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Simple Resume Mistakes

A Simple Resume Mistake | Reasons To Never Include A Photo

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The presence and influence of social media today is tremendous. Before the existence of social media, things such as social profiles, profile pictures, and shared media files were generally nonexistent. The Digital and Social Age has created a sense of need of social acceptance. With that being said, this has come to influence the workplace as well, ultimately leaving room for a simple resume mistake that has become fairly common.

The social networking giant LinkedIn has implemented profiles and headshot photos into its system for working professionals to be identified along with their work experiences and credentials. This is commonplace and some may deem it okay to include a photo on a job resume. However, unless you’re an actor/actress or a creative, you should NEVER include a photo on your professional work resume.

Here are our top three reasons why including a photo on a simple resume could cost you an interview.

reasons why you should never include a photo in a simple resume

Unprofessional

Although having a professional headshot may seem fitting, leave it off. It may come off as unprofessional to hiring managers who may be only looking for someone who can get the job done regardless of their image. Instead of uploading a headshot to your professional work resume, leave it for your LinkedIn profile and plan to show up to the interview dressed to impress with a big smile and warm handshake.

Space

Uploading a professional headshot to a simple resume will decrease your ability to use valuable white space. White space is invaluable to modern resume writing. You want the reader to focus and key in on your accomplishments and qualifications. Leaving an adequate amount of white space to fit your skills, accomplishments, and career highlights can prove to be the difference maker in your job search.

Bias

Although it is illegal to discriminate against a job applicant based on his/her age, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender, placing a professional headshot on a simple and professional resume can undoubtedly create bias. You can potentially be stereotyped by an employer early on in the hiring process and be eliminated as a candidate. Though it is an illegal practice, there will be practically no way to prove that you were a victim. Your best bet is to leave it off completely to prevent any discriminatory practices against you.

Keep these things in mind when deciding on whether or not to include a professional headshot. Aim to upload your best headshot to your LinkedIn profile and stay away from the resume. In the end, practicing this could prove to be a future email for a job interview! Keep your resume simple and never upload a photo.

Simple Resume Do’s & Dont’s

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In our recent article, we talked about making a grand first impression. People that can make great first impressions generally find themselves in better situations and living better lives. Meaningful conversations, long-lasting relationships, and even employment opportunities are all known to be generated from the beauty of a great first impression. These impressions are critical in the hiring process, as a job interview is the first impression to a hiring manager and the resume is the first impression to an applicant tracking system (ATS). To round things out to make sure your 2019 career goals come to fruition, here are some Resume Do’s from the Simple Resume Team.

Use Bullet Points

Bullet points are quintessential elements that are needed within a basic resume format. Choosing to create a bulleted list of your accomplishments within your resume instead of writing in paragraph form helps to create aesthetic appeal and break up your text. With bullet points, you have the opportunity to organize, highlight, and separate your skills, accomplishments, and job duties. Make sure you do your research and create your basic resume outline with bullet points containing industry-specific action verbs to ensure you are making an argument for yourself as a good hire!

Optimize Your Simple Resume

Resumes have to be optimized strategically in order to make it to hiring managers’ desks. This is due to the fact that applicant tracking system (ATS) technology is now being implemented by a substantially great amount of companies worldwide. The key to optimization is plugging in keywords to ensure that your resume stands out amongst your competition (see how our services can create a simple and professional resume for job search effectiveness). Study the job description, take note of specific keywords that are mentioned, and make an effort to include them in your resume.

Quantify Your Accomplishments

Career accomplishments have to be quantified in order to be considered qualifiable for many of today’s positions. Noting and detailing your stats in the duration of your employment gives hiring managers an idea of your dedication and work ethic. It shows a level of commitment and promise as an employee. Quantifying your accomplishments can mean a ticket into the hiring manager’s office for an interview! Quantify your resume as best as you can will give you the best chance at landing employment opportunities.

Check your Grammar

By far the most obvious and worst mistake you can make on a simple resume. Now that you’ve misspelled words such as “organized” and “directed”, you can kiss that job goodbye. It’s not that the hiring manager doesn’t believe you can spell. We all make mistakes. He believes that you don’t know how to check your work and will submit a project even if it contains fallacies. Do your resume and job aspirations a favor and check your grammar, it may end up being a job offer in the end.

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A first impression is everything. People that are skilled at making great first impressions generally find themselves living better lives. A great first impression can generate meaningful conversations, long-lasting relationships, and even employment opportunities. First impressions are critical in the hiring process, as a job interview is the first impression to a hiring manager and the resume is the first impression to the applicant tracking system (ATS). Having said that, in our edition of Resume Do’s and Don’ts, here are some Resume Don’ts from the Simple Resume Team.

1st, 2nd, or 3rd Person

How about “no person”. A simple resume should never have any pronouns within its text. This is a simple resume law. The resume should serve as a summary or an introduction of you as an applicant, not a narrative or autobiography. Ex: In his previous position, Cory analyzed complex reports and developed a company strategy for optimal efficiency. When writing his accomplishment, instead of beginning the sentence as “Cory analyzed complex reports…”, “He analyzed complex reports…”, or “I analyzed complex reports…”, Cory should start the sentence off as “Analyzed complex reports…”.

Unemployed

Don’t give any impression that you were unemployed for any period of time. Unemployment raises red flags to hiring managers. They may wonder what have you been doing in the meantime, why you were unemployed, and your overall work ethic. Use a filler such as any personal project or volunteer work that can show that you were busy and cover any employment gaps.

“References Available Upon Request”

Employers will ask for references if they need them. As an applicant, you are already expected to have references available upon request. Implementing this phrase in your resume takes up a valuable amount of space. Avoid stating the obvious.

Negative Words In Your Simple Resume

This should go without saying. Listing your limitations will automatically disqualify you from any position in the job market. Avoid saying what you “can’t” do and focus on what you “can” do. Detail your accomplishments and capabilities to elevate your image as a great potential hire.

Too Much Info

Including any sensitive personal information is not only an instant disqualification, but it doesn’t do any good in your job hopes. In fact, it can do you much more harm than good, as you will leave yourself vulnerable to identity theft and someone having your information in their hands. Don’t include your date of birth, social security number, or personal interests in your resume. Keep it simple and avoid doing this on your resume.

The Importance Of Keywords

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Implementing keywords in your simple resume lands interviews for job candidates. In today’s world, simple resumes have to be strategically optimized in order to make it to hiring managers’ desks. This is due to the fact that applicant tracking system (ATS) technology is now being implemented at a substantially great amount of companies worldwide. In this article, the Simple Resume team will detail the importance of including keywords and key phrases in your simple resume to BOOST your chances of employment.

“The Keywords In A Job Description”

When you look at a job posting, take a very detailed look at the job description. Job descriptions contain the general tasks, requirements, and responsibilities of the role. They include keywords and key phrases such as “quick learner”, “strong attention to detail”, and “excellent verbal and written skills”. The description will almost always be filled with important keywords and phrases. It is your responsibility to take note of this during the drafting of your simple resume. Failing to include this information will greatly diminish your chances of landing a job interview.

“Pass An Applicant Tracking System”

Keywords are absolutely necessary to successfully pass an applicant tracking system. Though it is important to implement key terms throughout your resume, it is also equally important to be mindful of how many times you use the keywords. Including too many key terms is a tactic known as keyword stuffing. Hiring managers will surely catch on to this. Avoid over-saturating your simple resume as it will surely be noticed.

“Hard And Soft Skills Are Keywords”

Key terms are also important for the fact that they sometimes come in the form of hard and soft skills. Within the work environment, hard and soft skills have become extremely important. Employers are looking to hire candidates that possess both hard and soft skills, as they are critical in the short and long term of employment. Hard and soft skills present themselves as keywords that can successfully navigate and pass through an ATS screening.

The ultimate goal of simple resume writing is to strategically create a resume that will pass the applicant tracking system and appeal to hiring managers. Having keywords in your simple resume increases your job prospects exponentially. When crafting your simple resume, key terms can be the deciding factor between a call for an interview and a letter of declination.

Get a keyword optimized low cost resume guaranteed to BOOST chances of employment and pass an applicant tracking system today!

Irrelevant Work Experience

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irrelevant work experiences overcrowd and cause a lack of focus

Resumes have evolved to become personal marketing tools for working professionals. Job seekers were once able to list their recent experiences and present them to hiring managers to gain employment. Now, with the implementation of initial screening technology with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), resumes need to be strategically crafted in order to reach employers. Since they now have to be optimized, including irrelevant work experience in your simple resume will destroy your chances of getting a call for an interview. We will explain how including irrelevant experience in your resume can hurt your chances of getting an interview.

Irrelevant Work Experience Overcrowds Your Simple Resume

Hiring managers are looking for qualified candidates with qualifiable information. The more relatable experience the candidate has, the more likely that candidate is to be offered the job. With this in mind, employers want to be able to look through little information and find the right guy for the job. Employers generally spend only 6 seconds looking at an applicant’s resume. Including relevant work experience in this little information will save space and make the best use of your simple resume. Overcrowding your resume with irrelevant work experience can cause hiring managers to miss the important, relevant information. As a result, your chances of getting hired will be greatly diminished.

Irrelevant Work Experience Can Make Your Resume Unfocused

With ATS screening, resumes need to have relevant keywords in order to pass. For example, let’s say you want to apply for a position as an accountant. In your past, you worked in a variety of positions, including working as a deli clerk at a supermarket. You choose to include this information in your simple resume. You write about how you sectioned different meat selections and serviced customers. This can hurt you in two ways:

First, the applicant tracking system is looking for key relevance to a position as an accountant. This information will stray away from identifying you as an accounting candidate.

Second, a hiring manager looking to hire for an entry-level accounting position does not want to know that you worked for a grocery store in the deli department during your college days.

If you are writing a resume for an accounting position, you will want to focus your writing efforts on the skills and accomplishments needed for a career in accounting. You could very possibly use that position as a deli clerk to include information about cashiering and cash handling to better fit your simple resume for accounting.

Include only relevant work experience and skills on your simple resume. This will cut out a lot of unnecessary and irrelevant information and allow you to focus on your dream position.

Basic Job Resume Mistakes You Should Never Make

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When it comes to constructing a simple, appealing, and effective resume, immense care should be taken during the writing process. Often too many times, job candidates create basic job resume mistakes that end up costing them a job interview. The greatness of a resume exists in its ability to successfully beat an applicant tracking system and intrigue a hiring manager. Here at Simple Resume, we will explain 5 basic job resume mistakes you should never make on a simple resume.

#1: Grammatical Errors

One of the most basic job resume mistakes and also the most common is making grammatical errors. This is by far the most obvious mistake you can make in writing a resume. The last thing you want is hiring managers thinking you are incompetent and unqualified for the role, and there’s no better way to do this than spelling things wrong on a resume. It also shows that you do not take the time to check your work, an area that is critical in most fields. Proofread your resume a countless number of times to make sure you never make this simple resume mistake.

#2: Duties > Accomplishments

A simple resume mistake that we see often is the utilization of responsibilities to fill out the content of the resume. Hiring managers are more concerned with what you can help their organization achieve and are looking for people who can add a track record of success. There is no need to include job responsibilities as they are easily searchable on Google. Never make this mistake on your simple resume.

#3: Too Much Information

In an effort to remain relevant and only include pertinent information, you must be strategic about yourself and your background. Capitalize on the aspects of your career history that bring value to the role and organization you are applying to.

#4: Improper Formatting

A common mistake made on resumes is improper formatting. Some of the common instances in improper resume formatting include failing to include bullet points, improper alignment of your resume text, using less than one-inch margins when it is not necessary, failing to bold your resume sections and job titles. Never make this mistake on your simple resume as it will guarantee a no-call for an interview.

#5: Using A Template

Not only does using a resume template show that you have a lack of professionalism and creativity; It also shows you didn’t take the time to make sure it was optimized. Software programs such as Microsoft Word have resume templates for consumers to use to tailor to their specific resume needs. This is detrimental to your resume and should be avoided at all costs. Your simple resume must successfully pass through an applicant tracking system before being seen by a human.

Job Resume | What To Include And Not Include In Your Resume

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including certain things in job resumes that make a hiring manager angry or happy

Any entry-level job seeker entering the workforce or working professional looking to move forward in their career path will be required to write and submit a resume before they enter into the hiring process. Job resumes have drastically changed in recent years, leaving many working professionals with the inability to write an effective resume. Here is a list of items to include and items not to include in your simple resume.

What To Include In A Job Resume:

Professional Email Address:

For freshers, it is important to have the correct contact information in your resume. More importantly, it is of critical importance that you include a professional email address. Many times, a job candidate may include his/her personal email in their job resume which can be considered inappropriate for professional settings.

For example, let’s say there are two job candidates; John Adam and Jay Smith. John and Jay are both applying for a role as a Technical Analyst, they both currently hold similar positions, and they both hold equal value as potential job candidates. In Jay’s resume, he uses the email “shootthejay23@gmail.com”. John uses the email “johnadam1@gmail.com” in his resume. John will most likely end up getting the call for an interview. A hiring manager would be more inclined to contact a potential job candidate with a business professional email.

This is important to remember when strategizing to land an interview. Including a professional email address will promote you as someone who is professional and has built a strong business acumen.

Keywords

Keywords and key phrases are the key tricks to creating an optimized simple resume. Including keywords and key phrases into your resume from job descriptions will not only beat applicant tracking systems (ATS), but also put you ahead of the competition in the job market.

Many job descriptions of today contain specific keywords that are used to describe the role and the type of job candidate that would be a match. Be cognizant of these keywords and work to include them in your simple resume’s content.

A lack of important keywords within  your job resume can be detrimental to your chances of landing an interview. Plan to tailor your simple resume writing to include keywords to better your chances.

Relevant Work Experience

Relevant work experience is classified as work experience that is relevant to your desired job title. For example, if you’re looking to land a position as a Sales Manager, it would be wise to include work experiences that included extensive sales and customer service in your pattern of resume writing. Certified Professional Resume Writers are pros in determining what is considered relevant to certain industries.

Include your most relevant work experience to the position you are applying for. Including irrelevant experiences takes up unnecessary space on your simple resume and will limit the amount of relevant information you can fit.

What Not To Include In A Job Resume:

Private Information

Private information such as your date of birth, gender, religion, marital status, social security number, driver’s license number, physical address (include your city and state), and height/weight should not be included in your work resume. Not only can some of this information prove to be worthless, but it can also leave you at risk of identity theft if put in the wrong hands.

Be cautious and aim to only include information that is relevant to identify you in job candidacy such as your name, number, location, and email address.

Self-Photograph

A self-portrait is not necessary for your candidate profile. Having a headshot on your job resume can in fact create unnecessary bias that can be avoided.

Unless you are looking to apply for an acting or modeling role, it is best that you do not include a self-portrait in your simple resume.

Irrelevant Work Experience

Having a section filled with irrelevant work experience in your simple job resume layout takes up a great deal of space within your simple resume. In its essence, a job resume containing irrelevant work experience can cause job candidates to lose valuable space that can be used to list relevant accomplishments, experiences, and projects.

Irrelevant work experience can ultimately cause your resume to seem unfocused and show hiring managers that you do not have the experience they are looking for in a candidate. Work to include only relevant information within your simple resume.

High School Information

If you hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, your professional resume layout should not have a section to dedicate to any information from your high school career. This information can prove to be useless as it has been some time since you have been enrolled in high school.

Recruiters and hiring managers only want to see recent, relevant experience. Leave out the high school information and include only your college education.

Classic Resume Mistakes To Avoid

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A resume must catch the eyes of the hiring managers who will see it in order for a candidate to be considered for a position. So what exact information should writing actually contain? As we know it, the essentials are a name, contact information, responsibilities, and job titles. Seems simple enough to not leave any room for any known, classic resume mistakes, right? Not so much.

An effective simple resume format is very intricate and involves a strenuous writing process to ensure effectiveness. When attempting to create an effective, stand-out resume document that will catch that hiring manager’s attention, there can be instances in which not enough care was taken to actually make it effective and intrigue the people who will view it. With the use of the applicant tracking system (ATS), it is extremely easy to make a mistake that will destroy your chances of getting the dream job you desire.

At Simple Resume, we put our feet in the shoes of hiring managers in determining the undesirables to simplify the writing process. To better your job search, avoid making these 4 classic resume mistakes that will hurt your chances of getting hired.

4 classic resume mistakes that are hurting your chances of getting hired

1) Grammatical Errors

Grammatical errors are by far the most obvious mistake you can make in writing a professional document. The last thing you want is hiring managers thinking you are incompetent for the job, and there’s no better way to do this than spelling things incorrectly.

According to a study conducted by CareerBuilder, 77% of applicants who submitted resumes with grammatical errors were not hired. The most successful resumes are the result of candidates taking the extra time to proofread a countless number of times to make sure their spelling and grammar is correct. It even helps to have another pair of eyes look at your work as well to ensure there are no resume mistakes in your writing. You can also contact our in-house team of professional resume writers for writing expertise.

2) Template & One-Size-Fits-All Approach

This is a classic resume mistake that many will find is simply not the approach to use in writing a simple resume. Your document must first pass through the applicant tracking system before it can even reach the hands of a hiring manager. If you use this method, the screening technology implemented in the ATS will automatically filter your document out of the job candidate pool. One of the most common ways job seekers use a one-size-fits-all approach is a simple resume template.

You should focus and tailor to the specific job you are applying for, not multiple jobs. When undergoing a screening implemented by an ATS, a template will deviate from your given course of focus. Many companies may promise consumers that a basic resume template will save them time in their job search and yield positive results. However, a basic resume design that is too commonplace does not do anything to separate you from your competition.

Also, the design of a simple resume template is often misleading as it actually confuses and disorients applicant tracking systems and can ultimately lead to rejection. Avoid using a one-size-fits-all approach and avoid using a one-size-fits-all template at all costs (most of them are free for a reason)!

3) Highlighting Duties Instead Of Accomplishments

The saying “actions speak louder than words” details the revealing of one’s true character through actual actions instead of just saying things that hold no substance. This saying should be applied when differentiating duties from accomplishments.

The best way to showcase your abilities and the things you’ve done in your previous positions is to incorporate your accomplishments.

Showcasing specific projects and work results verbalizes your value as an employee through writing. Accomplishments go above and beyond in describing how well you did your job and what you can bring to the organization.

4) Not Enough Specifics

Hiring managers want specifics on what you’ve done to qualify yourself for the position at bay. This goes beyond just stating the obvious. Here is a perfect example. The following scenario details two candidates, who worked in the same position, describing their job duties:

Candidate #1
• Provided customer service to clients

Candidate #2
• Actively engaged in providing top customer service to 15-20 clients per day, helping retain clients and facilitate positive relationships

These two candidates performed the same job. However, as a hiring manager, you would be more inclined to select Candidate #2 for an interview as she succeeded in providing much more specific detail.

These are classic resume mistakes that will make hiring managers tell you to see your way out the door before you’ve even entered the room! These classic resume mistakes can be avoiding by hiring professional services to carefully tailor your document. Order a low cost resume (payment plan option included!) and be well on your way to attaining your career goals.