Resume mistakes that can kill job seekers’ chances of getting interviewed

Sometimes the distinction between being considered for a job or having your resume tossed aside, can hinge on certain mistakes in the resume. Hiring managers almost always automatically reject a candidate with resume mistakes. 

According to a CareerBuilder survey of 2,300 hiring managers these are the top three errors that they see:

1.  Typos 61%

2.  Inappropriate email addresses 35%

3.  Not listing skills 30%

Proofread your resume multiple times for accuracy. The people who created today’s word processing programs think they are doing you a favor with the auto-correct feature. However, sometimes the word that is intended doesn’t ultimately get used. You’ve probably seen those mistakes– words as simple as “by the” can turn out “but he.” I can’t stress enough that proofreading is essential no matter how good your typing skills are. I often recommend that you set the resume down, come back to it a few hours later, read it again, and then sleep on it. Proofread the resume again the next day. I can almost guarantee you will see errors you missed previously or words you want to change.

Changing an email address during the job search can be advantageous for several reasons:

* How marketable do you think you are with an email address of uberpooldude@hotmail.com? (Unless you are seeking a position as a pool cleaner, this email address appears unprofessional.)

*  Never use current employer’s email address during job search for obvious reasons. Otherwise, be prepared to pack up your desk and turn in the keys. 

*  Try a gmail account if you don’t already have one. A gmail extension on your email says (without saying a word) that you are savvy with today’s technology (gmail is pushed to smartphones, etc.).  Hiring managers often equate an AOLaol email extension to an older less techie generation commenting  “my grandmother uses AOLaol.”

* Create an email address exclusively for your job search. This can help you keep important job offers and communications separate from your general inbox where they may be overlooked or lost. Once you start earnestly searching for a position, your email address could attract unwanted communications. Once you are employed, you can close that account to avoid spam or solicitations. 

Many job seekers want to make sure the reader is aware of the duties and responsibilities they had during their job experiences. Often times this reads like a job description. Trust me on this one. The potential employer wants to see what you have accomplished, how you did it, and the impact to the company. These bulleted achievements can describe the challenge, action and result of a particular situation. 

The best formula is to showcase the result first and how you did it second. That way, the reader can grasp the results at first glance. Keeping in mind that these bulleted statements should describe your achievements in such a way as to entice the reader to give your resume a full and complete review, which will ultimately result in getting called for an interview. 

The goal of the resume is to get the attention of the hiring manager and be called for an interview. Don’t sabotage your chances with mistakes in your resume that can be easily avoided with a little care and attention to details.