Are You Making These 5 Rookie Resume Writing Mistakes?

The team at EResumes put together a quick guide to the top five deal-breaker resume mistakes to avoid.

#1: Including too much information

It's natural to be proud of your achievements over the course of your career, but keep in mind that your resume is not an autobiography. If you include too much information, you risk losing the hiring manager's attention. A good rule of thumb is to highlight – and provide more information for – recent roles and those that are most similar to the position you're applying for. Remember that white space is your friend, so resist the urge to stuff your resume with too much information.

#2: Emphasizing the wrong information

Most hiring managers have a list of things they want to see in order. First and foremost, they want to know where you work – and where you previously worked. They'll also want to know your title, length of service, and accomplishments, in that order. Make it as simple as possible for the hiring manager to find the information he or she requires. The more “hunting” they must do, the more likely it is that your resume will end up in the wrong pile.

#3: Pushing your experience too far down the first page

It's a problem if your most recent job is listed more than a third of the way down the page. A hiring manager doesn't want to sift through information that isn't likely to be relevant to the position at hand. Make your most recent role easy to find and scan by placing it near the top of the page.

#4: Using out of date resume relics

Using out-of-date resume components can make you appear out-of-date as a candidate. Page numbers, references (or even "references available upon request"), and objective statements all scream "out of date" in an instant.

#5: Over formatting

When writing a personal email, save the cutesy, curly, and colourful fonts. Because a resume is a business document, it's critical to treat it as such. Make sure to use black fonts such as Garamond, Times New Roman, or Cambria. Another tip for your font is to keep it to a size 11 or 10.5 at the very least. It will be easier for a hiring manager to read your resume if you do so.

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