An interesting fact to be aware of is that employers receive, on average, 75 resumes for each open job position, according to a Career Builder study, with half of those candidates sending in resumes not being qualified enough. Employers don’t have time to pore over each resume by hand. That’s why a resume needs to be eye-catching right off the bat and fulfill the right criteria. The better a resume is, the more of a chance that there will be a job offer.
With secure qualifications comes a good resume to highlight those things, according to Business Insider. Resumes can be difficult, and having a template doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to know what you’re doing. It’s important to have proper formatting, core key words and phrases, and eye-popping references.
As a business that offers resume-writing services, you likely know the “big ones”, the main taboo topics for a resume. You already know that your clients’ resumes should be well-written, linguistically correct, and contain their work experience. But did you know that overly flashy resumes with pictures attached to them are the types of resumes that get thrown in the trash? Here’s a collection of some of the other lesser-known resume faux pas.
1. Blatant Lies
Don’t lie on a resume. It will be obvious, and if your candidate does get the job, it will come out later in the long run. It’s a waste of time for everyone involved: for the business being applied to, as they will inevitably learn that their candidate is not who they appear to be; for your candidate, who will either be rejected or receive an offer that they may or may not be qualified for; and for your business, working on a resume for a client who will inevitably not be a success for the company.
2. Irrelevant Work Experiences
Many resume writers are under the impression that all work experience should be included, so the prospective employer understands that the applicant has a long and varied work history. But if it has nothing to do with the job your candidate is going for, then don’t include it on their resume, or only give it a brief section (just so the employer understands that there was not an employment gap). The best thing to do is to include the most recent and relevant work experience. Having too much extra work experience on your resume can be detrimental, adding a lot of clutter to a whole bunch of words. If you think that it’s pertinent to the job that you’re applying for, then keep it on the resume. When it doubt, leave it out.
3. Unnecessary Information
A resume should be short and to-the-point, which prospective employers easily able to find the information that they’re looking for. As we said above, too much information will turn reading the resume into a slog, and will increase the likelihood that the candidate is rejected. Here’s some of the most common information that people include on resumes (that should definitely be left off):
- Personal Stuff. It’s never good to add personal information onto a resume. No marital status, no social security number, and no religious preferences need to be on there. The employer does not need to know all of these things: it’s actually illegal for employers to hold this information.
- Hobbies. Just like personal stuff, hobbies don’t need to be included on resume. It’s extra fluff that holds no importance to whether you can do the job or not. Long story short, it’s a waste of space and a waste of a company’s time.
- A Full Mailing Address. While this may have been needed back in the day, it’s not needed now. It’s one of the first things that you should cut from a resume.
- An Objective. If your client is applying, it’s clear that they want the position. An objective in 2018 is entirely not needed. However, if your client is making a drastic industry change, a quick and brief summary might be a good idea.
About World Wide Specialty Programs
For the last 50 years, World Wide Specialty Programs has dedicated itself to providing the optimal products and solutions for the staffing industry. As the only insurance firm to be an ASA commercial liability partner, we are committed to that partnership and committed to using our knowledge of the industry to provide staffing firms with the best possible coverage. For more information about Staffing Professional Liability Insurance or any other coverage, we have available to protect your staffing business, give us a call at (800) 245-9653 to speak with one of our representatives.