resume is not a very easy task. It takes due diligence and effort to sum up your professional credentials to fit two pages while trying to convince a prospective employer that you are the most suitable applicant for the job. Don't let all these efforts go to waste by avoiding these common resume writing mistakes that can cost you the job.


1. Disclosing Unnecessary Personal Information


The purpose of resume writing is to provide the employer with all the necessary information to assess your suitability to a role and how well you will perform based on the credentials written on your resume. Your age, religion, ethnic background, political inclinations, marital status or personal beliefs are not essential to the satisfactory performance of a role. As such, it has no place in a resume. Avoid putting a picture of yourself in your resume. You don't want to be judged by looks but rather by competencies and skills that make you stand out. To be effective in resume writing, include only relevant and pertinent details. If your hobbies and interests do not support your resume objective and are not related to the job, do not put it in.


2. Listing Salary Details and Expectations


This is one resume writing mistake to avoid. Information regarding salaries you were paid for in previous employment must never be included in a resume. Employers will be more interested in what you bring to the table than what your asking price is. Leave salary discussions for the interview. But do your research. Know what to expect and what the appropriate and acceptable salary is for your position and experience.


3. Using a Lot of Jargon and Difficult Terminologies


Effective resume writing does not necessary entail using a lot of "big words". Simplicity is still the key. Keep in mind that the person reading your resume first may not be familiar with all the jargon found in your resume. It may end up being misunderstood or not understood at all. However, make effective use of action words in your resume that relate to your role and career level.


4. Including Personal Website


As a general rule, it is not advisable to list personal websites in your resume. This is especially true if your website contains photos or contents that are deemed inappropriate. If your blog or site is purely for personal reasons, do not include it in your resume. In cases where your site is designed to present your professional portfolio like sample photos taken if you are a photographer, then it is appropriate to list your site in your resume.


5. Having Misspellings and Mistakes in Grammar


One of the most common resume writing mistake is having misspelled words, names or addresses and problems with grammar. A key skill required of most jobs is attentiveness to detail. Having a lot of typos in your resume would spell doom for your job application, as you have not given the time to proofread your resume thoroughly. Employers will get the impression your job performance might be the same. Spell-check your resume using a word processor. Ask for the opinion and help of friends, family or career counsellors. Resume writing does not have to be a one-person job. More heads will make the burden of resume writing a whole lot easier.



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