Hajra Naz
A recruiter just needs about 25 seconds to go through a resume and decide whether a candidate is desirable for the job or not. Resumes are often given a second look before an interview but the candidates that do not pass the initial test, never get a second look at their resumes. When recruiters initially judge a candidate’s resume, they are mostly in a rejection mode and are just looking for a reason to move on to the next candidate. This process is fast because there are something’s that make the rejection of a resume so quick.
The following are the key mistakes that land a resume in the rejection pile.
Forgetting to include the keywords:
The biggest mistake that is made while creating a resume is that the candidates often forget to include the keywords that are important for the applied job. For instance, if a recruiter is looking for an iOS Engineer but the candidate forgets to include it in the resume, then the resume falls directly into the junk pile.
A lot of text:
The resumes that are filled with long paragraphs are also sent to the rejection list. That’s because too much text offends the recruiter as they don’t have much time to read. They like resumes that have everything fit on one page,
Too many bullets:
Too many bullets also do not make a good impression as they create the same effect of big dense blocks of text. Bulleted points are supposed to draw the attention to most important points.
Inconsistent formatting:
The format of a resume is also very important and it should be the one that makes it easier for the hiring manager to scan it initially. Pick one format for the resume and stick with it and use the same format throughout.
Hard to read font:
For your resume, font matters a lot therefore always use a standard font such as Arial. Also, be careful of the font size you chose, it should be one that looks nice and is easy to read.
Spelling and grammar mistakes:
Spelling and grammar mistakes are considered serious mistakes and no matter how good your qualification and previous job experience is, your resume will land in the pile of junk. Also, install the Grammarly widget on your browser, it saves you from embarrassment.
A non-professional email address:
An email for work should always be a new and professional-looking email that can simply be made with your actual name. For example, if you use email addresses such as “hotstar@g…”, you are simply putting the recruiter off. Be wise, be professional, and use a professional email address.
