Many people focus heavily on what they should include on their resume without thinking about what should be left out.
Most HR professionals and managers will start handling the giant stack of resumes on their desk with a process of elimination. The obvious factors, such as typos, will land many resumes a very fast trip to the recycling bin. Of course, beyond appearances, form, and formalities, there are several things on many resumes that would seriously harm your chances of landing a good job. Try checking your resume for these common problems:
- Your objectives. Including your objectives on a resume usually won’t make you stand out or look particularly ambitious. It would be better to use this space for the relevant information the recruiters are looking for. These factors include relevant skills, experiences, acclamation from employers for similar past positions, and so on.
- Extra pages. In the vast majority of cases, resumes are expected to be short and to the point, highlighting the best qualities that you bring to the table. This can be done on just one page, and recruiters won’t expect any more than that from you.
- Irrelevant experience. Including information that isn’t relevant to the position you’re applying for will come across as unprofessional and distracting. The recruiter wants to know how you can help their employer, so it’s always best to make their job as easy as possible.
- A photo. You don’t need to include a photo in a resume. A resume isn’t like a passport application, so unless you’re applying for a modeling position your appearance won’t communicate your qualifications for the position.
- Misspelling or grammatical errors. This should go without saying, but make sure you double check your spelling and grammar. These factors are the easiest ones for recruiters to check for.
