Avoid The Worst Resume Mistakes

Job hunters are obsessed with their resumes. They often spend hours working on their resume only to become frustrated as they submit dozens of resumes without a single job interview. Read the Job Description Read, and then reread the job description. Study it. What are the key words and phrases used to describe the position? What does the employer want? Compare these with your work accomplishments, education and experience. Which of your credentials fit the job description? Which are unrelated? Shorten Your Resume Remove experience and qualifications that have nothing to do with the job. Make it easy for employers to find the credentials and talents they need. It is difficult finding the skills the employer needs the most. Use the job description as a guide and list the most valuable skills first. Cut the Unrelated Job History If a past job is unrelated then keep that short. Don’t go into detail explaining a set of skills that your prospective employer doesn’t care about. Avoid a Cookie Cutter Resume Show your potential and talents, even if it means that your resume is doesn’t fit the restaurant industry resume templates. There are several ways to do this. Example, typically a Candidate would explain their strong people skills, and 10 years of management experience. Take a short workshop or course on positive people management and list i as part of a career development strategy to strengthen your current skills. Tell a Great Story When writing your resume don’t write a technical document, write a story. A resume shouldn’t be a list of facts and skills relevant to a job. Let your resume tell the employer about those intangibles that can’t be listed on a resume. Let your words reveal your behaviors, priorities, and passions. Let them see who you are as a person. Don’t be afraid to tell the employer what you learned from your failures, especially if they are relevant to the story behind the job description. Read your resume out loud. Practice presenting your skills and talents. Learn to articulate and market yourself. The more you practice, the better you’ll present yourself in the job interview. Focus on the Employer Why is the employer looking for a new manager? What happened that made them word the job description the way they did? What do they need? What do they fear? The potential employer is your audience. If you tell a good story they will want an interview to continue hearing your story. The job market is full of people with similar skills to yours. No Candidate is unique. It is hard to stand out from a pack when dozens of people graduate from the same business courses each year, and apply for the same jobs. It is difficult to stand out from the crowd when most managers complete the same tasks, and handle the same problems, every day. Avoiding these common mistakes will help make you a talented professional who can market yourself effectively.