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5 RESUME MISTAKES THAT MAKE YOU LOOK DUMB
Before you get invited for an interview, employers and recruiters look at your resume to see if you are a good enough candidate for the job to be worth their time. If your resume does not look good, you do not look good. Even if you are qualified, a silly mistake on your resume can kill your chances.
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hink of your resume as your 60 second audition in front of a judge on one of those reality TV talent shows. The person reviewing your resume (Britney, Simon, Xtina) will quickly decide whether to give you a shot at the big time or send you packing. So the golden rule is: Make a good first impression, and don't look dumb! You can do this by avoiding common mistakes on your resume, the kind that we see even great candidates making. Remember, you only have a few seconds to either make a good first impression or to make a really bad one.
In general, try to keep your resume to 1-2 pages in length. Recent graduates should aim to stick to one page while more experienced candidates can get away with using more space. However, Even if you've been working for many years, you should try to keep your resume to 2 pages if possible. There are exceptions: CVs for academic positions and some other roles tend to be longer and more detailed.
5. Lies truths
half-
If you lie on your resume, you're taking a big risk. First of all, you're very likely to get busted during the background and reference checks. Even if you get lucky and make it through the hiring process, dishonesty on your resume can get you fired down the road even if you've been doing a great job.
1. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors A grammar error or misspelling can stand out like a sore thumb and tell the employer that you're careless. Luckily, these mistakes are easily avoidable. Spell check, but do not rely on spell check to do all of the work for you. Take the extra time to reread your resume several times or have an English major friend look it over for you. It's easy to miss even big, embarrassing mistakes when you've been looking at your resume for too long. Your eyes see what you
and
6. Contact information meant to type instead of what's really there. An objective reader can make a big difference in helping you catch spelling and grammar problems as well as many of the other mistakes listed in this post.
2. Sloppy formatting and fonts You want your resume to stand out, but there is such a thing as standing out in a bad way. You may think it's creative to use 6 different fonts and colors, but that kind of creativity tends
to just look clumsy. Avoid too many font types and steer clear of font sizes that are too big or too small.
3. Just plain ugly Your resume is meant to be a marketing do cument -
an introduction that will get you in the door for an interview. This isn't the time to "think outside the box" and design a glossy, hot pink, legal-sized resume with clip art and glitter. There are better ways to demonstrate your creativity. Also, avoid
using weird colors, weird formats or weird paper stock. Your resume should be simple and elegant. Go minimalist and let the words speak for themselves.
4. Too short or too long
This may sound silly, but it happens more often you might think: people forget to update their resumes to include their most recent contact information.If you've moved or changed phone numbers, make sure that your phone number, address and e-mail information is up to date.
IS DATING A CO-WORKER A DO OR DON'T? Y
ou spend most of your waking hours at work. You rarely get out for lunch, never mind dinner. You'd like to meet that special someone, but you just don't know where to look. Suddenly, Cupid shoots his arrow, and it hits the person in the next office. Your heart starts beating faster, and blood rushes to your head. Out with all reason - love is in the air! Stop. Sure, meetings will be more fun. You already have lots in common. But how often do office romances work?
Romance vs. Reality Unfortunately, this is not a tale by the Brothers Grimm, so you can't count on a happy ending. You can rail against the unfairness of it all, but think of it this way: If life were
fair, you wouldn't be in this dilemma, and the arrow would have pierced the heart of someone nice who works for the company across the street. If you're smart, you will deal with the real world and anticipate plenty of bloodshed before this tale concludes. One of you may need to leave the job if things don't work out. If things do work out, one of you may have to go, because it's against company policy to date fellow employees.
One Promotion Later... Let's say you become involved with someone in your department, and you receive a promotion. Now you're in a relationship with your subordinate. This opens up the possibility of blackmail. And what hap-
pens when it comes to conducting reviews and disciplining your honey? You get the picture.
Play It Cool Still thinking of dating a coworker? Better start popping extra vitamins and heighten your sense of discretion. You'll need a lot of energy and concentrated effort to keep your office romance just between the two of you. And when coworkers eventually find out, you may be the subject of ridicule and suspicion: ● "I can't believe he's going out with her." ● "Of course he got the raise. Look who he's dating." If you want people to focus on your professional abilities, don't give them reasons to fuel the rumor mill.
HOW TO GET A JOB THROUGH A COMPANY YOU GOT FIRED FROM A
fter being fired, you need to go the extra mile to get your old job back and plead your case convincingly to be reconsidered for employment. You might have to take another job just to get back into the company and work your way up to the job you previously held. In addition to proving that you've become a better employee, stress your respect for the company's philosophy and mission.
Rehire Policy Contact the human resources department for the company you were fired from and ask about the rehire policy. Ask the HR staff member to check your file to determine if you're eligible to rehired. Confirm your dates of employment; some company policies permit terminated employees to reapply 90 days after their employment ended.
Resume
Update your resume and qualifications. Add skills you've acquired since you left the company, especially if they are skills you should have had during the first time you were employed there. If you've been working since you left the company, make copies of your performance appraisals that demonstrate that the quality of your work and your attendance have improved. Obtain letters of recommendations from colleagues and supervisors, if possible.
Interview During your interview, reiterate your interest in coming back to work for the company. Share your performance records from job you've held since your termination to show improvement. Explain that you understand why you were terminated and that you want an opportunity to prove that you can be a
better employee. If a significant amount of time passed since your termination, tell the interviewer that you've matured since that time. Give examples that illustrate how you've improved, such as recent attendance records. Tell the interviewer that your termination was the wake-up call you needed to improve your work ethic.
Negotiation
If you're not making your case to be re-employed, negotiate with the recruiter. Offer to work for a trial or probationary period if the company doesn't already have such a policy. Promise that your performance and attendance will exceed the company's expectations during the probationary period and beyond. Alternatively, ask to be hired for any job with the company so you can prove yourself and eventually be promoted to a position better suited for your skill set.