Why Jobs Aren't Calling You Back: 5 Common Resume Mistakes and How to Fix Them

We all know our phones can be annoying with all the app notifications, emails, and phone calls that happen in everyday life. However, nobody is ever happy when they’ve applied to several jobs and don’t hear anything back from potential employers.

It can be incredibly frustrating to continuously apply for jobs and, even if you have all the skills and expertise required, never get called for an interview. This doesn't have to continue to be your story - let’s dive into some of the most common resume mistakes candidates make when applying for jobs and explore how to correct them.

 
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Why Nobody’s Calling You Back
Your Resume Is Too Unorganized
Everybody loves a good monologue, but your resume shouldn’t read like one. One of the many mistakes people make is bogging down their resumes with irrelevant experience, too many words, or a haphazard structure that’s difficult to look at let alone read.

It’s a good idea to limit your experience to anything relevant to the position you’re applying for, saving the other skills for a different job role you may desire. Try to be concise, sticking to short sentences and emphasizing tasks and achievements related to the position. You should also use or create an organized, sectioned template – don’t freehand your resume!

Not Tailored to the Job
Many people assume they can make one resume and send it to every company they apply to, no matter the industry or job role. This, however, is untrue and often leads to candidates being passed over for positions they would excel in.

You don’t have to make a brand new resume for every job application you submit, but a good rule of thumb to follow is to have several different resumes focused on differing industries or roles. For example, someone looking for a job in hospitality or business administration should have a resume for all hospitality-oriented roles and another for all business or admin-oriented roles.

Missing A Professional Summary
While this may seem insignificant, a professional summary could be the difference between getting an interview or getting the boot. Don’t skip this section or give some vague quip about your career goals and aspirations – put thought and effort into it.

Your professional summary is an excellent way to capture the attention of potential employers and solidify your candidacy. Use this section to emphasize who you are as a person and as an employee, your accomplishments, and what you’re looking for in your next job role. Focus on the details most relevant to the specific company, and you’ll greatly improve your chances of hearing the phone ring.

Not Emphasizing Achievements
One thing I’ve noticed is that people love to list out their job duties and responsibilities, but these often don’t showcase how previous roles contribute to you as an asset for future companies. Employers are more interested in seeing what you’ve accomplished, so throw more of your achievements into the mix.

Whenever possible, quantify your achievements. Whether it’s cost savings, improving efficiency, or increasing revenue, use numbers to show the differences you’ve made in previous roles. You could turn a sentence like, “Managed a team and increased quarterly sales” into, “Led a team of 12 to achieve a 30% increase in sales revenue over a six-month period.”

Too Much Technical Emphasis
While the technical skills you have are crucial, it would be a big mistake to leave soft skills out of the picture. If your resume only highlights hard skills, you may not come off as well-rounded as you’d like to recruiters and other hiring professionals.

If you want to check all the boxes, make sure to highlight soft skills such as being a team player, communication, attention to detail, problem-solving, leadership, and more. Be sure to use examples of your soft skills as well when emphasizing achievements, giving you an instant leg-up on the competition.

Time to Stop Getting Overlooked
You don’t have to waste your time hopelessly applying to hundreds of companies; by fixing these common mistakes, it’s possible to snag a great job in as little as a few weeks. Remember, getting your resume ready is a significant portion of the battle when it comes to applying for jobs, so be sure to highlight your experience and skills in a way that is concise, memorable, and clear.

We only get one chance at a first impression, so take control of your career with a tailored, professional resume.