7 common mistakes that ruin résumés
From going crazy with ‘creative’ fonts and designs to omitting work samples, these common blunders can be the difference between getting you in the door or landing you in the trash.
Your résumé can secure or shatter your chances of landing a job interview.
I have reviewed hundreds of résumés during my 20-plus years in the PR and marketing business. There are seven mistakes I often see from new graduates and working professionals that are helpful to keep in mind the next time you update your résumé:
1. Not branding yourself. Create a compelling tagline and statement to quickly define your differentiators. Consider yourself a brand. Write something that describes what someone gets when they hire you, i.e., what your brand promise is.
2. Giving too much priority to education rather than work experience. Show me what you’ve accomplished first, then what you’ve studied and what letters you have after your name. (Also, if you earned at least a 3.4 GPA, be sure to mention it.)
3. Typos. A résumé is the first impression (next to your cover letter or email intro). Make it perfect; there should be no typos or misspellings. Print or read it aloud. Read it again from the bottom to the top. Have at least two other qualified people proof your résumé.
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