Writing a resume is one of the stages that you have to go through if you are trying to secure a new employment.
It is the first impression of you that a recruiter or hiring manager gets. For that, it has to be shiny and compelling. Remember you only have one chance of making the first impression.
Sometimes that is the only thing an employer wants to see instead of the other items in your application package.
It is therefore important to ensure that your resume is perfectly written and doesn’t have little mistakes that might cost you a lifetime opportunity.
Before we get into the mistakes that you are making with your resumes, let’s first take a deeper look of what a resume is.
What is a Resume
A resume is a document created by an individual with the aim of presenting it to recruiters and employers if ever need be.
It usually includes education background, past work experience, and industry expertise. The main purpose of a resume is to help an individual secure a new employment.
There are different types of resumes. They include a chronological resume, professional resume, executive resume, and more.
Each one of these are written differently and used differently in different situations.
How to Write a Resume
There are different ways you can write a resume depending on what type of a resume it is and what you intend with it. That is if you don’t intend to use any professional resume writing service.
Here are some of the rules used to writing a resume;
● The style and format
There are specific styles and formats for specific resumes. Make sure you first know the type of resume you are writing before committing to style and format it.
● Customize it
People like using shortcuts and it costs them big time. Make sure your resume is updated and customized to fit your current needs.
● Demonstrate your skills
Writing about your skills is great. Everyone ensures to include their skills in their resumes. But what will set yours apart is demonstrating your skills. Give an example of a project you handled successfully and what you did for it to be successful.
4 Mistakes to avoid
Remember that your resume is your first impression to whoever is viewing it. You don’t want to make mistakes that will cost you that.
Here are some of the common mistakes that you cannot afford to make;
● Using the same resume in different occasions
The first and the biggest mistake that people make is using the same resume while applying for different jobs. Even if it is the same position you are applying to, make sure you customize your resume to fit that specific description.
● Long text
Yours is not the only resume the recruiter is looking at, so they don’t have the entire day to figure out what you are trying to say. Make your resume short and concise by only including relevant information.
Stick to one page or at most two, only when it is necessary and break your text with white spaces, bolding, and using bullets to make it easy to read.
● Bad formatting
Formatting is just as important. Make sure you have your contact details, i.e. your full names, email address, and number in the header and the rest of the resume is clean and organized.
● Editing
If you write your resume yourself, have a second eye look at it just to make sure all typos, spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and irrelevant information are eliminated.
