Don’t Be Guilty ofThese 9 Resume Mistakes

A resume is like a narrative of your career. It should be organized in chronological order and sections should be clearly defined.

Poor Structure

Spelling &Grammatical Errors

Your resume is essentially your first impression on potential employers. Spelling and grammatical errors indicate carelessness. ALWAYS proofread before you send out your resumes! Even better, ask a few others to look it

over as well.

Beware! You may have spent hours perfecting the font, text size and spacing on your resume. But sometimes due to file formatting issues, your perfect

resume might look completely different to someone else.

Incompatible Formatting

Here are some tips to maximize compatibility:

• Use basic fonts that are generally loaded on most computers like Arial, Calibri, Georgia or Times New Roman.

• Before you upload your resume to online applications, check to see if there is a preferred file format. Some companies prefer PDF or Word documents, while others prefer plain text.

Incompatible Formatting

Resumes are not “one size fits all”. Look at the desired qualificationson each job description you are applying for. Emphasize the skills and

experiences that are most relevant to the position and company as a whole.

Copy and Pasting

In your resume, you want to elaborate just enough to attest to your capabilities while keeping it concise enough to maintain the recruiter’s attention.

Too Brief or Too Lengthy

Listing Duties Instead of Highlighting Accomplishments

Don’t just list the duties from past job descriptions on your resume. Take some time to highlight your most meaningful accomplishments and responsibilities

from each job.

Include quantitative data and specific examples to further prove why you are the best candidate!

Weak: Created marketing materials for annual event. Strong: Increased event attendance by 35% from previous year by creating

and distributing print and digital promotional materials.

Listing Duties Instead of Highlighting Accomplishments

Do not exaggerate or lie about your experience and qualifications on your resume!

Exaggerating the Truth

In an interview, you will be asked to elaborate what you write on your resume. If you cannot answer these questions with confidence and supporting

examples, you could land yourself in a humiliating situation!

Exaggerating the Truth

Missing or Outdated Contact Info

An employer who is impressed with your resume will no longer be impressed if he/she cannot easily contact you.

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Missing or Outdated Contact Info

Make sure that your e-mail address and phone number are up-to-date, free of typos, and are clearly visible at the top of the page!

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Better Resumes

MoreInterviews

For more career advice, visit www.ca.com/careers/mrp!

Having a top-notch resume is the first step

towards getting the career you want.