Even perfect resumes—perfect in format and content—can fail to gain you the interviews you hoped for. Here are the four biggest reasons why resumes go wrong:
- You are targeting the wrong job. As I’ve mentioned often, one-size-fits-all resumes (or generic resumes) have no value in the marketplace. Employers want to know that you understand and meet their specific requirements. Your resume may be perfect, but it has to match the jobs that are out there.
- You are hiding or creating confusion over your qualifications. Professional resume writers know how to emphasize your most important qualifications or transferrable skills rather than merely hoping that the hiring manager or recruiter will find and recognize them. Professional resume writers also know that not all qualifications are equally important to all potential employers.
- You submitted the resume late or to the wrong department or with the wrong subject line or in the wrong file format. All of these details—timing, recipient, subject line, file format—are important, and the company will usually make them clear in the job posting or ad. For example, many companies refuse to open emails from applicants with .pdf attachments. If you aren’t sure, contact the company to find out what they prefer.
- You are too trendy. Infographic or video resumes might make a good impression in some industries; in others, it will annoy the hiring managers, confuse the applicant tracking system, and lead your resume straight to the circular file. The same goes for social media. Mention your social media if it is professional and relates to the industry/field you are interested in. If it doesn’t, you should consider revising or even shutting down the sites at least until your job search is over.
At Robin’s Resumes®, our goal is to give you a resume that targets the right job and that clearly and concisely shows why you deserve an interview. Contact us today.