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The DON'Ts of creating a resume, and what you should do instead.

Resumes are a critical part of getting the job that you want and entering the professional workforce. They are usually an employer’s first impression of you, so you should strive to draft the best resume you can. It is important that your resume is organized and embodies professionalism.

Here at Career Services we receive hundreds of resumes every semester; most are strong professional resumes, but we’ve seen some pretty scary ones too. So, to help you present yourselves to employers in the most professional way, and to celebrate Halloween, we’ve created a list of “Scary” resume tactics that you absolutely need to avoid at all costs:

Don’t use a template

We’ll say it again- don’t use a template, whether it be from Microsoft Word or a design site like Canva. Templates are the scourge of the resume world. We know they are flashier, easier to use, and make you feel like you stand out, BUT, they usually end up doing more harm than good, and they are not professional. Often times we have to tell a student to redo their resume when they are submitted like this. On top of that, they are usually harder for students to make changes to. The formatting options are limited when you choose a premade template. If you need  formatting inspiration, you can scan over the ones here at our Career Services page to get a feel for how you could do your resume. All resumes do not have to look the same, and there are still ways to stand out without using templates.

Don’t make your name size 70 font

You may read this and laugh, but we’re serious. We cannot tell you how many times employers get resumes that have a HUGE name at the very top that takes up too much space. Not only is it distracting, but it’s also completely unnecessary. More often than not, you are going to want to have that extra space to include more Experiences or Skills, so reduce the font size.

Don’t include colors

Many times people include colors because they want their resume to stand out. We can guarantee you that solid work experience will stand out far more than making your resume lime green. The reason we caution against colors is because sometimes the online services that receive resumes cannot process color, or end up distorting the color when printed. We want your resume to look as good as it can, and there aren’t many ways you can mess up black and white; it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Don’t put all of your information into paragraphs

Nothing is harder than trying to wade through paragraphs of information. When employers are looking at resumes they are quickly scanning them and trying to get to the point. If you do not present your experience in a neat, orderly way, such as by utilizing bullet points, then employers will usually pass over your resume. Try to include 2-3 bullet points for each piece of experience. Bullet points are your best friend, but they can also ruin a resume if used incorrectly, like what we’re about to share in number 5…

Don’t compile all of your information into one long list

We have received resumes that are literally just bulleted lists of every single thing someone has done since they were in the 3rd grade. Break your resume up into sections, like Education, Experience, Activities/Awards, Skills, etc. This is another organizational tactic to make it easier for employers to read and find the information they’re looking for. Include what is relevant for the job you are applying for. Being the captain of your middle school soccer team is not as important to companies as your current leadership roles and activities at UAH.

These are just a few of the horrors we hear about from employers and have seen in Career Services. We are more than happy to edit your resume through Charger Path or meet with you in person to discuss it more in depth. Again, we want to be an asset to you as you create the best resume for the jobs you want.

Happy Halloween