A few minor tweaks could lead to an interview!
- Multiple Pages
- Unless you’re an executive, have 15+ years of experience or are including your portfolio, you typically don’t need more than a one-page resume. Include the positions with skills that most directly relate to the role you’re applying for and remove the fluff of extra roles. If you must make it longer, don’t go past two-pages and make sure the second page is filled to the bottom. Don’t leave any white space!
- Stretching the Truth
- Are you bi-lingual or did you just take Spanish that one time in high school…15 years ago? Are you so proficient in Excel that you could make a pivot table at a moment’s notice or will you have to binge YouTube videos? Ensure that you don’t mention any skills you can’t back up on day one. Often times jobs will train you on perceived skill gaps.
- References Available Upon Request
- Here’s the deal: if the hiring team decides they want to move forward with you, they’ll ask! Including this line only takes up space. What you should do if employers ask for references: contact who you’ve selected in advance to ensure they can speak highly of your skills and how they fit the position.
- Inconsistent Grammar, Formatting, and Typos
- Sometimes the grammar and spell check in your word processor isn’t enough. Try to get a second set of eyes on your resume before you send it out. Numerous typos and varied formatting within the document can make you appear to have poor attention to detail when you’re obviously the employer’s next, best employee!
Make sure you have a second set of eyes read over everything before you submit your resume. If you’d like a little extra help, book a resume critique book with us at https://stevielcoleman.com/work-with-me/
