It's not the end of the world if your résumé has an error or two in it. After all, to err is human, right?
No, it's not the end of the world... it's just that it may ruin your chances at getting the job. Think about it: why would someone hire you and give you the opportunity to make more of the same kind of errors when it is so easy to go on to the next person's résumé?
To stay in the race, take a look at six errors that recruiters come across the most often in résumés (and how to fix them):
Grammatical Errors
Your syntax, spelling, and punctuation must be impeccable. This may be the hardest part for you to fix, because you have probably read your résumé so many times that you don't see those details anymore. In the eyes of a recruiter, however, you come across as someone with a lack of attention to details.
Solution: Have a third party proofread your résumé.
The Length
According to Laszlo Bock, Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google, who has looked through tens of thousands of résumés, "a three or four or ten page resume simply won't get read closely." We'll be slightly more generous than him: many recruiters say your résumé can be up to three pages long. Beyond that, you have to pare it down!
Solution: Emphasize the highlights of your career and focus on your last ten to 15 years of experience.
Formatting
It's great that you want to make your résumé look as artistic as possible, but you may be making it more illegible than appealing.
Solution: Keep your margins at least half an inch, even spacing, at least a ten-point font, and black text on a white background, please!
Revealing Confidential Information
If you reveal confidential information about your former employer, the recruiter will take this as a sure sign that you will do the same when you leave your next job.
Solution: Ask yourself if you would be willing to have your former employer look over your résumé. If you'd be hesitant to do so, you need to remove anything that might raise red flags.
False Modesty
Don't forget that you are competing with dozens or even hundreds of other candidates, so set aside the modesty that might just be shooting yourself in the foot.
Solution: Don't hesitate to emphasize your accomplishments and provide details. For example, rather than: "I was promoted as a result of my success in sales," write: "I became Associate Director after having contributed to a 27% increase in sales."
Lies
Avoiding false modesty doesn't mean boasting to the point of falsifying your information. Anything you write can easily be verified by a quick glance on Facebook, LinkedIn, or a background check with a former employer or school. Be careful what you write.
Solution: Don't lie. Couldn't be simpler, could it?
