Resume writing is relatively simple, but as human beings are wont to do, we overcomplicate the simplest ideas and turn them into minefields. Take writing resumes. Countless hiring managers offer advice and yet are flooded with resumes offering little to no relevance to what they’re looking for.
Worse yet, these resumes aren’t interesting!
Your resume could very well fall into that trap. The last thing you want is to submit resumes to so many great openings and hear nothing. This is disheartening and goes a long way toward putting people in that horrible place of professional stagnation.
Here’s the thing: Many of the mistakes you’re making with your resume are easily fixable. Many employers are not looking for the person with the most qualifications, but the person who best communicates the idea of understanding the job description and showing how they can do the job effectively.
Here are 3 mistakes that you may be making and how to fix them:
- Using a Universal Resume. Guess what, the time you’re saving in not creating a unique resume for each position advertised is costing you in the long run. Hiring managers are trained to notice these resumes and quickly discount them. The idea comes across that if you can’t take the time to create something unique in answering their job description, then you probably won’t put in the time necessary to help the company succeed. Review the job description and make your resume fit accordingly.
- No Cover Letter. Many people think that their resume alone fulfills the requirement. The only time to refrain from sending a cover letter? When the job description says no cover letters! The cover letter is where you explain your accomplishments and why you’d be a great fit. The resume is the evidence supporting your claims in the cover letter. If you say in the cover letter “I’m the company’s best salesman” and your resume shows that you’ve repeatedly broken sales records, you’ve backed up your assertions.
- Too Much Talk. Many resumes include lots of excess verbiage, a.k.a. filler. Here’s an example, “At X Industries I was the person in charge of 12 people on the Y production line which produced 40,000 Z’s per year.” Change that line to “Supervised 12 people on Y production line averaging 40,000 Z’s per year.” So much cleaner, tighter and tells your story with greater success.
Resume writing shouldn’t be difficult. Look over your resume and see if you’re making these mistakes. Then as tip #2 said, fashion your cover letter! A great resume backs up the cover letter, and the cover letter shows the hiring manager what to look for in the resume. Make it unique and have fun. If you enjoy working on the resume, your potential employer will enjoy reading it.
