5 Big Mistakes You Are Making on Your Resume

Crafting a resume that stands out from the crowd is no easy feat. To do so, you must first understand the principle objective of any resume: not to land your next job, but to open the door for your first interview. Having your resume’s primary purpose clear in your mind will help you focus on what is really important in a resume.

Believe it or not, many candidates still make some very basic errors on their resumes. The following list outlines five major mistakes that candidates make all the time. Make sure you’re not guilty of them yourself!

1. Including Links to All Your Social Media Accounts

You may have a presence on every hot social media network, but is each profile relevant to your potential new employer? For example, if you regularly share personal information and pictures on Facebook, including a link to this page on your resume may not be a great idea.

Instead, it is recommended you include only links to the social media networks that are relevant to the target position. For example, if you use Twitter to share news related to your industry, adding a link to this social profile will be a success.

Bear in mind that according to Jobvite, “93 percent of recruiters will review a candidate’s social profiles before making a hiring decision.” It is therefore important to make sure your privacy settings are properly maintained on all social media sites — especially those you don’t want recruiters to see!

2. Using Boring Resume Templates

There is no harm in using a resume template. The problem occurs when you use a template without making any changes. If your resume looks exactly like everyone else’s, how are you going to stand out?

You should choose a modern resume format that aligns with your industry’s best practices. Then, you can adjust the different sections so you highlight the information most relevant to the job to which you are applying. Doing so will make your resume more attractive to the recruiter’s eye and help them find the information they’re looking for more quickly.

3. Overusing Adjectives and Adverbs Instead of Verbs

According to a study conducted by CareerBuilder, terms such as “best of breed,” “go-getter,” “think outside the box,” “synergy,” and others are outdated and overused. Instead, candidates should be using more specific action verbs like “achieved,” “improved,” and “resolved,” which more clearly show hiring managers what they have done and can do.