5 Reasons why your Resume isn’t Landing the Job
By: Gala Jackson
Millennials are a “do it yourself” generation. We Google or Bing everything! We are confident in our skill set to produce similar, if not the same, results as a professional when it comes to specific items such as writing a resume.
While, I do recommend making an investment in a professional resume writer or obtaining a professional resume review/critique at the very least to maximize the return on your job search, there are things you can do to enhance your resume. As you venture out to develop your own marketing documents, such as your resume, take a moment to consider the top 5 common mistakes recent graduates and young professionals make with their resume.
1. Objective Statement
If you have an objective statement on your resume, you have already missed the mark. An objective statement takes on the personification that you are putting your needs before the company. Instead of using an objective statement, incorporate a summary of qualifications or professional profile into your resume. Think of your 30-second elevator pitch in 2-3 sentences. Highlight your qualifications and what you can offer the company. Tell them why you are the best candidate by quickly drawing their attention to your skill set.
2. Deficient Organization
Just like any well-written book or article, your resume should be clear, concise, and easy to read. If the employer has to look for the most important and/or relevant information, your resume will get tossed. You have approximately 15 seconds to capture the employer’s attention. Start with your summary of qualifications, core competencies (space for you to incorporate key words into your resume), education, select accomplishments, relevant experience, technical skills, community engagement. If you are pursuing a career in a technical industry, move your technical skills up towards the top of your document.
3. Summative Information
Many resumes are a composed of a laundry list of tasks. Most resumes contain a list of every responsibility or task you can think of in each position you have previously held or currently hold. Employers are only interested in the qualifications and skills related to the position they are trying to fill. Read the job description carefully and lead in with bullet points that showcase your direct experience with the job. Then include secondary tasks and responsibilities.
As you write your bullet points, write with a results-oriented perspective. Instead of simply stating a responsibility or task, state the responsibility with the outcome. After each bullet point, ask yourself, Why does this information matter to this employer? Why is it relevant? What was the impact?” Provide enough information to answer that question, but be careful not to use any personal pronouns, which brings me to the fourth common mistake, grammar.
4. Grammar Errors
Read your resume and cover letter forwards and backwards – literally! It is common sense to read through your resume carefully before printing or submitting, but what can you do to catch those easy to overlook mistakes? Read your resume backwards! Start at the bottom and read from right to left instead of left to right. It is easier to catch mistakes this way because your brain is forced to come off of autopilot and catch errors. It’s a trick I use with all the documents I provide to my clients. One very common grammar mistake is the use of personal pronouns. Be careful to avoid this error!
5. Formatting Mistakes
Far too many resumes have an overwhelming amount of formatting errors. Font sizes that are too small, too many different fonts, spacing errors, orphans, headers, and the list goes on and on. Additionally, recent graduates with resumes that are 2 pages in length are typically frowned upon. Try to stick to one page of concise, relevant content and consider the following tips when crafting your resume:
Avoid using a font that is smaller than 10.5. Anything smaller is just too hard to read.
Use a san serif font for the content of your resume. A san serif font has clean lines, making it easier to read and sufficiently spacing the text.
Adjust your margins to .6 to 1”. In most word processing software programs, such as Microsoft Word, going smaller than .6 can result in part of your resume being cut off by the printer.
Never place text in the header or footer of your document. Majority of the applicant tracking systems (ATS) that employers use, will read any text in the header or footer as an error and kick the resume out of the system.
Do not include pictures on your resume. Some ATS systems will read the image as an error, eliminating you from the candidate pool.
Overcrowding your resume with too much text can overwhelm the reader and cause your qualifications and skills to be overlooked. Utilize sufficient spacing to make your document easier to scan and identify the assets you have to offer the company.
Your name should be the biggest text on your resume. Make it easy for the employer to identify you. Always list your contact information directly below your name. Choose a professional e-mail address such as your [email protected] and don’t forget to update your voicemail message to include your first name and last name.
Use resume paper instead of copy paper when you print your resume. Quality matters to employers. Take the time to gain the competitive edge by purchasing cream, resume paper. The color and texture will stand out to employers and quickly command their attention.
As you review this article and consider all of the tips provided, feel free to reach out to me for a quick review. My job is to help you land the job!
Gala Jackson, M.Ed. is a career management consultant with InterviewSnob, a career consulting boutique for millennials based in Atlanta, GA. Connect with Gala @interviewsnob and check out her website at www.interviewsnob.com