Your resume is somewhat like your spokesperson because it introduces you to a hiring manager before they even get a chance to meet you. Hiring mangers get a sense of who you are solely based on the content in your resume, and cover letter which is why it is important to go over your resume with a fine tooth comb each time you use it to apply to a job. I get it, job searching can be so draining, especially when you’re not getting as many interviews and job offers as you are submitting job applications. It would be nice if you could at least receive an email or letter stating that you were not selected.
At some point in your search you’ll start to feel discouraged and may even start to feel like you’re getting tired of wasting your time. You might not like me for saying this but you’re supposed to go harder when you feel discouraged or tired or frustrated because this is when you’re most likely to overlook things. This is when you’ll forget to change the job title on your cover letter from the job that you just applied to, or you’ll address it to the wrong person. This is when you’ll forget to change the date on your cover letter, or when you won’t realize that the resume that you are using to apply to a secretary job is the same resume that you just used to apply for a job as a salesperson in retail.
Before you submit your next resume make sure that you haven’t made these 4 mistakes.
- I can’t stress this enough, use a professional email address. Please shy away from using email addressed such as “sassylover21”, ”feistykitty”, and “BigOG42”. Those resumes go straight into the “do not hire pile”. If you don’t have an email address, create one that you can use solely for the purpose of job searching and keep it simple by using any variation of your name such as your first and last name, your first name and last initial, or your last name and first initial.
- Even if you are applying to a job within a specific field such as the medical field, or social work, don’t assume that the person that reviews your resume is familiar with certain terms or abbreviations. If you include an abbreviation also include what the abbreviation stands for in parentheses. That abbreviated certification that could give you an edge over another candidate will hold no weight if the person that is reviewing your resume is not familiar with what it represents.
- People tend to forget to include whether or not they graduated or obtained a degree on their resume. Yes takes 4 years to complete high school, and typically 4 years to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. No a hiring manager won’t assume that you graduated just because you listed the start date and the end date. Specify that you graduated.
- Keep your file name simple (i.e save it as your first and last name). You never want to save a file for a counselor position under a job title (from a different job) that the company doesn’t even offer. Just as you would do with your email address, keep your file name simple. You can never go wrong with saving your file under your name.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that all you need is a kick ass resume to land a job because if I did I’d be selling you a dream. A clean resume, and a sharp cover letter are only part if the equation but we’re not here to discuss the entire formula. Today we’re focusing on helping you to fix the minor errors that leave a negative impression on the person that is reviewing your resume; that person that determines if you’re worth giving a shot or not. Use these 4 resume hacks as a final checklist before you apply to your next job.
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