You vie for an important position but make simple mistakes in the composition of resume.
Below is a brief list of mistakes that not only you but which many job seekers who consider themselves as smart, may make and which robs them off a potentially good position.
Grammatical mistakes
Spelling mistakes are most common errors in a resume. You can, however, manage that with auto spelling checking tools like Grammarly. But, AI of such programs has not evolved to that extent where they can always catch up with your verb mistakes or mixing the tenses and typing similar words with entirely different meanings like “effort” instead of “afford’. Sometimes you miss the apostrophe. It’s (sense of belonging) simply becomes its.
This type of errors portrays you in a poor light, especially when you are vying for a top job. How do you expect to make a favorable impression in the recruiter’s mind, when you submit such a carelessly documented resume?
Applying for a responsible post while your social profile shows up to be something different
The firm is searching for responsible people at its higher hierarchy. You draft your resume accordingly. But wait; do you want your resume to make a serious mark in the recruiter’s mind when your social profile presents you as someone fond of wild things of life? Fun once in a while is perfectly acceptable and encouraged by many firms.
However, when you project yourself as a person who believes in perpetual fun rather than his work, do you believe that the recruiters would think otherwise? Make sure to clean up your online presence and reflect yourself as a serious candidate who is capable to take the organization to the next level.
Format your resume as per the position you want to apply
Be specific in your description. If you are applying for a senior level executive post in online jobs, the company will search for someone who has already worked in that domain for a considerable period. He should have handled such type of jobs responsibly, and successfully executed them.
In short, for such a position, harping only your skills only is not enough. You have to show the results of your previous endeavors in this job.
In such cases, the resume should list the companies worked for, followed by the time period and type of specific jobs handled there.
What many smart job-seekers do is to create a functional resume, where they emphasize mainly on their skills, They forget that for senior level high paying jobs in any organization, the company looks for candidates having good exposure and experience in that job along with the skills.
Showing inconsistency in the Chronological part of the resume
When creating a Chronological resume, smart alecs sometime carelessly leave considerable time gaps between the listing of the successive jobs. They mention only the important ones, thinking them enough to impress the recruiter. However, the firm will view it differently. Too many gaps between each successive job are a red flag, raising concerns about consistency and seriousness of the candidate. No concern wants somebody who is brilliant in parts.
You only think of yourself when you go for the interview
You are highly skilled and have enough confidence. So, you walk-in the job interviews with an air of somebody, whom the company needs and not vice-versa. In the interview, all you talk is of your achievements, your strengths, and skills. Sorry Sir, unless you also show some knowledge about the company that you have applied for, you will come across a self-centered person, who may be highly skilled, but always places himself above the organization. The firm, in that case, would happily settle for somebody who may be a tad bit weaker (in terms of skill), but shows enough empathy towards the firm. It shows that he aligns his career objective with the company and will work for the company and be there in times its need.
Haggling too much over the pay prospects
Any company will reward you handsomely, once you have proved yourself fit for it and for a certain time frame, while working in the concern. Leave something on the table for the company, while discussing pay-checks and perks, to show that you care. Chances are that the firm would itself raise your scale once they are satisfied with your performance.
Sticking to a rigid stand over salary negotiations robs many smart-employee of a promising job, from where their career may have emerged much stronger.
Treating your recruiter with disdain
You may feel you have all the skills, and that is enough to make the recruitment officer biased towards you. But, this overconfidence causes many to behave rather brusquely with the person who is responsible for recruiting him. No wonder, the person in charge of hiring you will settle for somebody, who may be a tad less skilled, but has the required humility and malleability to score higher as a person with proper mentality to work as a team in the organization.
Conclusion
Have a word with a professional recruiter on how to draft your resume and on how to approach the interview for that particular opening. A little humility and consciousness about the organization you are applying for, along with your inherent strengths, would go a long way in placing yourself as the prime candidate for that enviable post.