Resume Blunders

Errors in grammar are a leading cause of employers choosing another applicant. Photo by: Molly Maschka

By Molly Maschka

Picture this, in eight months or less, you are going to be graduating from college, celebrating the last moments with friends, and preparing yourself for that job you have been waiting for a callback from. Yet week after week you do no receive the call. Why? One particular reason could have been your resume.
A resume is a tool used to promote your skills, abilities, and accomplishments to an employer in purposes of obtaining an interview. Yet in today’s generation, the one mishap employers see in future employees is grammar mistakes.
“There are so many mistakes and blunders I have seen in resumes here at Waldorf,” says Mary Reisetter, Director of the Career Center. “There are just too many to count. Students don’t take the time to really go over their resumes.”
Rae Yost, an editor at the Forest City Summit, says another point about future employee resumes is they are too general, and not specific to the job process. “Some employees think since they are good at one requirement, they are good for the job,” said Yost. “You need to have a lot of experience in the field you want to go into after college.”
If you are still struggling to make that resume stronger, here are some tips to help you:
Take your time. Don’t rush on your resume just to get it to someone. Remember, you write about what you can do to benefit the business/organization; not what the business/organization can do for you.
Use applicable language and different keywords. One big detail professionals like to look for is how mature your resume sounds. Most of the time, business/organizations like to do an initial screening of resumes, so they can decide which hand grabs you for future possibilities.
Research the hiring process. If professionals want to see something or require a different version of your resume, follow the directions (professionals like people who follow directions).
Don’t be too vague. Address your resume directly to the person who will be performing your interview. “Don’t say, ‘To Whom it May Concerned, Sir, or Madam,” Reisetter said. “Those descriptions show you didn’t take the time to create your resume.”
Keep updating. As you grow throughout the school year, you will add more tools to your toolbox which can be added to your resume, so don’t forget to put them down.
Have your professors take a look at your resume. They could give you some tips on how to make your resume better.
And finally go see Mary Reisetter in the Career Center. She has everything to help you create that perfect resume, from packets on how to get started to internship/job opportunities. Just stop in and say hi.