Are you among the 33% of job seekers who have unsuccessfully applied for at least five jobs, or among the 10% who have applied for more than 50 jobs without even getting a response? If so, it may be time to revise your résumé to see if it contains any of the killer phrases that would prompt most employers to toss it aside immediately. If you’ve said that you can work independently, are hardworking, can work well under pressure or are a good communicator, and you haven’t provided any evidence to justify such claims, your résumé is invariably trash-bound.
It isn’t just overused clichés that will ruin your job prospects, either. Needless spelling and grammar mistakes will eliminate you from a job automatically, as will a superfluous 10-page résumé, unnecessary use of clip art, an overly casual tone and a playful font that may be alright for a personalized birthday card but doesn’t belong on a résumé. It doesn’t matter how perfect a fit you might be for a vacancy if your application contains any of these flaws. Quite simply, you have to get your résumé perfect to even be considered for a job interview.
For some more crucial tips on constructing your résumé so that you’ll give yourself the chance you deserve at landing a job, have a read of this infographic created by Ayers (www.ayers.com.au).
