Have you ever applied for a job which you had met all the requirements and you never heard from your employer? Well, probably it’s because your resume contains incredibly unprofessional information that is irrelevant to the job. Recent studies have shown that an average recruiter only spends seven seconds on a resume and makes decisions on whether to consider the applicant or not. It can be a pain in the ass for you to spend hours crafting your resume only for your employer to bin it. If you are looking forward to writing a killer curriculum vitae that will get you hired, here are 7 things that you should not include on your resume.
- Including irrelevant personal details
Most recruiters do not put much concentration on your age or marital status. Unless the job you are applying for is specific to the age requirements or requires you to disclose your marital status, you should not bother yourself including them. Save your time and space.
- Irrelevant job description
Experience when seeking a job is critical but one thing job seekers do not understand is that including irrelevant experience will not earn you any credit. In fact, it’s a put off for your recruiter. Try as much as possible to include your experience in relation to the job you are applying for.
Tip: Avoid including working experience which is less than a year. Most recruiters also consider the number of organizations you have worked for and for how long.
- Too much fancy formatting
Unless you are applying for creative jobs, formatting your resume using different styles won’t earn you credit. Even when you are applying for a creative position like designing, you should not overdo it. The format should be done professionally. Make use of bold and underline options where necessary. Use bullet points and align the text properly.
- Combining personal pronouns
Mixing personal pronouns is one of the mistakes most people do without noticing. As a rule of thumb, it is recommended to use the third person unless you are writing a cover letter. Also, maintain your tense throughout your CV and avoid combining tenses.
- Irrelevant skills
Most job seekers pay more attention to oversell their services to recruiters that they forget to take into consideration the job requirements. Remember it’s about the company, not you. Do not waste time trying to oversell your skills that you forget to focus on the requirements. The more your resume is in line with the job demands, the higher your chances of landing the job.
- Strong vocabulary
Most people think using strong vocabulary on their resumes will increase their chances of winning the job. In fact, this is a turn off for recruiters. Use simple language and ensure the events are arranged in a chronological order starting with your latest achievements.
- Abbreviations
Never use abbreviations your recruiter may not understand their meanings. And if you have to use them, ensure they are written in full.
Conclusion
Crafting an outstanding resume should not be rocket science if you understand well how to impress your recruiters in a smart way. Know what the job requirements are and try to write your resume to suit what the recruiter is looking for. Do not just sit back and relax as you watch other professionals land good jobs. Put the above tips into practice and impress your recruiters.
What are some of the things you think can piss off a recruiter that may have been omitted? Please share in the comments.