YSK the most common mistakes to avoid when writing a résumé.

Hiring managers hate resumes that are too self-centered - however, that doesn't mean "be modest". In fact, it's just the opposite. You still want to make yourself look like to best candidate for the position, and in order to do that, it's better to focus on the needs of the business rather than yourself.

When writing a resume, think of it less along the lines of, "this is what I'm looking for", and more "this is what I can do for you".

You'll be surprised at how simple changes in sentence structure, and focusing on action verbs instead of pronouns like "me", "he", "we", can completely change the tone of the resume. You'll be surprised how well this works. (source[1] , plus some other tips I didn't include).

 

Common Mistake #1: Assuming that you can apply for every job with the same resume.

Correct. Companies use application tracking software to filter the most relevant resumes. You can read more herehttp://rezi.io/2015/06/applicant-tracking-systems-what-they-mean-for-you/

I think you can. In fact, I know you can, because that's how I've got all my jobs over the last 10 years. I keep my cv up to date, tweaking it monthly, but I've never altered it to make it more attractive for a role. I let my skills, experience, and projects speak for themselves.

Works well for me, but I get tailoring your cv for roles if you're looking to change fields or don't have much experience. But constant tailoring can lead to exaggeration, and you'll just shoot yourself in the foot eventually.

Want some resume tips?

1) Don't put an objective. Everyone's objectives are the same (to get a paid job where they'll pay me for my skillset), and instead do a 3 bulletpoint summary where you spoonfeed a hiring manager three reasons you're a good candidate for the job. Years experience in a field, areas in the field you touched, metrics, etc. The stuff the hiring manager is gonna say "hey yeah well green tie sounded really great because of X".

2) Bulletpoints are accomplishments. There's merit to everything you do at work. You don't want to simply state "I do this", because no shit. Avoid anything "successfully" too, since you wouldn't put it on your resume if you weren't successful. Metrics, scale of work, aggressive timelines, lots of participating departments, level of detail required to perform task etc are all accomplishments. Figure out why you kicked ass at your job, and state that stuff. The rest you can talk about during your interview if you want.

3) Always write a cover letter. Do not google how to write a cover letter, because if you template this you're wasting your only opportunity to make a connection with a hiring manager before they decide to interview you. You want to be as professional as the role requires, but more importantly you want to sound sincere. My format is always three paragraph, second paragraph is 3-4 bullet points -- how i found the job/why I'm applying, why I'm qualified for the job (feed off the job posting requirements to fufill this -- if they want a team player, say I have great team skills as shown in position X because I did Y), and finally why you think you will do a good job. You do NOT want this to be boring to read. Be sincere, own flaws (if you had a lower GPA, you can talk about it say because you were a commuter and had less time to study but why they shouldn't be concern, or if you have a lack of experience in the field say something like "while my recent jobs don't have direct experience in this field, I think I will be able to perform the job well because of X"). If you are robotic, you are wasting everyone's time with this, because subconsciously you're already positioning yourself for the job and they don't even know it.

4) If you do get the interview, the hiring manager thinks you're at least qualified enough for the job. The most important thing to do in an interview is make a friend with whoever controls hiring. They want to see how well you'll work with them, and if you are buddies by the time you leave, they'll be even more inclined to pick you.

Put some thought into your cover letter. I was reviewing applicants for a position (desk job), and received two applications with identical cover letters (except for the name).

I was baffled for a bit, then Googled "cover letter [position]." Sure enough, top result.

• ALWAYS have someone else look over your resume. I can't tell you how many times I have found errors; most recently we were interviewing a copywriter and she had four errors on her resume. An ex of mine had under his objective "I have a gig on Mondays so I am only looking for two to three shits a week." He sent that to 20 bars with no success before I went over his resume with him.
• Leave off "References available upon request" type lines, it's understood that you will provide them so it's a waste of space.
• PDF is best in most situations so you don't lose formatting. Just make sure you check your links. Microsoft Word has a bug when converting, so you have to use a site like freepdfconvert.com. /u/Fineus[1]  made a good point below, the exception is recruiting agencies since they often modify the resumes. Send them both a doc and pdf.
• You don't need to put everything and the kitchen sink on your resume. As I've gotten older I've dropped my oldest jobs off my resume or reduced them to whatever my most interesting accomplishments were. Sometimes there are no bullets if the job is only there to avoid having a gap.
• Don't get cute unless you really know what you are doing. My ex put under a barista job "One of ten people in Seattle making coffee in the year 2000." Uhhh, what?
• If someone tells you they are good at resumes, ask to see their resume and then decide for yourself before seeking their help. The above copywriter told me she got in to copy because she "loved to write and [she] always helped friends out with their resumes." Her resume was so bad that I am terrified for her friends.
• When designing your resume, think to yourself "How can I make the most interesting/compelling/relative items stand out?" The reader may only spend 15s on your resume, you don't want them wasting precious time on anything but the juicy bits.
• Be consistent! Always use past tense unless you are currently doing the job. Use consistent punctuation styles throughout.
• Double and triple check your contact info.
• Update your resume whenever you accomplish something you feel proud of at work. You may not remember it if you wait until you find a new job.
• Email yourself job postings when you apply for the job. That way you can reference it later when writing your resume.
• Always read the full job description. Some companies like to be tricky and request something unusual to make sure you read the whole thing. My friend's company won't hire you if you didn't include your top ten list of songs.
• If you are a software engineer, link to your Git repo. If you don't have a Git repo, learn git and make yourself a repo for christsakes.
• www.askamanager.org[2] is the best place to go if you have any questions. I've messaged her a question about representing contract work on my resume and she answered it on her blog the very next day.

Writing a resume is really difficult, especially if it's for yourself. One of my hobbies is helping out friends with resumes and cover letters, and I've found that I can provide the most assistance not by writing it for them but by asking them the right questions. It's really easy to take for granted the work you do every day. Find someone great at interviewing or asking questions, and have them ask you who/what/why/how type questions. Collaboratively we've turned resumes for bakery stocking, waitressing at Denny's, and bartending in to considerably more compelling pieces.

One tip I've always thought was good was to name your resume your name, rather than just "resume." It helps it stand out and be found easily when the HR person is going through dozens of others.

I do name + position applied for. "Sarah Smith - Software Engineer"

I just had a friend who is quite gifted in marketing and communications help me re-draft my resume and he filled it with personal pronouns. I even have a section called "why I'm right for your organization". I would really appreciate some opinions on this.

Personally, I feel that it helps you stand out from the crowd, in all the right ways. I HATE seeing a generic objective wasting valuable space, and would love to see that space filled with something more unique and meaningful.

Is it an atypical resume in other ways? If it's designed to stand out and the execution is flawless, it could work, but I would never recommend that. "Why I'm Right for your Organization" should really be addressed in the cover letter, not your resume. Bullets should all start with action words and address achievements.

"Increased company revenue 15% by..."
"Supervised team of 10..."

Protip: Don't ever give yourself a grade on a certain skill. The one thing my office mocks most is when someone says they are a 10/10 in Excel or other various software applications. Whenever we ask someone or see on a resume that they're a "10" in something, we immediately discredit their application.

It's basically a big warning sign to an employer that you think you're better than everyone else in something or that you're full of yourself. You should always have room for improvement.