Avoiding Common Resume Mistakes - 英檢

Anyone who has heard me speak about graduate school applications knows that I

put a lot of emphasis on creating a fantastic resume/CV. The resume provides

the first impression that the applicant will make on the admissions committee

(or human resources personnel when applying for a job). Thus the writer must

seek to maximize the impact the resume will have on the reviewer. With this

in mind, here is a list of common mistakes that graduate school (and job)

applicants should keep in mind when crafting their resumes:



Crowded Information

The reviewer might only spend 30 seconds reading your resume the first time.

And the first time might be the last time. If the text is crowded and hard to

read the reviewer might miss critical information. If you are struggling to

fit your resume into one page it's time to find an editor!



Unappealing Formatting

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Unappealing,

inconsistent or sloppy formatting makes a strong statement about your work

quality and professionalism. A sloppy resume infers that you would produce

sloppy deliverables in the future.



A Simple List of Responsibilities

Perhaps the most common problem with resumes is that they often only contain

a simple list of responsibilities. It is necessary to briefly list your

responsibilities, but it is more critical to point out what you have achieved.

The reviewer will want to understand not only what you were responsible for,

but most importantly what you achieved when handling those tasks.



No Impact

Graduate school programs and employers are looking for individuals that have

made a positive impact on the organizations they were part of. If you made

an impact in the past, you are likely to make an impact in the future. Most

resumes give no indication of the impact the person had during their

experiences. Find a way to show that you made a difference at your job or in

other involvement.



Failure to Make Connections to the School/Employer

Most people use a "one size fits all" resume. However, to achieve the best

results the resume should be tailored to fit the target. Analyze the

graduate school program or employer and get a sense of the skills and types

of experiences they value. Then analyze your background and put extra emphasis

on the skills and experiences that are a good match. By doing this you will

market yourself to the school/employer in the best possible way.



We hope this list of resume tips are helpful! There are many more subtleties

to creating an effective resume. If you would like to ask resume-related

questions or understand our resume editing services, feel free to contact us

at [email protected]


David Johnston
transcendadmissions.com


--