A resume can be defined as a document that conveys a complete description of your career life to the recruiter. There are many cases in which a candidate is knowledgeable enough but is not able to get the job. One of the reasons can be the lack of an effective resume. Your resume scanning by the recruiters is the first thing done before you are called for the interview. Candidates commit many mistakes while drafting their resume. The most common mistakes in a resume are listed below:-

1. Spelling and grammatical errors-
The most common mistakes candidates make while preparing the resumes are grammar and spelling. One may overlook these mistakes as these may seem minor to them. But the fact is, the employer, do notice such mistakes as well. They want to recruit those candidates with good writing skills. Since writing skills usually help to expand business nowadays, the recruiters are looking for candidates with impressive writing skills. So, resume is the first thing they can use to judge your writing skills. Therefore, proofread your resume after drafting it and remove all the grammatical and spelling errors.

2. Incorrect or missing contact information-
We all know that the main purpose of a resume is to land you an interview. Always make sure that the information contained in your resume is correct and complete. Let us suppose that you have written an incorrect contact number in the resume. This makes difficult for the recruiters to contact you which ultimately leads to your disqualification. Therefore, cross-check your contact number, email id, and all the other information that you have provided in the resume.

3. Never use an unprofessional email address-

This is also a very common mistake which many candidates commit. They put unprofessional email in their resume like “rockstar.rohit..”. Your email id says a lot about you. The candidates having unprofessional emails are usually overlooked by the recruiters. Therefore, make a new email if you want to which looks professional.

4. Including outdated or irrelevant information-

If your resume contains information that looks outdated or irrelevant, then your resume is likely to go in the trash. Avoid including irrelevant information like age, marital status, etc on your resume. This type of information conveys that you do not know today’s resume writing standards. Therefore, unless stated otherwise don’t include such information.

5. An objective statement-

Objective statements on the resume include a summary that describes what type of job you are seeking. Although, nowadays including an objective on resume have become obsolete since the employer already knows that if you have applied for their job, then what kind of positions you are interested in.. Rather it is replaced by a summary of the candidates which describe their area of expertise, experience and the skills possessed by the candidate.

6. Unattractive or confusing formatting-

Recruiters usually take a few seconds to scan your resume and pass you along to the interview process. Therefore, always draft your resume in such a manner that seems clear and tidy to the recruiter. The formatting should  let them read and understand everything quickly. Stick to one format and use it throughout the resume. Using confusing layouts and stuffing information can frustrate them. This ultimately leads to your disqualification.

7. Resume length–

The length of your resume matters a lot. Since the recruiters don’t have much time to read your resume, therefore your resume should not be more than 3-page long. Your resume should be precise yet informative. Use only relevant information in your resume. Write more about what you think can help you in getting the job.

8. Listing duties instead of accomplishments-
The recruiters are not impressed by resumes that reveal the duties and responsibilities held by a candidate. Rather they are fascinated by those resumes which list the accomplishments of the candidate. Therefore replace the ‘duties and responsibilities held’ section of your resume with accomplishments. Your accomplishments should include successes, results, challenges overcome and problems solved. Try shaping your duties into descriptions of accomplishments that truly convey your qualifications for the job you are applying for.

9. Using single kind of resume to apply for different jobs-
Don’t think that one type of resume is sufficient to apply for all types of jobs. You should know how to customize your resume as per the job requirements. Let us suppose that you are looking for different types of jobs. So you make a resume and use it to apply for all the jobs. Then there are chances that your resume does not qualify for some job requirements. Therefore, your chances of getting disqualified increases. So, before applying for a job you must ensure whether your resume qualifies for the job requirements or not. If not, then customize it accordingly. Hence, proofreading your resume is the most important thing one should do before applying for a job.

10. Repetitive words or phrases used in a resume-
When recruiters come across the same words or phrases used again and again in a resume, it may seem redundant. They may perceive that you didn’t care enough to use a variety of words or phrases to list various things in the resume. Therefore, don’t use redundant words or phrases in your resume.