5 Resume Mistakes You Can’t Afford To Make

Gyanam wrote a blog on inexcusable resume mistakes that students and fresher’s tend to make. Three years and over 1,200 freshers successfully placed with Top MNCs, we gave them a list of top 15 common resume mistakes gathered from the internet and asked to him pick the top five.

1.    Be Organized – Your resume is the first impression an employer makes about you. Make sure it structured and organized properly, with the information the employer needs mentioned prominently. Your name, age and contact information (email address and cellphone number) should easily accessible and formatting should be proper with uniform font size.

2.    Be Grammatically Sane – Leave ‘SMS lingo’ to texting. It is a complete no-no in resumes and professional emails. As Gyanam puts it, “This is the document which is going to sell you; if you are not serious about it; there is little else you will be serious about in life.” Remember to make full use of spell check and grammar check available in most text editing software’s like Microsoft Word.

3.    Avoid Trivia – So, you stood first in 8^th standard? Interesting, for you and me maybe. But an employer really doesn't care. Neither do they care about your religion, caste or father’s name. Stick to talking about your academics, relevant extracurricular activities and achievements, like being the editor of your school magazine. Keep your resume succinct, to the point and no more than one page long.

4.    Watch that Email Address – We know it isn't easy to find an email address with only your name, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't upgrade from the account you made in seventh grade! Sending a work application with an email address that has words like ‘cutie’ or ‘stud’ just isn't acceptable. Remember, it is important to be appropriate on all fronts.

5.    The Objective Statement – “I would like to contribute to the best of my ability and leverage my knowledge….” – an objective statement like this is not going to make you stand out. Don’t bother with big words and jargon to sound professional. Be simple, straightforward and honest – limit your objective statement to 15 words. 

Remember – be appropriate and professional. Don’t exaggerate your achievements or diminish your weaknesses. Every employer likes an honest and enthusiastic candidate who is excited about the opportunity. That’s what you want your resume to reflect.