Bad Tips for Better Resume Writing
You're going to find a lot of different resume writing tips when you begin looking. It seems as if everyone has an opinion, including bloggers, resume writer professionals, productivity gurus and many others.
Some of the advice is good, the rest is better avoided.
This list of bad resume tips should be ignored.
Something to keep in mind: some of these writing tips may not be bad if the situation calls for it. Everything will be explained below.
Bad Tip 1. Use a one-page resume
If you have just entered into the career or graduated from college, this may be a good tip.
If your experience and skills will not fill more than a page, it is perfectly fine to reduce what you have to say to a single page.
On the other hand, if it takes work to reduce your skills and experience down to a single page, it may mean getting rid of a large piece of your employment history. You should think twice before doing this.
It is always beneficial to include relevant work experience when filling out a resume. If you have a long-lost, perhaps you can limit how much information is provided. Focus on a few bullet points for every position and try to showcase your experience and skills that make you seem like the most likely candidate for the job.
If you have a good selling point, never simply get rid of it to save space on the resume. It isn't necessary to tweak the resume, line spacing, font size and everything else to get it down to one page. If you have relevant information, you can extend beyond the first page.
Bad Tip 2. A cover letter isn't needed
This is perhaps one of the biggest pieces of bad advice we have heard; a cover letter isn't needed.
Not only is it needed, it is often required.
In addition, your cover letter will speak volumes about your motivation and enthusiasm for gaining the new position. When a nicely formatted and unique letter is provided for every job position, it lets them know you are not throwing your resume out to everyone in an effort to get a position.
Important information can also be clarified in the cover letter. This could include why a career change was made or a break from work occurred. One of the more important things that can work with the cover letter is to make the entire resume personable. The resume process tends to be impersonal and you are reduced to a number that is easily rejected. When a cover letter is well written and included, it helps you to stand out and moves your resume to the top of the stack.
Cover Letter Templates contains a wide variety of cover letters for different careers and occupations. And Zety.com presents some really cool resume samples.
Bad Tip 3. Don't include resume objectives
Some experts say that a sure way to sabotage your possibility for the position is to include a resume objective. More than likely, they are just saying that a bad resume objective can do some damage.
When a good resume objective is used, it can help to remind them of who you are and of your skill set. The recruiter will also know that the resume is in the right stack because they can see your intentions. When done properly, it can win them over.
One of the times in which a resume objective is especially important is when a career switch is being considered. Graduates who are looking for a job may also want to include it. A resume summary is an alternative option for those who are simply changing jobs.
The reader will look at the resume summary and they will know about your objectives and why you want to make a change. A summary, on the other, gives an overview of your work history.
Both a resume objective and summary can be beneficial, especially when an applicant tracking system is used in the recruitment process. It gives you the opportunity to pitch your experience and skills so the robots favor your resume. If you want to improve your resume, read widely and look at examples of great resumes. This guide to resume writing by Arielle Careers is a good start.
Bad Tip 4. Don't include hobbies
The hobby section is one that many people will tell you to skip. They may feel that it is a dated part of the resume, and appearing to be a human may be outdated.
Some people also consider a hobby section to be a waste.
The bottom line is, this section can be invaluable when applying for certain positions. There may be a work culture involved and the employer wants to know if your passions and interests match the overall culture of the office.
Of course, you should never embellish your hobby section and it should not be kept to general terms. If you want to say that you love books, then be specific about the type of books you enjoy. When they see books in the hobby section, they may not have a true picture of the last time you read a book or why you read it.
Travel and movies are fairly common and may not be a good fit for the hobby section. Think outside of the box and go with something less generic. It will give them a glimpse into your lifestyle and that may help in the overall hiring process.
Bad Tip 5. Don't include the soft skills
Some of the skills that are sometimes recommended you skip include multitasking, good communication, and professionalism. Almost anyone could include them on a resume.
Now that ATS (Applicant Tracking System) software is a part of resume reading, don't exclude those soft skills as being too obvious. The sorting software may not see you as being competent for the job.
In addition, recruiters will often look to soft skills as a way to help them shuffle the resume deck.
Now that you know the bad resume tips that should be avoided, you can tweak your resume to land the interview.
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