Avoid the mistakes of a bad resume with this guide
When creating a good resume it not only helps to see examples of a good resume to guide you, but to see bad resume examples to stop you from making mistakes. There are many common pitfalls that job seekers fall into when making their resume, and if you are constantly receiving applications rejections then you might be making them too, this page will help you avoid this by highlighting such common pitfalls.
The largest error of a bad resume is one which does little more than state a working history and previous official responsibilities. A good resume not only includes these, but explains through the past work what skills and accomplishments have been acquired. For a chronological essay, these skills need to be made in bullet points beneath each job title, but do not label the responsibilities that are obvious to the role. Additionally, these skills need to be drawn together in a summary near the start of the resume. It is all very well to include information about abilities and achievements, but poor resumes often make the mistake of being too general. It is much better to provide quantitative information, for example by what percentage you improved performance.
In regards to resume structure, bad resume examples highlight the most irrelevant information. For example, someone who has plenty of work experience and past responsibilities would make a mistake in using the functional resume style, and someone who has been out of education for a long time would be wrong in starting the resume with education. These days, irrelevant information also includes personal hobbies; employers never look at personal details, and would be deterred by a resume that is full of hobbies and interests.
Another large error to make is to make the resume too personally focused, and not focused enough on the employer. A good way to get noticed is to modify the resume to take into account your employer, by looking at the skills and responsibilities asked for in their job notification.
Style, formatting and grammar are a common issue with bad resume examples but it is also one of the easiest to solve. The first priority is to make sure the text is legible and clear. The second priority is to be short and concise with your writing, removing anything that is too descriptive and flamboyant. Avoid the first person, and try to use verbs which do not need the use any mode.