There are certain rules to be followed when writing your resume. Although many believe they are above these rules or are simply misinformed, breaking these rules lowers your chances of landing a job greatly.
Here are the six most violated resume writing rules that you must avoid at all costs:
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Just One Page – It should be remembered that when you submit a resume, the objective is to be shortlisted for an interview not portray every detail of your job history. Try and incorporate the most important details that will be beneficial for the hiring company in one page and one page only. You must consider the position of the hiring person, who has to go through many resumes a day and a glance is all he can afford to give each resume. If your resume spills into two pages, try and shorten it.
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Reference on Request Line is Now Unnecessary – It is one of the most obvious things that can happen before and/or after an interview. There is no need these days to waste precious writing space on something that will happen verbally further down the line.
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Personal Interests Should be Well Thought Out – Your interests should give off a signal to your employer that the qualities that you possess are useful for him/her and the company. If you can swim, well, you can swim, but that does not signal anything useful to the employer and shouldn’t be included. However, if you have achieved something worth mentioning, then please do mention it in your resume.
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Focus on Achievements not Duties– Do not forget that whatever job is assigned to you can be done by someone else also. You cannot be the only one around who can do whatever your past boss had assigned to you, such as common projects and assignments. What you have to mention in your resume is how well you did that job. If you can’t seem to notice what you did well, seek the help and assistance of a friend or a resume coach.
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Avoid Special Resume Designs – Make sure your artistic self is not portrayed in your resume. It doesn’t help; it makes things worse. Just because you have designed your friend’s birthday cards doesn’t mean you should showcase your design talents on your all-important resume. Keep the use of typography to the bare minimum, and keep to the standard resume design protocols.
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Chronological Order – Although you may be trying to hide a few details about your career so far, it should not show on your resume. Always remember to place your job experiences chronologically. It makes your resume look good as well as helps your employer in identifying your notable experiences as skills learned 20 years ago are likely outdated or forgotten.