When it comes time to sit down and build your resume, you probably start thinking about all the things you need to do. But, don’t forget to also consider those things you shouldn’t do, which really can make or break your opportunity for an interview. Read on for our best tips to make it past the first round of a resume review.
1) Don’t Forget to Format
This is the first and most important rule. You want to make sure that all of your headings, subheads and bullet points are aligned in a uniform format. If not, your resume will come across as sloppy, and you don’t want to be thought of as someone who doesn’t pay attention to the details. So, make sure all of your formatting is consistent, and then have someone else look at it, too.
2) Don’t Forget to Convert Your Resume to a PDF
We mentioned this once before in our post “The One Resume Step You Can’t Forget,” but it’s important to reiterate again. Make sure you convert your resume (and cover letter) to a PDF before sending it electronically to an employer. You don’t want your application to be thrown in the trash because of a formatting error, right? Think that doesn’t happen? Think again. Because of the massive amount of applicants companies receive these days, mistakes like that can put you in the “no” pile and instead of landing you an interview, your resume will land in the recycle bin.
3) Don’t Include Pictures, Ribbons or Funky Paper
Believe it or not, human resources personnel receive some bizarre submissions. Even if you are applying for a creative position, make sure you keep your resume professional, not tacky. This means you should not add pictures or clip art. Also, you shouldn’t tie a ribbon at the top or include any unnecessary embellishments. (After all, your resume is not a wedding invitation.) Finally, even if you find a really cool paper that you think will help your resume stand out from the rest, refrain from using it. It’s best that you focus on communicating your experience, which is what should be doing the talking, not your presentation.
4) Don’t Include Your Hobbies
We started to explore this in the blog post “Should I Put (Fill in the Blank) On My Resume?” but it’s a good rule of thumb to leave off your hobbies. Someone who will potentially be your employer one day doesn’t need to know you’re a great cook (unless you are applying to be in the culinary field … and even then, that’s pretty much assumed). Just make sure all of the information you include is relevant. It’s OK to list activities you were involved in at the collegiate level and beyond, as long as it’s a role you served that shows leadership abilities, such as “captain of the rowing team.”
5) Don’t Forget to Turn Off Track Notes
One human resources director we talked to said that she actually receives resumes and cover letters that still have Track Notes turned on. While we encourage you to submit different versions of your resume and cover letter based on the job you are applying for, make sure you don’t send your potential employer a draft showing them you did this. Again, if you turn your final version into a PDF, this won’t be a concern you will ever have to worry about.
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[...] Monday, Sparxsters! We’ve already told you what not to do when creating your resume (“Building Your Resume: What NOT to Do“) as well as how to keep your resume on life support when you don’t have a job [...]
[...] mentioned before in our posts “Building Your Resume: What NOT to Do” and “The Fatal Resume Errors College Students are Making” that it’s important to pay [...]