By: Jason Kay
Submitted: 2009-12-26 15:25:24 | Word Count: 554
Whether you realize it or not there may be many mistakes on your resume that need to be fixed and you may not even know it. While some of the mistakes may be outdated information, there are also other less obvious mistakes that still require attention. Fixing small mistakes on your resume will help you to increase the power of your resume. Knowing if these mistakes exist and how to fix them could mean the difference between your career life and death.
Here are some of the more common mistakes that need to be fixed on a resume:
[ advertisement ]
• Personal e mail: If your e mail inbox is empty take a look at your e mail address. No, not is it spelled right, but what does it say? A potential employer is much more likely to respond to an e mail address such as johnsmith@someplace.com rather than ladysmanjohn@someplace.com. While a cute, clever e mail address may be fun for you and your friends, remember you are trying to get a job so you must look professional. If you don’t already have a regular looking e mail address, get one. They are free and could mean more interviews in your future.
• Personal information: You need to not only make sure that your personal information is correct but you need to also watch what you put down. Don’t get into race and religion on your resume as this may turn some employers off. Though they cannot legally discriminate, they can pass over your resume if they do not like what they see. Besides, it is nobody’s business but your own who you do or don’t pray too.
• Hobbies: Again, be careful of what you are putting down. You may think it is great that you enjoy mountain climbing and surfing, but a potential employer may view you as a risk taker and be turned off. The idea behind your resume is to make the employer want you, not to scare them away.
• Check the basics: Double and triple check all of your contact information. It may sound redundant but if you have just one number wrong in your telephone number due to a typo you will obviously not be receiving any calls. This is an easier mistake to make than you might think and no, spell check is not going to catch the fact that your phone number is wrong. What good is a sparkling resume if the prospective employer can’t get a hold of you?
• K.I.S.S.: That stands for keep it simple stupid and is a great acronym for your resume. Don’t get too caught up making your resume so flashy that it then becomes busy and cluttered. If your resume looks too cluttered to a potential employer, they may think that is the type of person you are and once again they will be turned off. Keep your resume easy to read and easy to follow and above all else, keep it neat.
Your resume is your sales pitch to landing an interview so you have to make the most of it. By constantly checking your resume and performing these easy fixes you will increase the power of your resume and thus increase your chances of landing the job of your dreams.
