14 Things You Must Never Do When Writing Your Resume

Many job seekers have a general idea of what they must do when writing a resume. Every resume writing advice page tells applicants to write clear, concise, confident resumes to win job interviews.

What most applicants have no idea of is, what NOT to do when writing their resume. We have analyzed over 1000 resumes to identify the biggest resume mistakes job seekers make that jeopardize their job search.

After you read this article, you can go through your resume once again to eliminate all those little mistakes that could end up costing you a lot in the job hunt.

1.Don’t forget to include the target job title on your resume

The biggest mistake rookie resume writers make is not mentioning the job title that they are applying for on their resume. Create a resume header for your resume mentioning your target job title so that the employer doesn’t have to make wild guesses about why you are applying.

2.Avoid writing a laundry list of job duties in your resume

Every employer knows the list of responsibilities associated with a particular job title. There’s no need to bore your reader to death by mentioning menial tasks you carried out. Instead, use accomplishments to adorn your work experience section.

3.Don’t use an unprofessional email address for your resume

That cute little email address you made back in grade 8 does not make a good impression on your resume. Create a new professional email address for yourself before writing your resume to start hearing back from job applications.

4.Never let your resume run too long

There is no rule saying how long your resume must be. Entry-level applicants usually go for one-page resumes to suit their lack of work experience. Experienced workers with several years of expertise go for three-page resumes to highlight all of their achievements. Depending on your professional experience, you can decide the length of your resume.

Pro tip: write short bullet points to summarize accomplishments instead of writing long paragraphs

5.Avoid mentioning your entire mail address on the resume

Resumes get circulated across the internet nowadays. Including your entire address on the resume is an unnecessary security risk. Besides, employers only require knowing your city and state to consider you for employment.

6.Don’t forget the human reader when optimizing your resume for the ATS

Some resumes score high on the ATS and appear as messy to a human reader. Utilize white space, bullet points, bold text, italic text, and other formatting tricks to make your resume appealing to a human reader.

7.Avoid writing an objective statement for your resume

Objective statements are considered redundant on resumes and hiring managers don’t even want to read them. Save up the resume space for something important by omitting the objective from your resume.

8.Never start your bullet points with passive phrases

Using action verbs shows employers how YOU made changes happen at your previous jobs. Phrases like “Responsible for” appears passive to a reader. Instead, show how you contributed to each result.

9.Don’t forget to include key search terms in your resume

Employers will seek resumes that list specific keywords in the resume summary and other places on the resume. Make your resume searchable by interested employers using keywords.

10.Avoid using cookie-cutter resume templates

No one stands out from the crowd by using the same resume template as a hundred other candidates. Add a touch of your personality to the resume to draw the attention of the reader and make your resume visually appealing.

11.Stop adding several telephone numbers on your resume

Don’t confuse the HR team by listing multiple phone numbers on your resume. Include one mobile phone number that you are using currently on the resume.

12.Never be vague when writing your resume, specific resumes have the highest success

Make your resume unique to yourself with the use of quantifiable results. Employers love to receive resumes that list numbers, metrics, percentages, and dollars saved.

13.Don’t use several writing styles in your resume

Some candidates write their resumes in the first person and third person and include pronouns while they are at it. Instead, write your resume in the third person and omit pronouns.

14.Always make sure to proofread your resume

Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes are your worst enemies. Always run your resume through a spell and grammar checker to spot mistakes before sending it out.