What Are the Signs of Bad Resumes?

Hundreds of resumes are read by the recruiters each day. This document represents the most pertinent information of an individual in the best possible way. With many applications for a job opening, the hiring manager must be able to identify appropriate candidates who could turn into employees for the company as well as recognize which resumes need to be discarded. It is important to filter out the bad resumes, or else it leads to recruiting of unwanted individuals. This adds to wastage of time and money for an organization. Hence, the recruiter should identify badly written resumes as it helps in shortlisting the probable candidates easily and thus scheduling their interview. The points below signify a bad resume.

• Complicated flow

The resume must have a proper chronological order which gives information about work history, educational background and achievements. Not having a right sequence only adds to confusion and makes it very difficult to read. An individual who has completed his/her studies and has previously worked in a company, must not include educational background as the first section of the document. Work experience which is relevant to the field must always be mentioned at the top. Starting with educational details even if you were previously employed in the same field demonstrates a lack of confidence and less enthusiasm for a job opening.

• Poor formatting

While writing a resume, one needs to stay updated regarding the current trends in resume writing and draft the document accordingly. A bad resume includes lengthy paragraphs and out-of-date sections. Such type of documents often contain different font styles in various colors and unwanted photographs, which make it difficult to read. Hiring managers who scrutinize the documents carefully can put the resumes in a 'no' pile for even small mistakes such as incorrect punctuation, poor page breaks and detailed information.

• Generic format

If a recruiter is forced to search the entire resume to locate your important points and relevant skills, it will create a bad impression. If you do not understand the job requirements and simply copy points that are available on the Internet to highlight yourself, it can reduce your chances of being scheduled for an interview. If the document is not tailored as per the job profile, it is unlikely that the hiring manager will reach out to you.

• Being overconfident

Even though, the ultimate purpose of your resume is to fix an interview with the prospective employer,, you must not exaggerate your achievements. Hence, while marketing yourself, it is necessary to stay grounded and not boast immensely. You should not include lines like 'I can bring positive changes for the company' or 'I will be an important contributor to the team's performance' in the document. These things are not something which you can determine in advance, but for the employer to decide.

• Lack of interest in the job profile

Not doing thorough research about a particular profile can lead to many errors in the resume. While grammatical errors and spelling mistakes can be a big let down to the recruiter, taking a job just because there is no other opportunity available can affect your performance later. You might be asked to fill a questionnaire before the interview. Answering these questions in a single word or limited sentences can depict how keen you are to take on the role.

• Avoid using multiple common phrases

As the number of applicants for every position is increasing owing to the competition, you need to use the right cliches in your document to stand out from the crowd. Including common words such as 'team player' or 'hard worker' do not convey why you are unique and best fit for the job to the prospective employer. For example, if you want to work in a technical field, write the key skills that are relevant to the job profile and include its previous experience.

• Frequent job changes

If you have done multiple job hopping and have tried different job profiles, then you might have different experiences under your belt. While this may demonstrate your flexibility to adapt to new role, it might also raise a doubt in the mind of the recruiter. Several questions such as whether the candidate was fired from previous jobs, or had to quit can pop up in his/her mind. Changing jobs frequently can reflect an individual as indecisive and make the recruiter question his/her loyalty in new organization.

Including personal information and irrelevant data can end your resume in the trash bin. Hence, it is of utmost importance to decide what should be included in the document. A badly written resume not only makes you lag behind in the competition but also obstructs your chances of securing a dream job.Thus to overcome this situation BSR plays a vital role with all it's informative guidance in drafting the resume .