AVOID THESE RESUME MISTAKES TO CLINCH THAT JOB

If you want to pass that test, you need to have some solid qualifications — and the perfect résumé to highlight them.

Here are some things you should never include on your résumé.

 

1. An objective.

If you applied, it's already obvious you want the job.
The exception: If you're in a unique situation, such as changing industries completely, it may be useful to include a brief summary.

2. Irrelevant work experiences.

Yes, you might have been the "king of making milkshakes" at the restaurant you worked for in high school. But unless you are planning on redeeming that title, it is time to get rid of all that clutter.
But as Alyssa Gelbard, career expert and founder of career-consulting firm Résumé Strategists, points out: Past work experience that might not appear to be directly relevant to the job at hand might show another dimension, depth, ability, or skill that actually is relevant or applicable.
Only include this experience if it really showcases additional skills that can translate to the position you're applying for.

3. Personal stuff.

Don't include your marital status, religious preference, or Social Security number.
This might have been the standard in the past, but all of this information is now illegal for your employer to ask from you, so there's no need to include it.

4. Your hobbies.

Nobody cares.
If it's not relevant to the job you're applying for, it's a waste of space and a waste of the company's time.

5. Blatant lies.

A CareerBuilder survey asked 2,000 hiring managers for memorable résumé mistakes, and blatant lies were a popular choice. One candidate claimed to be the former CEO of the company to which he was applying, another claimed to be a Nobel Prize winner, and one more claimed he attended a college that didn't exist.
Rosemary Haefner, chief human-resources officer at CareerBuilder, says these lies may be "misguided attempts to compensate for lacking 100% of the qualifications specified in the job posting."
But Haefner says candidates should concentrate on the skills they can offer, rather than the skills they can't offer.
"Hiring managers are more forgiving than job seekers may think," Haefner explains. "About 42% of employers surveyed said they would consider a candidate who met only three out of five key qualifications for a specific role."

6. Your age.

If you don't want to be discriminated against for a position because of your age, it's time to remove your graduation date, says Catherine Jewell, author of "New Résumé, New Career."
Another surprising way your résumé could give away your age: double spaces after a period.

7. Too much text.

When you use a 0.5-inch margin and eight-point font in an effort to get everything to fit on one page, this is an "epic fail," says J.T. O'Donnell, a career and workplace expert.

She recommends lots of white space and no more than a 0.8 margin.

8. Time off.

If you took time off to travel or raise a family, Gelbard doesn't recommend including that information on your résumé. "In some countries, it is acceptable to include this information, especially travel, but it is not appropriate to include that in the body of a résumé in the US."

9. References.

If your employers want to speak to your references, they'll ask you. Also, it's better if you have a chance to tell your references ahead of time that a future employer might be calling.
If you write "references upon request" at the bottom of your résumé, you're merely wasting a valuable line, career coach Eli Amdur says.

10. Inconsistent formatting.

The format of your résumé is just as important as its content, says Amanda Augustine, a career-advice expert and spokesperson for TopRésumé and a career consultant for Amanda Augustine LLC.
She says the best format is the format that will make it easiest for the hiring manager to scan your résumé and still be able to pick out your key qualifications and career goals.
Once you pick a format, stick with it. If you write the day, month, and year for one date, then use that same format throughout the rest of the résumé.

                                                                                                                               to be continued