Career Center Corner
Frequent resumé mistakes
Kylie Evans
Issue date: 4/13/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Despite your extensive job experience, motivation, and of course, your sparkling personality, a sloppy resumé can kill your opportunity to secure the job of your dreams. Virginia Tech's Career Services Center offers a quick reference guide for the most frequent resumé mistakes students make.
Mistake #1: Listing a personal website or e-mail address which is unprofessional or contains inappropriate content.
* Correction: Create a basic e-mail account as you begin to apply for jobs, such as janedoe@yahoo.com
Mistake #2: Using a font which is too small.
* Correction: Do not use a font smaller than size 10, and be sure to select a basic font which is easy to read, such as Times New Roman.
Mistake #3: Very wide margins with content squeezed in the middle
* Correction: Your margins should be no smaller than .5" and no more than 1." If your resumé has too much white space, it appears to be empty and lacking in content.
Mistake #4: Long, wordy descriptions of your job experiences
* Correction: You do not need complete sentences in your resumé. Use understandable, concise phrases which clearly explain what your jobs entailed.
Mistake #5: Typos
* Your resumé is typically the first impression an employer will have of you, and the assumption is that if you make simple mistakes on the resumé, you will be equally sloppy in the workplace. Triple-check your resumé and have a friend review it for typos as well.
It's never too early to begin working on your resumé! Stop by the Career Center in 210 Shouvlin for assistance in creating a resumé, editing and proofreading your current resumé, or advice on other career-related matters.
Mistake #1: Listing a personal website or e-mail address which is unprofessional or contains inappropriate content.
* Correction: Create a basic e-mail account as you begin to apply for jobs, such as janedoe@yahoo.com
Mistake #2: Using a font which is too small.
* Correction: Do not use a font smaller than size 10, and be sure to select a basic font which is easy to read, such as Times New Roman.
Mistake #3: Very wide margins with content squeezed in the middle
* Correction: Your margins should be no smaller than .5" and no more than 1." If your resumé has too much white space, it appears to be empty and lacking in content.
Mistake #4: Long, wordy descriptions of your job experiences
* Correction: You do not need complete sentences in your resumé. Use understandable, concise phrases which clearly explain what your jobs entailed.
Mistake #5: Typos
* Your resumé is typically the first impression an employer will have of you, and the assumption is that if you make simple mistakes on the resumé, you will be equally sloppy in the workplace. Triple-check your resumé and have a friend review it for typos as well.
It's never too early to begin working on your resumé! Stop by the Career Center in 210 Shouvlin for assistance in creating a resumé, editing and proofreading your current resumé, or advice on other career-related matters.