I admit it's been a while since I updated my resume. So I understand things have changed over the years. That's why I'm giving you some tips I recently learned on TikTok of all places from a professional recruiter.
Once you take out a few of these items from your resume, I think it will make you look a lot more prepared for the future. Check these out, and I hope you find them helpful.
So obviously, she has seen her share of resumes from all sorts of people. But somehow, she keeps seeing these resume mistakes over and over again. That's why she decided to talk about them on TikTok.
First of all, she says that you don't need to include your whole address on your resume. I pretty much assumed this was the norm. But according to her, all you really need is the city and state. Who knew, huh?
Were you always advised to write this? Well, apparently, it's so 1970, lol. These days you don't need it. Did you know that? So why is that? According to experts, an objective statement on a resume is redundant, self-centered, and old-fashioned. You're better off replacing it with a summary statement, a skills list, or nothing.
Some people make the mistake of listing everything in their work history. It's a mistake. You should only be listing jobs that are relevant to the position you're applying for now. Otherwise, your resume will be way too long and not as useful. Aha!
You absolutely need those. So instead of saying things like "I helped to do this and that," you should be phrasing it differently. Ditch the passive language and use active verbs like streamlined, managed, implemented, improved, strategized, increased, produced, and generated.
Do you still say "References available upon request"? That's an outdated practice too. I already took this off of my resume. Why? It's because companies will ask for references if they want, regardless of having this statement on a person's resume. So there's no need for it.
Another recruiter pointed out that there's no need to include graduation dates. If you have a degree, that's all that matters. By including this information, you're opening yourself up to a potential age bias. Oh, wow!
If you still list Microsoft as part of your skills — don't. It's pretty much assumed that anybody seeking a job should have basic computer skills. So it's best to leave that off your resume.
Another thing that recruiters don't like is inconsistent formatting. It makes your resume look too messy, so clean it up and keep it simple.
Oh, and makes sure you include some keywords pertaining to the job at hand. Both ATS (application tracking systems) and human recruiters look for these.
Did you find them useful? It's always a good idea to look over your resume from time to time and make changes according to recent trends. It will help you in the long run, especially if you're frequently re-entering the job market. Do you agree with me?
