We did a post a few weeks back about resume mistakes and to date, it has been our most read post and most commented on. It has had over 9,000 views!

So we thought we should do a follow-up. The resume is a very misunderstood document. Too often people assume that once they put together the "perfect" resume, then jobs will open for them. Not so. 


According to ENID NEWS,  some common misconceptions are...


- You can put together the perfect resume that describes you and your experience. False.

One resume that you  send for every job, no matter how "good," works even less than a pair of pants labeled "one size fits all." You need to tailor your resume for the specific organization and position.



- The way to land a job is to blanket the earth with your resume. Eventually, the resume will spark a job offer. False.

The keyword is "eventually." This is one of the least productive methods to find a job. Sure, if you send enough resumes and wait long enough, you may get a job offer this way. But few people want to take those kinds of chances and wait that long.



- Resumes need to stand out to be noticed. Use fancy fonts, boxes, unique spacing and layout. False again.

Many organizations are now scanning the resumes they receive and placing them in a computer databank. All the above elements would cause your resume to be illegible and you might as well have thrown your resume in a trash can.

In an article ran on Rogers Resumes, they say job seekers believe that employers read every word of the resume they toiled over. This is  quite wrong. At most, employers spend twenty seconds scanning a resume. Many job seekers waste valuable time and space on lengthy paragraphs in a resume, waxing on about every detail of their past jobs.

When facing a stack of hundreds of resumes, the weary employer does not want to strain their eyes on paragraphs of text. The winning resume is the one that grabs the employer's attention and is concise. They offer some various options and layout suggestions. 

ALEC.co.uk suggests these tips:

1. These days you can write your resume in the first person (i.e. I have) or the third person (i.e. he/she has). However, you do not need to use 'I', 'he' or 'she' in a resume because its use is implied.
2. Do mention things you are good at, but do not go over the top. You can oversell yourself.
3. Don't mention things that you are bad at or say negative things about yourself in your resume.
4. Make sure that the resume you write conjures up the right image of you and your skills, capabilities and achievements. If you do not match the picture you have painted with your resume at the interview, then your application will not be taken further.
5. Be careful when you use abbreviations - they can be misunderstood.
6. If you are not happy with your resume or you only seem to get rejection letters then consider using a professional resume writing service to write it for you. Yes, you will have to pay for it. But, it could save you a lot of time, lead to you getting less rejection letters and hopefully you should get an interview that much quicker.
   

Resume writing is a hot topic. And we will continue to compile and share information for those interested. 


      Presenting ideas, insight and tips for college graduates on how to find their first job
                Honor Roll Online      Best Graduates. Best Companies. Best Jobs.