Common Resume Mistakes Fresh Graduates Make
Congratulations! You have just graduated university, and now it is time for you to start hunting for your dream job. So while you are waiting for that hiring manager to come knocking, it might be a good idea to spend some time developing a great resume.
Here are a few common resume mistakes you need to take note of, so as not to commit them.
Submitting a Long Resume
Hiring Managers are busy. A resume is not a bibliography, or a ten-page essay! Bear in mind that your resume will only get about six seconds of a hiring manager's attention. Most fresh graduatess have great academic experience, and may have some work history to offer. This should not take you more than one page – maybe two if you took a gap year or were highly involved in university. Keep it neat and concise.
You can however, leave out accomplishments prior to Junior College, unimpressive GPA, non-character building hobbies and completely unrelated jobs.
Exaggeration
It might be incredibly tempting to boost yoer the interur qualifications on your resume to clinch an interview. You may think that, after the interview these “qualifications” would not matter anymore. In reality, this is far from the truth. There is no point in obtaining a position based on exaggerated abilities, as they will be exposed once you start the job.
Be precise and honest in your resume development when it comes to describing your history and skills accurately. A well-written resume has a higher likelihood of getting you to your dream career over time, than an exaggerated one that misrepresents you.
Sending Generic Resumes
You have just spent hours crafting the perfect resume. Every word is excruciatingly analysed, every period and comma is in place. Fantastic! However, you do need to get comfortable with customising your resume for each job application. You are more likely to be successful if you send out 5 customised applications, rather than 50 generic ones. It will be time consuming, but worth definitely worth the additional effort.
Submitting an Unpolished Resume
First impressions count, and this resume is your first (and likely only) opportunity to sell yourself to the hiring manager for a shot at your dream job. Spelling, grammar, and syntax need to be in perfect order. The font used in your resume is equally important. If your resume is difficult to read for any reason, a hiring manager may toss it aside. Choose an easy to read, business-like font and avoid Comic Sans or any other cursive type fronts.
Resume writing can have many pitfalls, but by avoiding these common mistakes you will definitely gain a leg up over other applicants. With a well-written resume and some luck, your dream job might just be around the corner!
Feeling inspired to gain more professional skills while waiting for hiring managers to get back to you? Head on over here to find out more!
