Your resume is your first impression, the first look that a potential employer gets at who you are and what you’ve done. When it comes to the structure of your resume, there are a few items that are standard at this point. Everyone knows to list their experience, any relevant education, as well as personal information like name and contact info. While the big stuff seems pretty cut and dry, a lot of people have minor areas of improvement in their resume that could be the difference maker when applying to your next position.

Common Resume Errors

A lot of resumes fall into the same few pitfalls. These common mistakes are easy to avoid once you’re aware of them, but it’s hard to dodge a trap you aren’t looking for. Here are a couple of the most common errors made today when people submit their resumes for consideration.

Submitting A Generic Resume

One of the most frequent—and costly—resume mistakes is submitting the same generic version for every job application. Tailoring your resume to each position is widely recognized as a best practice, but many job seekers dismiss it as unnecessary work. Some people argue that your resume has the same experience anyway, so what’s the point in changing it? In reality, customizing your resume is essential to stand out in today’s competitive job market. 

Ignoring Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

The reason it is so costly to submit a generic resume to every job is because of the rise of AI in hiring, specifically Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These systems look over your resume and spit out a score based on how relevant the AI thinks your resume is to the job listing. The AI looks for key terms in your resume, often based on what the job poster is looking for. Without tailoring your resume to the job, you won’t get a good ATS score, and in some cases that can be enough to lose the position.

Design Errors

Most often, people choose themes with vibrant colors, big titles, and a lot of dead space. These design choices create two main issues: available space and legibility. 

The first issue with big titles, headers, and a little sidebar of the same color is that you’ve removed a lot of the room you have to work with on your resume. This dead space means that you have less room for information, which means less of an opportunity to share all of that awesome experience you’ve worked so hard for. It also reduces space for additional sections like skills or achievements, information that could be the difference maker between you and another applicant. 

The second error that results from poor design is your resume's legibility. In this case, legibility isn’t talking about the reader’s ability to read, but rather their willingness. If the resume reviewer is bombarded by colors when they open your resume, they might skip past the details and only give it a cursory read. Likewise, if they open your resume and see a wall of text, their eyes will glaze over for fifteen seconds before they reject your application. You want to lay out the text in an appealing way, but you also want to make sure that your reader isn’t overwhelmed or off-put upon opening your resume.

Methods For Resume Improvement

Your resume is the hiring team's best look at you; it’s where they get most of their information and where they decide whether or not to offer you an interview. As such, it’s crucial to ensure that the hiring team is over the moon when they see your resume. 

While all of these tips will help you improve your resume, each will do it differently. Think of them less like the screws holding up a board and more like the screwdriver. These are tools you can use to enact improvement, but the improvement you make is unique to the individual.

Tailor Your Resume For Each Job Application

Each application you submit is for a different job or company. They all have different requirements and norms that they expect of prospective employees, even for the same role. One company might say that time management is key, while another may de-emphasize deadlines in favor of clear and frequent communication. These are the types of small differences that you can really take advantage of as an applicant. Highlight your experience as it pertains to the wants of the company. Talk about your proven experience with time management to one hiring team and focus on your time communicating as a leader with another.

Optimize Your Resume For ATS Systems

Another way to give yourself an edge is to optimize your resume with the right keywords. Look for specific phrases and skills in the job description, and ensure those keywords appear in your resume. Avoid using images, graphics, or unusual fonts that may confuse ATS. A straightforward, keyword-rich resume will increase your chances of getting noticed. If a company wants someone adaptable, make sure that word shows up on your resume. That way, any ATS you encounter will point out your resume as exactly what they’re looking for.

Streamline Design

The design of your resume is like the seasoning you put on your food while cooking. It’s an absolutely necessary part of the process, but you need to make sure you’re including the right amount. Too little, and your meal is bland. Too much, and your food becomes way too salty and you can’t eat it. 

The same holds true for a resume. A little bit of a touch-up on the design side is great, required even, but overdo it and you risk blowing your chances. The key to your resume is to balance the words with the design elements as an accent. 

You want to first prioritize the information that you need to convey. Relevant experience, highest level of education, notable achievements or skills. The core information is the priority. Once you have that in place, accent your resume with design elements like sidebars, colors, and even just spacing out sections differently. There are a million and a half resume templates to choose from, and almost all of them are great, but remember that when it comes to design less can often be more.

Check out our resume examples for junior, intermediate, and senior levels.

Partner With Premier

Working on your resume is just part of the process when it comes to finding the perfect opportunity. Between locating the opening, preparing for the interview, and getting your resume just right, there’s a lot to consider. 

At Premier, we’ve developed the best methods for getting people into their next opportunity. Our recruiters are experts at getting you through the door with as much preparation as you need. Learn more today about the ways we can help you land your next big gig!