• Home
  • Blog
    • Business Partner Magazine Archive
  • Resources
  • About Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Website Use
  • Contacts

Business Partner Magazine

Tips and advice for entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs

  • Business Success
  • Marketing
  • Finance
  • Employees
  • Technology
  • Start-up
  • Productivity
  • Communication

7 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Resume

September 10, 2021 by BPM Team

Click here to get this post in PDF

Too long to read? Enter your email to download this post as a PDF. We will also send you our best business tips every 2 weeks in our newsletter. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Enter your NameEnter your Email Address
Resume list near the laptop

Are you having trouble landing a job? If the answer is yes, chances are your abilities aren’t the problem — your resume is. It probably contains unforgivable mistakes which turn your job applications into missed opportunities. To increase your chances of getting the job, your resume should be spot on and mistake-free. Here are 7 mistakes you should avoid when writing a resume. 

Job-hopping 

While your parents might think working for the same company for decades is a sign of loyalty, Millennials would strongly disagree. A recent survey has shown that almost 64% of them prefers job-hopping. It allows them to move from job to job until they find what they are looking for. However, job-hoppers raise red flags with employers. The employer questions the candidate’s ability to commit to their role in the organization. If you are a job-hopper, too, you can emphasize the accomplishments you achieved and the competence and knowledge you gained in every role instead of the time spent in that specific role. 

Messy and Disorganized Format 

Fashion designers like to say less is more. Believe it or not, the same rule applies to your resume and its format. Recruiters don’t have time to dwell upon your resume. That is why you should forget all about long blocks of text and random information. When the information is scattered all around the paper it overwhelms the reader. Keep it simple and brief. Use short and concise paragraphs as well as bullet points to organize all the information. When writing the resume, keep the recruiter in mind. That way, you will make it easier for them to skim through the resume and get a picture of your abilities and background. If you need an idea on how to keep the format of your resume clean and neat, you can always check out the examples on https://resume-example.com/. 

Employment Gaps 

If you have employment gaps in your resume, don’t panic. The important thing is to explain those gaps because if you don’t, the employer or the HR manager can only assume you struggled to land a job for various reasons. One of those reasons could be poor work performance which mightn’t have been your case. On the other hand, you might have taken parental leave or some time off to graduate finally. Whatever it was, make sure to list it in the resume. When you share the reasons openly, you dispel any doubts your future employer might have regarding your unemployment. If you don’t, you might be eliminated in the first round or even asked about the gaps during your interview. 

Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation Errors

Most employers seek a candidate with a keen eye for details even if they don’t state it in the job ads. This quality will make you stand out from the rest of the candidates. Otherwise, spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors will make employers think you are lazy, careless, unbothered. What can they expect from a candidate in the future if their resume is full of such errors? If the candidate hasn’t taken the time nor the tools to proofread and double-check their resume, then how can they do their job right? Since your resume is your chance for a great first impression, don’t be lazy and edit the resume as many times as you need to bring it to perfection.

Missing Information 

Apart from spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors, what bothers employers the most is missing information. The very top of your resume must contain your contact information, such as your full name, address, email, and phone number. Sometimes, candidates decide to add a link to their website, portfolio, or LinkedIn profile, and that is acceptable. If something is missing from your resume’s heading, the employer will immediately notice it. That is why you should make sure none of the information is missing. Also, you shouldn’t add your photo if the employer doesn’t specify it nor the list of references. If the employer needs references, they will ask for them later in the hiring process.

Being Too Modest

When a recruiter looks at your resume, they focus on your potential to do the job. Many different factors show that potential such as your achievements. What have you accomplished in your previous roles? Increased profits, business and sales growth, expansion on other markets, etc., all serve to show how well you have put your knowledge and skills into practice and achieved outstanding business results.  This is the moment for you to moderately boast about what you bring to the table as a potential future employee. Employers want to see results above anything else in your resume. Keeping them to yourself and being too modest won’t get you the job you are applying for. 

Keeping it Too General 

No two positions or companies are alike. For this reason, you should always adjust your resume for every position you apply for. This way, you will be making sure the resume aligns with the job and position you are applying for. Also, the resume should prove you are the right fit both for the job and the corporate culture. In most cases, a general resume template is a deal-breaker for most recruiters. It simply shows you haven’t put any effort into tailoring it to suit the job requirements. In the best-case scenario, the recruiter ignores your application altogether; worst-case scenario — they blacklist you.  The choice is yours.

Landing a job is never easy, but it becomes impossible if you keep making the same mistakes in your resume. So when applying for the next job, keep in mind these 7 mistakes of resume writing, and your job application will be a successful one without a doubt.

You may also like: Tips to Write Powerful and Memorable Resumes

Image source: Unsplash.com

Filed Under: Employees, Featured Posts Tagged With: applicant, employees, Featured Article, Hiring, job search, writing

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Disclosure

We earn commissions if you shop through the links on this page.

Recent Posts

  • What is Correx Board Printing by Banner World?
  • What are Haemotologic Malignancies?
  • While AI makes writing code easier than ever, CodeAnt AI secures $2M to make it easy to review
  • What Are Plant Biology Reagents?
  • Testsigma announces autonomous testing capabilities – ushering in the era of agentic AI

Categories

Archives

Tags

Accounting bitcoin brand business growth business skills business success communication cryptocurrency Customer Service Data design Digital marketing ecommerce Efficiency employees Featured Article finance finances Health and Safety infographic insurance Investing investment legal legal services legal tips Management Marketing marketing strategy Outsourcing productivity property Real estate sales security SEO Social Media software starting a business startup Technology Trading Training website workplace

Innovation in Business MarTech Awards – Best SME Business Support Platform 2024 – UK

Innovation in Business MarTech Awards 2024 UK

CorporateLivewire: Innovation & Excellence Awards – Business Publication of the Year

CorporateLivewire: Innovation & Excellence Awards - Business Publication of the Year

Disclosure

We earn commissions if you shop through the links on this page.

Digital Marketing Agency

ReachMore Banner

Business Partner Magazine

Business Partner Magazine provides business tips for small business owners (SME). We are your business partner helping you on your road to business success.

Have a look around the site to discover a wealth of business-focused content.

Here’s to your business success!

Copyright © 2025 - Business Partner Magazine·

x