Resume Development Mistakes and Job posting Mistakes.

Are you wondering why the job market is not responding to your job submission for any interviews? Not even an email that reads “You’re not qualified for the position”? Or “We regret to inform you that…..” If either statement suites you, you’re most likely making one of the common resume development mistakes or resume submission mistakes. There are two extremely common resume development mistakes (1, 2) and one job posting mistake that stick out to employers most (1).

1.) Failing to enhance your resume by using professional/correct word choice: The wording of your resume is important. Remember- The employer does not know you, and your resume is the first opportunity for them to get to know you. Your choice of words creates a good enough picture for employers to decide to move forward with you or not. Employers can generate a snapshot of your professionalism simply from evaluating your word choice. For example, there is a difference between stating, “I manage three people under me and I watched them perform duties” AND “Ability to manage subordinates and oversea their work activities”- Tips on the incorrect statement: Never use first person in a resume. As an employer myself, the way the first statement is constructed and the word choice would lead me to believe the individual rushed their resume and that makes a lazy person; which I cannot have. Also, the choice of words is a sign of unprofessionalism.

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2.) Misspelling of words: I know we have Microsoft Word, which corrects spelling and grammatical errors but it is wise to read over your resume to make certain there are no misspelled words or grammatical errors. For example, you may mean “Manager of the entire facility” but you may have written “Manger the entire facility” and Microsoft Word will not pick that up as a misspelled word because “Manger” is an actual word that means a feeder that is made of carved stone, wood, or metal used to feed animals; but that is not what you may have meant to portray. Most companies use a Resume Reading Systems that scans through resumes before they are received by a human being in the HR department and resumes with misspelled words are deleted out of the job posting. The system helps decrease wasted man-hours on pointless resumes since well-known organizations can receive 50-1,000 resumes daily.

1.) Posting an outdated resume: When you create your resume or have a company develop it for you, it serves as a template; written in a professional manner. Once you have that first draft of your resume, you must tailor it to each job that you apply for; while ensuring it is current. Developing your resume is a job and you must add/ take away from it as you apply for jobs. When you post an outdated resume, your attention to detail is automatically questioned when your resume doesn’t include your latest positions and accomplishments OR if your resume has nothing to do with the position you’ve applied for. Ready to go resumes recommends you to schedule a resume update for yourself at least once each month, or maybe twice depending on the rate of your job hunt. You never know when opportunity will come knocking at your door!!