5 Silly Resume Mistakes That Cost You The Job

By Sean Weinberg

Everyone has had that "Oh, shoot!" moment. Whether it was when you dropped that carton of eggs or forgot the index cards with your wedding vows on them, all you can even think or say is "Oh, shoot!"

Your job search probably has a few of those moments sprinkled throughout as well. We're all human, which means we sometimes make some silly mistakes, from our interviews to our resumes.

The only thing we can do about it is to learn from our mistakes.

Check out these five silly resume mistakes that can cost you the job:

1. You sent it in late.

Keep this in mind: over 60 percent of jobs are filled through referrals. That means, even if you apply the minute a job is posted, it could already be late. So, exercise your networking muscles frequently and, when you do apply to a job posting, make sure it's submitted within three days.

2. You typo-ed ... bad.

Typos are hilarious, especially when they happen to other people. While some employers will let the occasional typo go by, misspelled names or grammatically incorrect sentences can make even the most accepting HR manager toss your resume. You're not important enough to let that second proofread go by.

3. You left it generic.

Sure, it's a whole heck of a lot easier when your resume is broad instead of tailored. You can send it out to a dozen companies and they won't know the difference, right? Wrong. When the average hiring manager has a mountain of resumes on their desk and in their email inbox, the obviously generic, "To whom it may concern" applications get tossed first. The employer wants to know that you're genuinely interested in working for them, not just anyone.

4. You forgot to attach it to the email.

This tip was recently included in another article the RezScore team wrote and it was by far the crowd favorite. We've all sent an email or two without the necessary attachment and felt adequately stupid for doing it. While handy email platforms like Gmail will happily remind you to attach, it's not a surefire system. Attach your resume first, write the email, and then include the email address.

5. You felt that one page wasn't enough.

Your mom taught you that you're important and worthwhile, but to a hiring manager, all you are in the first stages of the hiring process is a piece of paper. If you're more than one page, then you're too much work. While the one-page rule can be bent from time to time, only published and extremely experienced folks (astronauts and Dr. House, M.D. come to mind) have earned the right to a two-, three-, or four-page resume. Keep it short, keep it simple.

What do you think? What other silly resume mistakes do job seekers make all the time? Have you ever fallen victim to a silly resume mistake? Tell your story!

Sean Weinberg is the COO and co-founder of RezScore, a free web application that reads, analyzes, and grades resumes -- instantly. Also the founder of Freedom Resumes, Sean has dedicated his career to helping job seekers write the best possible resumes. You can connect with Sean and the RezScore team on Facebook and Twitter.

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