Reasons Why Your Resume Wound Up In the Trash

You can't get a job offer if no one ever sees your resume. And, unfortunately, your resume may constantly end up in the trash folder. If you want eyes on your resume and hope to receive a phone call, you need to understand what motivates hiring managers to pass over resumes. All

of the following reasons could be why your resume isn't getting you any phone calls.

You Lack Customization

If you have a resume that's not customized for a position, you won't get any callbacks. An employer wants to know that you care enough to read the job listing and customize your resume for a position.

A generic resume also fails to highlight why an employer should hire you. By making a few small edits to your skills and achievements, you can showcase why you're the best applicant for the job.

You Made Errors

Everyone makes mistakes, but you don't need to show a hiring manager that you're prone to making mistakes. If you can't take the time to check over the spelling or grammar in your resume, can you be trusted to deal with professional interactions?

Before you submit your resume, check it over carefully. Run it through your favorite grammar and spell check program, and then take the time to read it with your own eyes.

You Don't List Transferable Skills

If you don't include any transferable skills on your resume, an employer might be quick to delete your resume. Be sure to include at least a few transferable skills from previous employers.

When you include your skills, don't just say what you did. Use specific numbers when possible because concrete examples of your skills make all the difference.

You Left Out Extra-Curriculars

While writing a resume, you might have a hard time deciding what to include. In an effort to edit down your document, you probably leave out a few extra-curricular activities. However, these activities could be valuable.

You want your resume to be relevant to the position, but that sometimes means thinking outside of the box. For example, you may have volunteered with a youth shelter. In addition to showing your dedication to the community, your volunteering also helped you develop leadership and communication skills. If you don't include the experience on your resume, the hiring manager will never know about it. In fact, your lack of extracurriculars could make you seem like a poor candidate for the job.

You Have Poor Formatting

If you don't have appealing formatting on your resume, a hiring manager might not give it a second glance. They have hundreds or even thousands of resumes to go through. When a resume isn't easy to read or attractive to the eye, the hiring manager is likely to push it to the bottom of the pile.

For the best results, use a clean format. Pick a font that's easy to read and professional. Use headings when they're appropriate, and keep the background plain.

You Exaggerate

Hiring managers know when they're being lied to. If you exaggerate your accomplishments, you risk being discovered. The hiring manager won't believe anything in your resume and could throw it away.

When crafting your resume, give credit where credit is due. If you accomplished a major achievement with the help of a coworker, mention it in the resume.

You List an Objective

One way to make a bad impression on a hiring manager is to list an objective. As managers read through resumes, they're looking to see how an applicant could be valuable to them. The objective section doesn't say anything about how you could be an asset to them. Instead, it shows what you want.

Furthermore, an objective section shows your age. With ageism being a common occurrence, this is something you should avoid. You can include a list of your achievements in place of the objective.

You Use Personal Pronouns

Using "I" or "my" in your resume is unnecessary and a waste of space. After all, your resume is supposed to be about you. There's no need to use personal pronouns.

This alone might not be enough to make a hiring manager throw out your resume. But if you combine this with a few other mistakes, you risk not ever getting a job offer.

You Have an Unprofessional Email Address

As a hiring manager looks over your resume, they can't help but notice your email address. If it's unprofessional, they may immediately dismiss your resume.

Before you start the job hunt, set up a new email address. Use an email that includes your name and possibly your profession. If you include personal or silly words in your email, you won't make a good first impression.

You Include Your High School Education

A somewhat minor mistake, including your high school education on your resume could still hurt your chances of receiving an interview. Unless you have no college education, an employer knows you completed high school. Including your high school on your resume takes away from everything else you accomplished.

There is one exception to this rule. If you had an incredible achievement in high school, you should include it. You might want to highlight the fact that you were valedictorian or won an award.

You Were too Informal

The language you use in your resume matters. Because hiring managers want professional applicants, they scrutinize your language. If you use contractions or casual phrases, you make the wrong impression.

Another way to appear informal is to link to a non-professional website or social media account. Rather than link to your blog or Twitter account, provide a link to your LinkedIn or another professional platform.  

You Didn't Stand Out

When you don't make your resume unique, you miss out on opportunities. It's important to find ways to make your resume rise above the rest. This could be through your achievements, skills, or customization.