Your resume is typically the first thing an employer or recruiter reviews so it is not surprising that preparing your resume can be one of the most important steps in the job application process. Your resume is also the way you market yourself. Paying attention to detail will help send the clear message as to why you are worth talking to you about the job.

There are several commonly made resume mistakes all job seekers should avoid.

  1. Grammar and spelling errors
  2. Not tailoring a resume for each job
  3. Including too many personal details and “fluff”
  4. Poor design or layout

Granted, there are tools to catch basic errors such as punctuation and spelling, but there aren’t any systems in place for other common errors.

Here are 4 major errors to keep a cautious eye on.

  1. Subjective text – Don’t tell recruiters how you see yourself. Prove it. List facts stating quantifiable accomplishments.
  2. Too much information - Information overload to a recruiter is not a way to stand out.  Simplify the resume to list only the key skills you want to leverage
  3. Week top-fold - The first third of our resume is known as the “top-fold” – it’s where the eye goes when someone sees your resume for the first time. Text-intensive top-folds that aren’t well-formatted and don’t present key skill sets lose the reader’s attention.
  4. Fancy Fonts – Fancy (curly fonts) are harder to read. You are actually making it harder for the hiring manager to absorb your resume. Fancy design or layout done tastefully is a plus, but try to avoid fancy fonts.

One way to avoid these mistakes is to create multiple resumes. It allows you to refrain from putting on too much clutter and the hiring manager can see a clear purpose. The “one size fits all” mantra for resumes does not pay off. You need to focus only on one specialization, because it keeps the resume simple, but effective.