Regardless of your seniority and work experience, they might come a time when you’ll need to create or update your resume to apply for new job opportunities.
If you need general tips on writing a resume that is relevant in this day and age, here are some resume writing mistakes you should avoid to secure your next interviews.
Common Resume Writing Mistakes to Avoid in Writing
1. Not Utilising ‘Above The Fold’ Section correctly
Job seekers usually have 7.4 seconds on average to make an impression on recruiters. To quickly obtain the hiring managers’ attention and land a good impression, the “Above The Fold” section is extremely crucial.
Candidates usually fail to produce these items on the top half of their resume:
- A professional photo – Do not use a selfie or a group photo!
- The Contact Information section
- Resume objective – similar to your 30-second elevator pitch
If you make this resume writing mistake, you’d face difficulty in landing your dream jobs in Malaysia. You must quickly summarise your experience and highlight your relevant skills for the role you’re applying for.
2. Incomplete Contact Information
Job seekers must include their contact information in their resumes. It helps to fill up your resume page and it is also crucial to ensure that the contact information is complete and accurate.
Incomplete contact information signals to the employer that you did not proofread your resume beforehand. Or worse, maybe you didn’t want them to contact you after the interview?
Either way, if you can’t provide complete and accurate contact information, you’re destroying any hopes of landing your dream job by appearing careless and unserious.
3. Using the Wrong Resume Format
Choosing the right resume format is an important step in setting the foundation of your resume. Here are some reminders on when to avoid different resume formats:
a. Chronological Resume
This format is most suitable for jobs in the same/similar industry. If you are looking to change careers, or have inconsistent job experience, we’d recommend using a functional or combination resume instead.
b. Functional Resume
Ultimately, some industries such as Accounting and Engineering would prefer the chronological format. In this case, a resume focusing on skills may not be effective. If you have a mixture of some experience and skills, you should consider the combination format.
The combination format is an all-rounder format that is able to cater for general job applications. Be sure to select the most suitable resume format before writing your resume.
4. Not Quantifying Your Job Scopes
It’s extremely common to come across a resume writing mistake where candidates only outline their duties and responsibilities without quantifying them.
These resumes are not only boring, but they are also ineffective in convincing your potential employers that you are the most suitable candidate for them.
You’ll need to highlight your experience with solid numbers if you want to stand out from hundreds of other candidates.
Here are some examples of how to upgrade your work experience:
- “Purchased products and equipment for a total of 5 departments, accurately recorded purchased and reduced reconciliation discrepancies by 40%.”
- “Handled on average 50 customer service calls per day, reduced waiting time by 20% and improved customer satisfaction by 15% in a year.”
5. Using Informal Words & Phrases
A resume should not be boring, but when it comes to securing your next meal, being professional is a must.
We often see candidates using funny or even inappropriate email addresses, jeopardise their professionalism. A hospital employer wouldn’t want to hire a doctor with the email address “deathisgood@gmail.com”. You get the point.
What about hobbies and interests? Do not include irrelevant and sloppy words such as “Sleeping” and “Eating”. These little mistakes could negatively affect your professionalism.
6. Not Proofreading Your Resume
The main idea of proofreading resumes is to correct and/or remove grammatical and spelling errors in your resume.
If there are spelling errors in your resume, particularly in your contact information section, these basic mistakes may result in losing your dream job.
Imagine applying for your dream job, going through tough interview questions and never hearing back from the company because you’ve misspelt your email address or added an additional number to your mobile number.
Regardless of your seniority and experience, proofreading remains an essential step when writing a resume.
7. Poor Readability
As employers have minimal time to go through resumes, readability is important. Some common mistakes include:
- Content being too lengthy
- Full of irrelevant information
- Paragraph-style writing instead of using bullet points
- Not using power words
- Not using a clean and professional font
Resumes should be simple and easy to read so keep them short and brief. Your content should be straightforward. Try to read your resume from an employer’s perspective – is it easy enough to read, while being attractive to secure your interview opportunities?
8. Over-extending Resume for Your Expected Salary
We often see candidates putting too much emphasis on money when creating their resumes. If your resume is already getting full, do not create a separate resume page just to elaborate on your expected salary. Remember to steer the focus away from money at first.
Utilise your resume to showcase your energy and why you are the perfect person for the role. Once you’ve reached the confirmation stage, you will possess a higher bargaining power when it comes to your salary package.
Closing Remarks
Once you have understood the resume writing mistakes by following the tips above, you are well on your way to creating a comprehensive resume for jobs in Malaysia.
Need more help with your upcoming interviews? The Job Majestic blog and Youtube channel have got you covered with our extensive library of career and interview tips. Ace your job interviews today!
