Employers get their first impressions of job seekers from their resumes. That’s why writing a good first resume is so important when getting your first job. But many recent graduates make critical mistakes that keep them from making it to the interview phase. Here are several huge mistakes to avoid when writing your first resume:
Don’t Write Any Unnecessary Ideological Information
Your resume is the last place you want to voice your religious or political views – nothing makes an HR manager reject an applicant faster. The reality is that a company doesn’t care what your beliefs and views are as long as they don’t interfere with your work or company matters. So if you think your beliefs get you an “edge” in the application process, you’ll be waiting for a job a long time.
Don’t Write Irrelevant Student Year Accomplishments
Leave out any event that occurred in your secondary school days unless it’s really worth placing, such as being valedictorian, team captain, etc. The bottom line is that your accomplishments must be must be serious and should relate to a skill that’s necessary to the employer.
Don’t Make Your Resume about Salary
Employers already have a salary in mind when searching for a candidate – so mentioning it might either price you out of the running for the job or give the employer the impression you’re more focused on money instead. You should never mention salary in your resume unless a prospective employer asks for it. Even then, you should never give a salary number, but a range (ex. $3,000 – $3,500) to facilitate negotiation.
Don’t Write Confidential Information from Any Previous Job
For most fresh graduates, this won’t apply. But if you’ve had internships with any company or organization, revealing any inside dealings, trade secrets, or work processes will give employers the impression that you lack integrity. This is one of those mistakes that can have serious career consequences, especially in small or niche industries where everybody knows each other.
Don’t Write Your Resume in a Corporate Tone
Writing in a corporate tone might be appropriate for stakeholders reading an annual report, but it doesn’t make an HR manager’s job any easier. In fact, reading a resume written like a management textbook only makes hirers suspicious that you’re trying to hide something behind corporate jargon and pretentious wording.
Don’t Place Unprofessional Photos in Your Resume
When it comes to choosing a photo for your resume, the last thing you want to do is select a photo that’s anything other than a professionally done head shot. That means staying away from body shots, photos of you on vacation, or using any fancy graphics. You can get a professional photo for an affordable price at any place that shoots passport photos.
