8 mistakes NOT to make on your resume

Your resume can make all the difference in whether you gain an interview for that job you want, it is an essential tool in your job hunt and one which you should spend a great deal of time on when preparing and when writing. Your resume should show you in the best possible light and there are certain things which you should not include on it and these are:

1) Don’t share everything – you always want to show yourself in the best possible light you so you should always avoid any mistakes you have made in the past, particularly those when you first started work so you shouldn’t include these on your resume. These shouldn’t be mentioned unless of course the interviewer asks you a direct question relating to them which you cannot avoid. If this is the case then try to turn it into a more positive thing by showing what you learned from your mistake.

2) Don’t reveal your age outright – a sad fact is that age does sometimes count against you; this could be because the employer is looking for a younger person or they want an older person with more experience. Unless the position specifically states that the position is more suited to a person with experience or a younger person then don’t give any indication of your age on your resume.

3) Don’t include a huge list of hobbies and interests – while you can include some interests and hobbies particularly those which might help your situation, for example if you are a computer buff and the position relates to IT but you shouldn’t get carried away and list everything you are interested in.

4) Tailor objectives to meet the company – you should make your resume personal, don’t just use one single resume if you are looking for work in any field, tailor your resume to match the requirements to those the company is looking for.

5) Only list your most recent positions – if when you first started work you flitted from job to job then don’t list them all, the employer could see this as a sign that you lack commitment to stay with a company.

6) Don’t include any information that could be seen as controversial – an example of this is sexual preference, religious beliefs or your political beliefs.

7) Don’t go into great detail regarding your high school achievements – listing everything you did in school is pointless, particularly if you went on to higher education, most potential employers wont be interested in what you did when you were in school.

8 ) Don’t brag – while you should show yourself in the best possible light you don’t want to come across as being big headed, by all means you should include and skills, awards, achievements and certificates you have gained but state them factually and don’t brag about them.