10 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your First Resume

When writing their first resume, a lot of first-time job hunters make mistakes that instantly eliminate them from the recruiting process. Here, we show you the 10 worst mistakes you should avoid when writing your first resume.

1. Make it too long

New grads, whether from college or graduate school, often don’t have enough professional experience to make a long resume. According to HR experts at AussieWritings, you should stick to the one-page model and make a brief and concise overview of your education, volunteering experiences, internship programs, and similar activities that could distinguish you from the crowd of peers and competitors.

2. Forget to proofread

This is a major mistake that really proves you failed to do your homework. Every recruiter will immediately eliminate candidates who forgot to proofread their resumes. If you can’t do it alone, you can use online assistants such as Grammarly or Hemingway App. These tools will not only display mistakes but also suggest style-related corrections so that your CV can sound more relevant and convincing.

3. Poorly structure it

The structure of your resume is as important as spelling and grammar. The point is to give recruiters the chance to scan your document quickly. This means breaking your CV into several different units. That way, HR managers can skip less important parts and go directly to sections dedicated to experience or education.

4. Include old or no contact information

You might be surprised to learn that so many people forget to add contact information to their resumes. The other mistake is to include an old email address, phone number, or address. A mistake like this could make your efforts pointless and waste you a lot of precious time.

5. Use gimmicks

Resumes have to be formal and fulfill the standards of professionalism. For this reason, it is not allowed to use gimmicks in your CV. Don’t add bright colors to emphasize parts of your resume. Don’t change or magnify fonts. This is not the proof of your out-of-box thinking but rather a sign of your immaturity.

6. Mention hobbies

Okay, so you collect NBA basketball stickers and have every album completed since 2005. Now ask yourself, 'What does it have to do with the position of junior credit analyst?' The answer is simple: it has nothing to do with it! Think twice before mentioning hobbies in your resume. Such details often add no value to your biography, so skip them unless they really reveal your ability to do a given job.

7. Highlight too many extracurricular activities

Extracurricular activities go hand in hand with hobbies. There are all sorts of interesting activities like screenplay writing, attending outdoor yoga classes, or being a boy scout. Although it’s very good for you as a person, it really won’t leave a big impression on recruiters. On the contrary, it will only take them more time to check out your CV and probably make them annoyed for reading the irrelevant material.

8. Don’t adapt for a specific position

This mistake is a little more subtle, but it’s definitely something you must avoid. Almost all beginner-level professionals send the same resume to different vacancy announcements. This is wrong because you need to do the research and adapt to the specific position. It’s the only way to show that you care for the job enough to prepare for it thoroughly.

9. Add controversy

Young job applicants should avoid controversial subjects. You don’t want to look like a sterile and disinteresting individual, but you also don’t want to add details that will make you look troublesome and could put certain individuals off.

10. Tell lies

The last mistake on our list is also one of the worst. Many first-time candidates tell lies in resumes, thinking it will improve their chances of getting a job. However, HR managers know that you are young and inexperienced so they don’t expect a sensational CV. All they want is to see that you are a reliable and well-educated person, so give them what they want without bending the truth in any way.

Olivia Ryan is a passionate blogger who writes on topics such as digital marketing, careers, and self-development. She constantly tries to learn something new and share this experience on various websites. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.