With so many job seekers looking for employment, the competition is steep, and many hiring managers see hoards of resumes at a time. Presentation is everything, and those who put top-notch efforts into their resumes get prime attention, while others might see the bottom of the trash bin. To be sure your resume avoids demise, we asked Aisha Taylor, co-founder of TAYLORmade Career Consulting, to give a check list of top things that turn off prospective employers. See her tips here, and be sure to enter here to Win a Resume Makeover with TAYLORmade courtesy of BlackEnterprise.com.
Misspelled Words/Typos — The last thing that a potential employer wants to see is that you don’t care enough to use spell check and carefully proofread your resume. Evidence of your ability to pay close attention to detail is extremely important to employers.
Damaged Goods — It’s never OK to hand in a resume that has spills, rips, or looks like it’s been balled up in your front pocket. Always keep hard copies crisp and neat in a portfolio or folder.
The Art Project — Many professionals think that their resume is the best time to display their free spirit, artistic abilities, and winning smile. On the contrary, you should never include pictures of yourself, your family, or your cute dog on your resume.
Font Fiasco — Your resume isn’t the time to experiment with that cool font that you’ve always wanted to use. Calibri, Arial, Verdana, and Franklin Gothic Book are the best fonts to use on your resume. Consistency in font usage is also important. Try not to use more than two fonts on your resume.
The First Person — One of the biggest turnoffs to hiring managers is when job seekers speak in the first person. Never use the word “I†in your resume. If your name is on the top (as it should be), they’ll know who you’re talking about.
- For more job-seeking resources, look out for the rest of our Careers coverage this week in our Get Hired series.