If you don’t want your Resume to fall into the rejection pile, then follow these eight great tips from the experts.
1. Computer skills
You’d be surprised at the amount of people using space bars instead of tabs while applying for an office admin job which solely involves the use of computers. If you don’t know what tabs are for, then you certainly shouldn’t be saying that you have completed a computer course OR applying for an office job.
2. Spelling, grammatical and typing errors
Spelling mistakes on a Resume are unacceptable and show carelessness. If you can’t put together a simple job application, then how are you going to perform on the job. Common examples include:
- “Threw” instead of through
- “Their” spelt as either they’re or thier
- Computor course
- Me Resume instead of My Resume
- Osf instead of “of”
It’s just carelessness and your application will most certainly be rejected. And bad punctuation is another sure way to get your CV binned; for example, not using capital letters for months, etc.
3. Layout
The average recruiter only spends about 20 to 30 seconds glancing at a Resume, which means that you have to grab their attention quickly. The reader should be able to get information from each line without having to work through lengthy paragraphs of text.
The layout of a Resume does not need to be complicated. All recruiters want to see for filtering is their education, qualification, if they’ve recently finished school, etc.
Obviously if your education is in the dim and distant past then you should not waste too much space on it, because your work experience will be far more important to the recruiter.
When describing previous work experience, use bullet points instead of paragraphs. Because first impressions are vital, the layout should be clear. Fonts should not be too big and there should be ample spacing.
4. Presentation
Recruiters biggest peeve is over-indulgent presentation. Folders, binders, stupid paper sizes, etc. are a nuisance. They are therefore ripped off before we even look at a Resume. If a Resume must be sent in hard copy, it should be plain paper, plain font and NO cover with a staple in the corner. It is after all, heading straight to a scanner.
5. Hobbies and Interests
Hobbies and interests are generally not considered very important on a Resume. However they may be able to tell a recruiter a lot about your personality, leadership potential and team-working skills, so they should not be completely overlooked.
6. Text files
Text files are recruiters’ preferable format as they use programs that constantly monitor the network for Resumes and converts them into text.
7. Apply for a job that is suitable for you
And finally, just remember to apply for a job that is suitable for you. For example, if the job involves answering the phone, you should not be heavily accented. Also, if you are over-qualified for the job, it’s obvious to HR managers that you are NOT going to work for the salary on offer.
