Resume mistakes are the primary hidden threat to your opportunity.

Pandemic has changed the rules of the games tangentially. And in such an uncertain and competitive job market there’s never been a more important time to refine your resume, ensuring it is an apt representation of your experiences, character and lessons. It is your first connection with the world outside acting as a fulcrum in creating your first impression. It should tell your story in a way that can be easily comprehended by the recruiters when they scan through it. Keep in mind that a hiring manager or a recruiter has to scan so many resumes on a regular basis that unless your story is written in an engaging way, it will fly off his desk in quick succession. Also, they are so experienced in their job that gazing through it for a few seconds, they could figure out if your candidature is appealing or it is just another lifeless document written in a standard template, perhaps copied from other resumes.

I am not against using well-established templates. There is nothing wrong with it. But I am not supportive of the fact that once you have populated (or shall we say copy-pasted) your stuff into the new template, you are ready to ship it to hiring managers/recruiters without investing meaningful time in bringing everything together into a cohesive and engaging storyline of your character, values, and virtues. I strongly believe that your resume demands the investment of quality time.

A good start is half the battle one! Remember? It is so true in case of your resume. By the time you reach to a face-to-face interview round, the hiring manager would have already formed your profile in his mind and perhaps to a large extent mapped your profile to the job role he/she is hiring for. And in case your profile or your story line that is coming out of your resume, fits the bill, the face-to-face round will merely be a validation of the profile.

Building a storyline may sound simple and straightforward job but trust me it requires a holistic and strategic thought process, bringing in the right mix of strategic and tactical aspects. So, before you get started, it is advisable to take a pause, think and reflect upon what are your key strengths, what are your deeper expertise that can bring about a unique storyline on your resume, setting it apart from the competition. It is also important to improvise your resume, before sending it to a recruiter or hiring manager bringing in some level of customization keeping in mind the nature of the organization and industries you may be aiming for.

Once you have got all figured out in your mind, the next step is to bring it on a piece of paper. It is certainly the most difficult task in the process. Creating a good balance between strategic problem-solving thought leadership and tactical day-to-day transactional experiences is a time-consuming job, and can be tricky and frustrating. Having said that, let me shift gears and come to a very important topic – Mistakes! In your Resume!

Yes, any mistake in your resume will certainly drastically reduce your chances of getting shortlisted for the interview round. So, when you have finished drafting your THE DOCUMENT, you should spend time reading through it line by line, not once, not twice, but five to ten times, to eradicate any possibility of mistakes. You could also request a family member or a friend or a teacher to do a thorough review of it. That way a fresh pair of eyes can scan mistakes your eyes might have missed out. Here is a list of 5 mistakes you should watch out for, and try to avoid while preparing your resume.

Resume Mistakes – Spelling & Grammatical Errors:

Spelling and grammatical errors are not just hygiene factors to be taken care of, they indicate something far deeper – these are the function of two very important essential skills required in any job e.g., Attention to details and Communication. They are the most common deal-breakers in the process. Common mistakes include typos, and wrong tenses. I have seen many resumes with future tenses being used describing their past experiences and that is a disaster. I understand, English Grammar may not be your forte, but you can’t afford to make such mistakes. Get in touch with your English professor for vetting the document.

Resume Mistakes – Cluttered & Clumsy Document:

We want to impress the hiring manager by putting a lot about us in the resume, but it goes against the fact that a simple two-page document is far easier to read through than going through a four or a five-page document, full of past experiences that may not even be relevant to the role in discussion. Also, a simple document with the right line spacing can help the hiring manager in taking faster decisions than struggling to go through a clumsy document with an excessive use of boxes and borders in every page. Further, confusing order of headings and information can distract the hiring manager, drastically reducing your chances of getting shortlisted. Focus on a crisp one-two page document that has the most engaging storyline of your life.

Resume Mistakes – Tone of Language:

Language and articulation is a great differentiator. A resume can appear boring or exciting depending on the way it is drafted. Often, resumes written in a passive language appears confusing and boring. “I achieved 30% growth in the sales year on year” is sounding a lot more exciting than “The sales growth was 30% year on year.” Can you see the difference? I am sure you can. Active voice brings a faint tinge of command in the language. It subliminally indicates to the hiring manager that you played an active role in the projects. So, draft your document in a way as if it becomes a talking document and not a reading document.

I re-iterate, your resume is your first impression and also your first interaction with the organization, without you being present in person. It has to stand apart from the competition, paving the way for your first step through the door. Often people ignore this crucial step in the recruitment process and maniacally focus on preparing and cracking the interview.

I strongly suggest, spending ample time refining your resume and if required, take professional help. There are many recruitment organizations offering such services at an affordable cost. Seek help form seniors and experienced folks in the corporate world and request for feedback on the document and then follow through with course corrections if required. Happy Job Hunting!