Resume is considered as the most important part of individual’s career highlight. Right from the birth date to the career objective, it contains everything. Drafting an effective and appealing resume surely helps the applicant in landing up to the job.
It has to be drafted in such a way that can communicate with the interviewer that can also show why you are different from other applicants and why you should be hired.
Resume Mistakes To Avoid
Right from cover letter that added along with the resume to your appearance everything matters to get the job. One of the most important things to keep in mind is, never provide false information about you and your qualification on the resume.
In addition to this, you also need to make sure that you should avoid using words that can bring down the chance of landing into the job.
According to the jobs website Career Builders, 17% of managers spend no more than 30 seconds, but 68% hiring managers go through the resume for at least 2 minutes. Moreover, the website also listed the turn-offs terms for hiring managers which they come across while scanning resume.
It is important to avoid words like- team leader, self motivated and such other self proclaimed words throughout the resume. However, if you want to still make your success work come under the eyes of interviewer, then you can frame the sentence that can reflect you are self driven.
Below is the list of words which recruiters would like to avoid coming across in resume:
- Result Oriented
- Outstanding
- Motivational
- Hard Working
These are few words which should be avoided to be used and replace it with sentences that can be more appealing and descriptive.
- Created employee oriented programs
- Created plans for cost-saving
- Was ranked top in sales department
- Achieved Employee of the Year for Successive Performance
Describing your talents and achievements in perfect action words is acceptable. You need to be meaningful, but at the same time you need to short and appealing. Moreover, the sentences should be framed that can build interest in recruiter’s mind. Your cover letter and resume should look like a complete book your personality.
There are words which hiring manager would like to see in your resume:
- Managed
- Handled
- Volunteered
- Initiated
- Launched
- Revenue
- Under Proposed Budget
Tips for Writing an Effective Resume
Using Words Strategically
The above mentioned words should be only used in limits and also strategically. You need to back these words with supporting sentences that can clear idea about your experience and professional success. In short, these are action sentences. If this is the first time, then you can look for resume writing service. There are certain things that need to be considered while drafting resume and using constructive sentences.
It should not Sound like Job Description
Remember you are applying for the job not looking for an employee. The sole purpose of your resume is to sell yourself and use words that can give a brief about you and your achievements. You can add points and need to be clear with your description.
Marketing yourself
Resume is a part of marketing yourself. Unless you are a writer, you can use some marketing words that can sell you. If you are not, then look for a resume maker who can draft a good portfolio that can describe your responsibilities and accomplishments in clear and concise way.
Using Industry Specific Keywords
It is best to avoid using jargon and use industry specific keywords. It does not only emphasize your experience in the field, but also help your resume to be viewed during search result. For example, if you are applying for any media company, include ‘Social Media’ keyword that can be relevant for resume search.
Terms to Retire:
It is time that you must change the traditional representation of resume and words, and replacing them with effective and well constructive words. There are certain terms that need to be retired:
How to Write a Masterpiece of a Resume
- Hard Working: Every individual is hard working and while looking for job, it has become mandatory to use this term. But don’t need to claim yourself a hard worker and keep mentioning all over resume. So by avoiding this word, you can explain how well you meet the deadline to complete the project successfully.
- Self-Driven: This purely shows that you are lifting yourself for no reason and just faking around. Simply claiming that you are self-driven won’t convince the recruiter. Instead, you need to provide the result which you have managed to achieve in any of your project,
- Team Leader: You just don’t need accelerate your position in any project, but need to prove what your contribution while helming leader cap was. This will certainly provide a clear picture to the recruiter. In addition to this, you need to emphasize more on skills and certifications. You need to some good research about the organization and the position applied for.
- Dynamic: This word can give many meanings that can put forward questions in many ways. Whether you come up with new and innovative ideas or give positive energy around, it should be constructed well.
- Very Reliable: When a recruiter is hiring any employee, he hires because he knows the employee is reliable and dependable. So you don’t need to keep mentioning that you are reliable. So better avoid this word in any part of the resume.
- Being Familiar: While you are applying for any position, it is because you are familiar with the job and understand what responsibilities you may have to face. Moreover, you should be fully confident and experienced with the position applied for, only knowing after which employer will be confident to hire you.
Use of such terms can either make you go neglected or not so confident in the position. So whether you are applying for entry level jobs or experienced job, you need to make sure to avoid any cheesy words in your resume that can give fever chance to get hired.
