Workforce Guides

A well-crafted resume remains vital for getting you an interview and potentially a job offer, no matter the industry. Considering that companies usually review upwards of a hundred candidates for any open position, your CV needs to stand out from the pack. A clear and professional layout also enhances its readability – and your chances at hearing back from the company.

You probably know what items to include on a resume, but are there things to be avoided? Let’s look more closely at the latter point to help your chances at a great new job.

Avoid Long Paragraphs

Hiring managers typically only get a minute or so for an initial look at a resume. When faced with long paragraphs of text, that candidate likely ends up in the circular file. Instead, use bullet points to highlight important details, like skills and tangible accomplishments.

Generalized Descriptions of Duties

A potential employer wants to know the positive attributes you bring to the table. So forego generic descriptions of your job duties in the work history section. You need to clearly detail the significant impacts you made throughout your career, and don’t be afraid to use numbers and percentages for additional impact.

Overuse of Personal Pronouns

Beginning sentences with “I” tends to give the wrong impression to hiring managers. Try to use words illustrating action, like analyzed, increased or accomplished. This strategy actually helps to engage your potential new manager; inspiring them to give you a chance!

Skills and Experience Unrelated to the Open Position

Remember the small amount of time a hiring manager gets to review your resume? Leave off any abilities or experience not matching the qualifications for their open position. This is one of the reasons personalizing each CV for a specific job makes perfect sense.

Grammatical Errors and Misspelled Words

At the risk of stating the obvious, misspellings and errors with grammar remain the easiest ways to disqualify your candidacy. Proofreading your resume needs to be the most important task before applying for any position. Ask a friend to double-check your work to ensure everything is correct – don’t rely on the spell check in your word processing app!

Your recruiter can also help review your resume for overall quality.

Speaking of which, when you need assistance with your job search, meet with the talented team at PrideStaff Houston. As one of the top recruiting agencies in the Greater Houston area, we also know the companies looking for great professionals, like you. Contact us as soon as possible!