We all know what resumes are. We all know how important it is to have a good resume and how much a bad one can mess your chances of getting your dream job. “98% of job seekers are eliminated at the initial resume screening and only the “Top 2%” of candidates make it to the interview”, says Robert Meier, President of Job Market Experts. To avoid letting these small mistakes from getting your dream job, you have to keep a few things in mind.

Mistake 1: Objective Statement

An objective statement is a short paragraph usually included at the top of a resume. A candidate uses this space to convey that, “Hey, why to waste your time on other resumes when I possess all the skills that you’ve been looking for?” It’s a well-written summary of where you’ve been so far in your career and where you aim to go.

But people often make common mistakes which backfires instead of helping them get the job. Let us see a few examples.

1. I want to work at ABC company for the XYX role.

It’s a no brainer that you submitted the resume because you wanted to apply for the role at that company. You are just wasting the space by quoting the obvious.

2. I am an experienced manager seeking a full-time position, I can apply my knowledge and skills to benefit the organization.

Did you notice where the problem lies? Don’t worry; there are many others like you who didn’t. The person, let’s call him ‘A,’ is telling the recruiter that based on his experience, he “can apply his knowledge and skills.” But it doesn’t make any sense, why do you have to mention it? The recruiter would just look over it and his mind would interpret it as “blah, blah, blah.” If you do get the job, you obviously will have to apply the skills to get the job done.

3. I want to explore the infinite possibilities in the analytics field.

You say that you want to “explore the infinite possibilities in the analytics field.” Are you sure you are ready for the job? Because once you get the job. It is going to be all work. It is not a school field trip where you get to explore new possibilities. You will be given responsibilities, and you will be paid to get the job done and not to “explore” while at the job.

4. I am interested in learning Data Science and Machine Learning required for solving business problems through computer simulation.

Hold on, are you serious? You want to learn Data Science and Machine Learning after you get the job? Why would the recruiters even consider you when they have hundreds of other capable applicants who, like any regular candidate, learned the basics before getting the job. Do you want to learn? Why don’t you do an online course, or get coaching or maybe join a college, complete your studies, and then apply for the job? A company needs qualified personnel. They haven’t opened an educational institution to teach you and then pay you for it.

5. I am “A”, I work as a XYZ, and I can do ABC work efficiently.

It’s good that you are at a particular position in your firm, involved in so and so work. What is the recruiter supposed to do with this information? It is a complete waste to use up this space just to talk about yourself. How is this information supposed to help you get the job or make your resume stand out from the rest?

Mistake 2: Personal Information

The ‘Personal Information’ section of your resume is an opportunity to introduce yourself to a recruiter. If you write the basics wrong at this stage, you can say goodbye to the chances of landing an interview. You begin with your name at the top of the resume. What follows is what might be a problem.

1. Mentioning your parents’ names or your marital status

The recruiter isn’t going to send a card adressed to your parents, skip that information maybe. The same goes for your marital status. It is a recruiter and not your next-door aunty who is interested in knowing whether you are single or married.

2. Your Address

The recruiter is not interested in knowing where you live, more so attaching “Hari Om Niwas” in front of your address is even more unnecessary. Unless you are living in Antilia, White House. or Buckingham Palace, just don’t mention it.

3. Hobbies

What you do in your leisure time least concerns the recruiter. The company will select you based on your professional skills and not on the fact that you love traveling, singing, playing basketball, cooking, or reading. Keep your interests to yourself unless you don’t have other more relevant things to mention.

Mistake 3: Skills

Skills can either make or break your resume. Skills can be the expertise you develop to perform a task or a job or your natural talent. Life skills help you deal with daily tasks in all areas of life while job skills allow you to perform specific work duties. Let us focus on the skills you should avoid mentioning in your CV.

1. I possess working knowledge of the Office suite.

Office suite would include a large collection of softwares, browse the whole list before you mention it. Also, if the job you are applying requires just basic understanding of word or excel, it is best advised to skip mentioning it in your resume altogether.

2. Using Digital Technologies to improve efficiency.

What do you mean by it? If Chandler Bing, from F.R.I.E.N.D.S. would have been in the recruiter’s place, I could imagine him say, “Could this skill BE any more vague?” How exactly is this even a skill? Just HOW?

3. Proficiency in English and Hindi.

Okay, I can try to make sense of why you mentioned English. But it seems like you are working too hard. Isn’t the whole CV written in English? Isn’t it proof enough for the recruiter to know that you are proficient in English? But why the need to mention Hindi? We live in a world where English is the second most spoken language, how is the employer going to benefit from your Hindi proficiency? No, they don’t need you to write a “Sanjay Leela Bhansaali” level movie. Mention something that could count as a skill, don’t write anything just for the sake of it. It’s like you are saying, “Yeah, I can TALK.”

4. Hardworking and Focused

Had you been hardworking and focused as you have mentioned in your resume, you would have actually focused on what a resume needs and worked hard to actually find the right skill to put on your CV. Sorry, but it seems like instead of working hard, you are hardly working to put in the effort needed to get the job.

These are some of the examples that could be deal-breakers and could keep you from getting the job you so desperately want.

If you have been making these mistakes too, you need not worry. AI Monks presents to you our Resume Building packages at affordable prices. We can help you rectify any blunders that have been holding you back from getting your dream job.

We have helped thousands of candidates land a job with a careful, customized and focused CVs. We believe we can help you too. We care about your needs. Reach out to AI Monks at info@aimonks.com today to move a step forward towards getting that dream job.

Read the second part of the series – 6 Resume Mistakes That Could Make Or Break Your Career – Part 2