{"id":1769,"date":"2024-06-11T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/?p=1769"},"modified":"2024-06-17T01:17:31","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T01:17:31","slug":"recruiters-share-the-top-8-reasons-they-trash-resumes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/11\/recruiters-share-the-top-8-reasons-they-trash-resumes\/","title":{"rendered":"Recruiters Share the Top 8 Reasons They Trash Resumes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your resume has less than 30 seconds to stand out from the hundreds of other applicants. If successful, it has a 2% chance of getting an interview. You need to make it count.<\/p>\n

With the vast amount of resumes that recruiters have to sift through, they don\u2019t have the time to give each one the attention it deserves. Employers are looking for any excuse to weed out resumes and get the stack down to a manageable size. You won\u2019t be selected for an interview if they immediately spot any red flags.<\/p>\n

So, how can you ensure that your resume stands out from the rest and grabs the attention of the person reading it?<\/p>\n

We asked recruiters what makes them say \u201cno\u201d to a resume, and here\u2019s what they said.<\/p>\n

1. Typos and Grammatical Errors<\/h2>\n
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Image Credit: nikolaborovic88 via Depositphotos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mistakes like typos and grammatical errors are the first red flags that employers notice. It shows that you don\u2019t pay attention to detail<\/a> or care about your work. Employers may think that you won\u2019t do your job properly if you can\u2019t even take the time to proofread your resume.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey make an applicant appear sloppy and careless,\u201d says Kimberley Tyler-Smith of Resume Worded<\/a>. \u201cI don\u2019t expect perfection, but I expect people to care enough about their professional brand to make sure every word is spelled correctly and formatted correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Small mistakes are generally forgivable, but a resume full of errors sends the wrong message. Always use a spellchecker and get at least two people to proofread your resume and cover letter before applying.<\/p>\n

If you notice multiple typos or major mistakes after you\u2019ve submitted your resume, consider resending it. It may feel awkward, but it\u2019s the best way to ensure that the employer sees your qualifications, not your mistakes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. An Unprofessional Email Address<\/h2>\n
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Image Credit: voronaman via Depositphotos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When reviewing your resume, your email address is one of the first things a recruiter or hiring manager will see.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you want to be one of the 6-10<\/a> candidates interviewed for the job, don\u2019t use that cute or funny email address you created years ago as a teenager. It comes across as unprofessional and gives employers a reason to reject your application.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Create a free email address using your name or a variation of it. It\u2019s an easy way to make a positive and professional first impression and helps to keep your job search organized.<\/p>\n

On that same note, don\u2019t use your current work email to apply for another job. It suggests that you are applying for jobs on company time instead of outside of work, plus you run the risk of your current employer finding out you are looking for a new job.<\/p>\n

3. Employment Gaps<\/h2>\n
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Image Credit: Vadymvdrobot via Depositphotos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is common to have one or two employment gaps on your resume. Starting a family, traveling, or returning to school are a few valid reasons to take time off from work.<\/p>\n

\u201cIncreasingly, hiring managers are open to hearing a candidate\u2019s story regarding their work history and education. If you have the exact skills they are looking for, gaps in employment are not a deal breaker,\u201d says William Crawford Stonehouse III of Crawford Thomas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, multiple and large gaps are big red flags that recruiters will notice immediately. They imply that you are unreliable, not good at time management, or simply not interested in working. Employers will fear you will also quit this job when faced with pressure or challenges.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t put any doubt in their mind. If your resume has multiple gaps, include a brief but honest explanation in your cover letter. Tell them what you did while you were unemployed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to see an explanation,\u201d says Stacey Mallory of Altis Recruitment<\/a>. \u201cI always coach candidates to not leave anything unanswered in their resume.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you can, try to spin the gap in a positive light. For example, if you took time off to raise your children, you can talk about how that experience has made you more patient and a better communicator.<\/p>\n

Whatever you do, don\u2019t try to hide your employment gap. Potential employers will likely find out about it eventually, which will only make you look dishonest.<\/p>\n

4. Job Hopping<\/h2>\n
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With the rise of the gig economy and the decline of traditional 9-5 employment, more people are finding themselves job hopping. There are all kinds of reasons people look for a new job<\/a>, such as higher pay, better benefits, and flexible schedules.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMillennials and Gen Z are switching jobs more often than not,\u201d adds Stonehouse. \u201cFor better or for worse, this may be the new normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Be careful, though. Frequent job-hopping on your resume<\/a> is a red flag for employers. They see this as a sign that you lack commitment or are always looking for something better.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing wrong with taking advantage of new opportunities, but consider how they look. Employers don\u2019t want to invest in someone who frequently changes jobs without justification.<\/p>\n

\u201cManagers understand that people have to leave if the company can\u2019t offer an employee the growth opportunities they need to continue developing and moving forward in their career,\u201d says Mallory. \u201cWhether it\u2019s for professional growth, to change industries, or if it\u2019s a contract role, I don\u2019t see job hopping as a red flag as long as it\u2019s explainable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whatever your reason, be honest and explain how job-hopping has helped you grow and become a better employee.\u00a0<\/p>\n

5. Too Much Personal Information<\/h2>\n
\"Stressed
Image Credit: ArturVerkhovetskiy via Depositphotos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s smart to show a little personality on your resume, but too much personal information is a big red flag.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You only have a few seconds to show employers you can do the job. Don\u2019t waste them by including details that aren\u2019t relevant.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Highlight your experience, skills, and accomplishments, but don\u2019t tell your life story. Employers don\u2019t want to read about how you like to go camping or that you won a tennis tournament in high school. You will have the opportunity to let your personality shine through at the interview.<\/p>\n

It is also illegal for employers to ask<\/a> you about specific personal details, such as your marital status and religious beliefs, so don\u2019t bother adding them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

6. Obvious A.I.<\/h2>\n
\"manager
Image Credit: IgorVetushko via Depositphotos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Using A.I. tools like ChatGPT during your job search<\/a> can be useful. But even though this technology is new, it is very obvious to recruiters who have used A.I. to write their resume and cover letter and those who customize it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI look for clues about a candidate\u2019s communication skills and writing styles on their resume,\u201d says hiring manager Sarah Miller. \u201cA vague, robotic-sounding application doesn\u2019t tell me anything and can actually work against you.\u201d<\/p>\n

You are being judged at every stage of the hiring process. If a recruiter suspects that you simply asked A.I. to throw together a resume and cover letter for you, they will just throw it out. They may assume that you are lazy and will take shortcuts on the job, too.<\/p>\n

So, use A.I. as an assistant when applying for a job, not as a replacement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

7. Too Much Design<\/h2>\n
\"Graphic
Image Credit: simpson33 via Depositphotos.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The overall look of your resume is the first thing a recruiter sees, and it\u2019s hard to look past bad formatting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For example, a wall of text with no white space is incredibly hard to read, so a busy recruiter might not even bother trying. The same can be said for resumes with bad font choices. And things like graphics, pictures, and emojis look childish.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cA little design is a good way to not have a resume that looks like everyone else\u2019s,\u201d Miller adds, \u201cbut if I have to search for the applicant\u2019s job titles and skills, it becomes frustrating, and there\u2019s a good chance that I\u2019ll miss their top qualifications.\u201d<\/p>\n

8. Ranking Your Own Skills<\/h2>\n
\"HR
Image Credit: BiancoBlue via Depositphotos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Employers want to know what you are skilled at, but there is a right way \u2013 and a wrong way \u2013 to include your skills on your resume<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adding a list of skills with zero context isn\u2019t helpful, but ranking your skills is worse. What exactly does being \u201c4 out of 5 stars\u201d at MS Office mean? Or \u201chalf a circle\u201d fluent in Spanish?<\/p>\n

A hiring manager will not understand this, and neither will ATS screening software. It\u2019s just taking up space on your resume and leaves more questions than it answers.<\/p>\n

Instead, incorporate your skills throughout your resume. Use the bullet points to describe your work responsibilities and how your skills led to your various accomplishments. For example:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Efficiently managed office operations by coordinating schedules, organizing meetings, and handling communications; demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), excellent time management, strong interpersonal skills, and attention to detail<\/li>\n
  2. Operated and maintained heavy machinery, including forklifts and excavators, ensuring compliance with safety regulations; demonstrated skills in equipment repair, workplace safety, manual labor, and team collaboration to consistently meet project deadlines<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Don\u2019t Let Red Flags Ruin Your Career Path<\/h2>\n
    \"woman
    Image Credit: pressmaster via Depositphotos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Resumes aren\u2019t always fun to prepare, but they are necessary if you want a successful career. It\u2019s all about avoiding these red flags and making it easy for the reader to know exactly why they need to interview you for the job.<\/p>\n

    The Resume-Worthy Skills Employers Can\u2019t Ignore<\/h2>\n
    \"cheerful
    Image Credit: Milkos via Depositphotos.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    With hundreds of people applying for coveted positions, standing out in a competitive job market can feel impossible. So how can you ensure your resume doesn\u2019t get lost in the shuffle?<\/p>\n

    The answer lies in one word: skills.<\/p>\n

    From in-demand technical proficiencies to sought-after soft skills, we\u2019ve curated the definitive list of the top 25 skills that employers simply can\u2019t resist<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Free Resume Help<\/h2>\n
    \"college
    Image Credit: monkeybusiness via Depositphotos.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    There are endless amounts of resume tips and tricks out there \u2013 no wonder people are intimidated to write one on their own. But it\u2019s really not that difficult. If you are a good match for the role, making a strong resume will be a snap.<\/p>\n

    Developing a strong resume takes time, as it\u2019s unique to you and your experiences. That\u2019s why getting help with your resume is essential, especially if you\u2019ve been looking for a job for a while.<\/p>\n

    The good news is that there are plenty of free ways to get resume help<\/a>, whether you want to do it yourself with a little support or want more hands-on assistance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Your resume has less than 30 seconds to stand out from the hundreds of other applicants. If successful, it has a 2% chance of getting an interview. You need to make it count. With the vast amount of resumes that recruiters have to sift through, they don\u2019t have the time to give each one the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1771,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1769"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1769"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1769\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1777,"href":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1769\/revisions\/1777"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sittingapps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}