4 Major Resume Mistakes You’re Making Right Now

4 Major Resume Mistakes You’re Making Right Now

4 Major Resume Mistakes You’re Making Right Now

4 Major Resume Mistakes You’re Making Right Now
Last Updated: February 20, 20242.9 min readCategories: Business & IT Leadership, IT Staff Augmentation
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4 Major Resume Mistakes You’re Making Right Now

Here at QAT Global, we review many resumes: making edits, correcting mistakes, and formatting the documents to maximize each candidate’s opportunity for success. During the process, we have come across a number of common errors being made by all types of candidates, so we decided to share them with everyone to give you the opportunity to correct them in your own resume. Here are four major mistakes candidates make, how to fix them, and direction for getting that coveted first interview.

Targeting

The first or several resume mistakes candidates make is not targeting their resume to the position for which they are applying. As recruiters, we are listing the skills and functions of the position we are seeking talent for. Ensure you have sections in your resume which are directly related to the skills listed in the job posting.  If “web services” is mentioned in the requirements and you have experience with a project utilizing web services, there should be details about this project listed on your resume. Sell yourself as the perfect candidate by matching your experience with the list of required attributes and experience in the job description.

Core Technologies

The second mistake candidates make is not listing core technologies for each previous project you worked on or past position you held.  Most resumes have a general skills section which is important to include. However, listing a “Technologies Utilized” section for each substantial project or employer lets the reviewer know which specific skills you used on a particular project for what amount of time. Details are important. They allow the reviewer to have a better sense of your depth of experience with specific technologies. Don’t skimp on the details and miss your opportunity to properly show off all of your talents and experience that make you the perfect hire.

Rating Oneself

Another, not quite as common mistake, is to rate oneself in the technologies included. Stating you are a top-level expert on a number of technologies in your resume may be met negatively by reviewers. Let the reviewer form their own opinion to maximize your chances of landing an interview.  Otherwise, you could be removing yourself from the interview prematurely. Be confident, but stay professional, and avoid negative attention or any phrases that may elicit a challenge to see just how much of an “expert” you really are.

Basic Errors

The last resume mistake we see too frequently, which is very avoidable, are typographical errors and dates missing or not matching.  Employers may be searching for someone to write complex code, and careless mistakes as simple as these make you come across as unobservant and ultimately less qualified for the position. When reviewing resumes, we catch typographical miscues on all types of job applications ranging from entry-level all the way up to IT Directors.  Review your resume, print it out, get a second set of eyes on it, and then review it again before hitting send.

Do any of these mistakes look familiar? No worries! Make these simple edits to your resume and instantly become a more desirable and sought-after candidate for every position for which you apply. We hope you enjoyed our list of major resume mistakes to watch out for and found them useful in cleaning up your resume and taking the first step toward new employment.

Don’t forget to share our list with your friends, colleagues, and on social media!

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