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“Its your entry point into an organization,” Vicki Salemi, career expert forMonster, tells SELF.
“A resume should highlight your skills and the experiences you’ve had in your career.”
Here, experts explain how to avoid eight of the most common ones.
Each sentence on your resume should start with an action verb, certified career coachHallie Crawfordtells SELF.
Using the active voice is a simple way to infuse your resume with a sense of initiative.
Starting off with an objective.
This old-school piece of resume advice is about as dated as butterfly clips.
“An objective becomes redundant and takes up valuable real estate.
There are plenty of examples ofgood resume summariesonline.
Using improper grammar or punctuation.
Including a mailing address.
Now that pretty much everythings gone digital, there’s no need for it.
This is especially true if youre applying to jobs in another area because you’re hoping to move.
Consider ditching the mailing address and only including your phone number and email in your app documents.
Relying on insider language.
Hiring managers arent aware of your companys acronyms or jargon, says Salemi.
If some of the company-specific language throws them for a loop, replace it with general industry terms.
Going overboard with the format.
Instead, opt for a clean, streamlined design they can scan quickly.
Leaving out numbers that explain what you’ve achieved.
Pepper your resume with numbers to support your accomplishments.
Beyond impressing whoever’s evaluating your utility, youll be helping them in a way that actually helps you.
Hiring managers and recruiters will ask themselves questions as they peruse your resume,” says Salemi.
“Make it easier for them to learn more about who you are by providing them with pertinent information.
Confusing your resume with a cover letter or vice versa.
Your resume and cover letter serve two different purposes.
Photo Credit: Kate Powers
