Resume writing is simultaneously one of the most important yet difficult writing principles. To make the resume writing process more effective, our professional resume writing team shared five resume writing mistakes that you need to avoid in 2018 to successfully master the art of resume writing.
Focusing on job duties and not results
Your resume is your chance to show what you have learned and what you have accomplished throughout your career. Do not simply list out your daily responsibilities. Our professional resume writers often come across resumes that merely list out tasks that the client has completed, rather than demonstrating the true impact they have had. In doing this, you miss a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the impact you have had in your career.
Not including keywords
One of the most commonly forgotten resume writing best practices is including strategic keywords to ensure that your resume is Search Engine Optimized. By including industry and position specific keywords, you increase the likelihood of your resume being retrieved by Applicant Tracking Systems that many hiring managers now use to find candidates.
Not using the best format for you
Our professional resume writers are often asked about how to mitigate the effects of gaps in employment history. One resume writing best practice to account for such gaps is to utilize a functional resume format. Our professional resume writing team uses this format when gaps are apparent, as it provides a detailed account of your professional experiences as the focus on the resume, followed by the career history. This underutilized resume writing tip allows the focus to be on what you have achieved, rather than any gaps.
Not having an effective word count
One common resume writing mistake is to write a resume using too many (or too few) words. The optimum word count that our professional writing team recommends is 400 words per page. This provides enough information to be effective while preventing hiring managers from deciding not to read your resume due to a high word count.
Including a picture
Including a picture of yourself on your resume is one of the most detrimental yet common resume writing errors one can make. Our professional resume writers would advise you to not include a picture, as it may invite bias and draw attention away from your professional achievements and accomplishments.