This April Fools' Day I'm giving you the top five foolish mistakes applicants make on their résumés. Making these mistakes is no laughing matter. But finding a great new job is a fantastic reason to smile! Here are the most foolish mistakes to avoid on April 1st and all year long.
1: It's foolish to write a résumé that reads like a job description.
Don't just describe the basic things you did on a job. Explain and quantify what makes your experience unique and why it's relevant to the job for which you're applying.
The best way to customize your résumé and to make your résumé speak for itself, is to use !@#$%, the Signs of a Great Résumé. Each sign showcases your experience and skills and highlights your greatest achievements and contributions:
! - Any part of your experience that was “amazing!”
@ - Defining points, places, dates and things in your career
# - Numbers that quantify and prove your past successes
$ - The dollar value of your contributions
% - Figures that easily show growth and results
When you use the Signs of a Great Résumé, your résumé will speak for itself!
2: It's foolish to use a generic résumé to apply for multiple jobs.
You must customize your résumé to the job posting so it is clear why you're qualified specific position. Recruiters use applicant tracking software to find résumés that match the job posting. They'll know if you are just blasting out a generic résumé. A generic résumé can't explain why you're qualified for a particular job, and it will not help you get an interview. Use the Signs of a Great Résumé to describe your most relevant experience for each job.
3: It's foolish to think a résumé must be only one page long.
This is a common misconception. A résumé can be more than one page IF everything you've written is relevant to the job and when it explains and quantifies your experience using specific examples with !@#$%. It's rare that you'll have more than two pages of relevant content. If you do end up writing more than two pages, re-read what you've written and ensure it doesn't read like a job description.
4: It's foolish to include unrelated hobbies and personal interests on your résumé.
It is lovely that you do yoga and you know how to knit. But a recruiter will not care unless you're applying to be a yoga instructor or a knitting professional of some kind. (And I'm not 100% sure that knitting professionals even exist...) Don't include irrelevant information on your résumé. Focus on including specifics using !@#$%.
5: It'd be foolish NOT to visit www.ScottVedder.com for more great tips!
Ha ha shameless plug, I know. There is a lot of valuable information on my site that you can put into use in your job search today! You can also learn how YOU can help 2,000 veterans get a new job in the civilian sector. Join our Indiegogo campaign today at http://igg.me/at/veteranjobs
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