5 Common Resume Formatting Mistakes - Tips to Create a Clear, Compelling Resume

By JM Auron

In today's competitive job market, job seekers are more concerned than ever before that their resumes will be read -- and get the critical call back. Unfortunately, common formatting errors can produce an unprofessional impression, and lead the Hiring Authority to dismiss your resume - before the resume has even been read.

Needless to say, a lot of resumes cross my desk in a week. I'd like to use that experience to point out a few common formatting issues that can make your resume look lower level, and ensure that your resume clearly represents what you've accomplished in your career.

1) Death by Bullets:

This is by far the most common formatting issue that I see.

The tendency to bullet everything is natural. But, remember the line from the great Pixar classic, The Incredibles - "If everyone is special, no one is." If everything on your resume is bulleted, nothing stands out - there's no simple, straightforward visual cue to separate duties and responsibilities from critical accomplishments.

So be sure to make the distinction clear. One simple solution is to use paragraphs for duties and responsibilities - and save the bullets for the core accomplishments.

2) Unwieldy Chunks of Text:

On the other end of the spectrum is the resume that reads like a detailed essays - no bullets, and long, dense, paragraphs that are difficult to navigate.
This is particularly common in resumes for highly-technical and engineering professionals. This resume presents the same challenges as "death by bullets" - the resume can't be easily navigated for critical information.

But, unfortunately, this formatting may look so forbidding that the Hiring Authority will put off reading it until later. Later, in the hiring process, often doesn't happen.

3) Wasting the First Page:

The first page of the resume is the most critical real estate in the document. It is absolutely critical that the first page is well utilized to demonstrate the unique value you provide to a prospective employer.

But, too often, the first page can be wasted with overly long keywords lists, education, and miscellaneous information best left for the end of the document.

Only lead with education if you're a new graduate, or if you're changing careers and recent education is your most critical selling point.

4) Highlighted Accomplishments:

"Cherry picking" accomplishments seems like a great idea - why not give the reader the highlights upfront?

But this approach has serious drawbacks for most careers. There's no context for achievements - cutting costs by 250% is a very different accomplishment in a Fortune 100 organization than in a startup, for example.

In addition, this strategy is primarily used if a job seeker - for whatever reason - has not delivered great achievements in recent positions. Hiring Authorities are, therefore, wary of this format.

5) Unclear Layout:

Finally, there's a broad range of cluttered, busy layouts. There's the view that this "unique" approach to formatting will get the resume the attention it deserves. Unfortunately, there is often the opposite result - by making the Hiring Authority work too hard to find the critical information, your resume may be "put off until later." As we've discussed, later often never happens.

Consider these common issues when you're writing your resume. A clean, clear resume is an excellent first step to presenting your career achievements. I'll discuss resume content and other resume issues in future articles.

My goal is to help technology's "best and brightest" take their careers to the next level.
As a technical resume authority and former recruiter, I am committed to crafting compelling resumes, cover letters, and other career documents that capture your career essentials, seize and hold the hiring authority's attention, and open the door for the 1st interview.
For more information, please contact me at http://www.quantumtechresumes.com.
Follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/QuanTechResume.

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