One typo could mean the difference between a job-landing interview and a rejection email. Regardless of your qualifications, for many hiring managers, these small resume mistakes are instant dealbreakers. You can cross your fingers that they’ll skim over the error, or take the time to double-check before submitting. While the more obvious issues like grammar should be perfected, there are some other things that may not appear so glaring.
Here are some of the less-obvious mistakes to look out for:
Walls of text
Bullet points are your best friend. You want to highlight your career hallmarks visually, and the format lends itself to a series of easy connections between the job description and your experience. While keeping the information you provide minimal, you can also use this opportunity to put the most job-relevant information at the top. You’re going to want to avoid paragraphs and walls of text. Remember, your resume should be skimmable.
Personal info
The hiring manager doesn’t need to know your age. They don’t need details on why you hate your former employer, your current salary, unexceptional academic results or details on short-term gigs. Minimalism is the name of the game when it comes to resumes.
Sometimes, you may want to add a line about a relevant hobby or interest… one that pertains to the job. But most of the time, if you’re questioning whether or not you should include it, you should just leave it out. They’re going to ask more questions about your personal life when it comes time to interview.
Buzzwords
You may have been taught that keywords are important to make it past initial screenings. Many companies use applicant tracking software to weed out unqualified candidates and for this reason, it’s important to include them. However, it is possible to have too many keywords.
It’s easy to slip into the habit of relying on clichés. While you should find creative words to concisely detail what you do – avoid the eye-roll-worthy content. Here is a list of buzzwords to avoid.
Unspecific details
Your resume is not supposed to be a copy-and-paste version of your job description. Employers want to know what impact you specifically made. Don’t just tell them you managed the food and beverage department. Tell them how many people you managed and how much revenue the restaurant brought in. Make everything quantifiable and measurable. Not only is it more attention-grabbing, but it validates your expertise.
Headshots
This may not be an instant dealbreaker, but it’s certainly unnecessary. Even if you have a good headshot, leave it for LinkedIn. If you’re in the hospitality industry, it’s unlikely that you’re looking for a modeling gig. The best judgment call is usually to leave it off.
Generalized resume
There is a middle-ground between overstuffing with keywords and putting out an untailored resume. If you’re applying to varying roles within hospitality, minor tweaks need to be made in order to cater to the role you’re applying to. When you apply through a recruiter, they will often let you know what modifications to make.
Overly elaborate design
Simple, clean resume templates are easy to find. Although it’s tempting to go with an attention-grabbing layout, the focus should always be on the content. Take advantage of whitespace. You want your resume to be as easy to skim as possible.
Excessive pages
Once you have over seven years of experience under your belt, it’s much harder to shorten your accomplishments. Regardless, it’s best to keep your resume under 2 pages. There’s no way to completely capture years of experience, but you can ensure the highlights are showcased by not oversaturating with excessive text.
An “objective statement.”
Instead, use a professional summary in the section below your name in lieu of an objective statement. Write up a couple of sentences that mirror an elevator pitch.
Are you having problems finding the ideal opportunity to showcase your skills and talent in the hospitality industry? Did you know Joseph David International is one of the top hotel recruiters in the country? As such, we have opportunities with companies around the country looking for candidates just like you! For more information about our candidate services or to see current opportunities available, click here.