10 Resume Red Flags & Characteristics That Employers Hate
Eliminate the resume ‘red flags’ and focus on top skills employers look for
Resume writing is a challenging process. Not only should you concentrate on the impressive facts from your career bio, but also to avoid certain mistakes. Even if you have the right experience and skill set under your belt, some things about your resume can turn the recruiters off. Today, the writers of our executive resume services will tell which things about your resume turn the employers off and how you can handle them.
These resume issues are called ‘red flags’ as they signal the recruiter that your candidacy might not be the best hire. Thus, leaving them unattended isn’t the best tactic. If you’ve found one or several below flags in your resume, fix them or hire a resume professional to do it for you. Qualified resume experts of Resumeperk.com can assist with fixing all mistakes and red flags in your resume. Your writer will present your positive and professional side to the prospective employer, increasing your interview chances.
10 resume red flags and qualities employers are looking for in your resume
- Short job tenures, or job-hopping
Job-hopping means changing jobs every few months. While you might have had your personal reasons for changing employers this often, recruiters might see it as a negative thing. For them, changing jobs frequently might indicate that you’re difficult to work with or didn’t perform up to scratch. If the companies you worked for shut down or merged, you can specify that directly on a resume. If you changed job frequently for any other reason, it’s better to address this in a cover letter. - Huge employment gaps
If you had had long periods of unemployment between jobs, it’s better to explain what you were busy with during this time. Don’t let the recruiter assume the worst things about you – if you were traveling, taking care of a newborn child or studied, make it clear either in a resume or a cover letter.
Is it taking you longer than you expected to land your next job? Try using these techniques to set your mind for a positive outcome: https://resumeperk.com/blog/how-to-use-positive-thinking-for-your-career. - Missing information
Review your resume carefully – does it contain all information in full? Missing employment dates, a degree, or a job title can be seen as an attempt to hide something. If the job posting is lucrative, a picky recruiter is likely to simply reject a resume that lacks important detail. So, make sure you didn’t omit anything when composing the resume in a rush.
Just like you shouldn’t bring up the argument with a boss or loving relationship with coworker during the interview, there are things that don’t belong to your resume. Check out these popular resume mistakes and avoid them: https://resumeperk.com/blog/top-30-common-resume-mistakes-you-should-avoid. - Mistakes in writing
Poor writing isn’t good for your resume not only because it’s difficult to read. It communicates your lack of focus and attention to detail. A recruiter might excuse one typo you overlooked if the rest of the document is written well. But in case of continuous mistakes, they will likely to reject your application. “Pubic relations” and “atention to detail” won’t help you make the right impression on the employer. - Lack of accomplishments and figures
Listing job duties is important because the same job title can imply a whole different set of responsibilities with different employers. However, focusing on responsibilities only sends a subtle message that you didn’t perform up to scratch and have nothing to brag or you simply didn’t care how your performance affects the company. So, show the results your tasks have yielded. Include figures, percentages, project names and other non-quantifiable results you delivered. Highlight this information in a resume so that it doesn’t get lost in the endless bulleted list. - Poor formatting
There are two biggest mistakes with resume formatting that recruiters watch out for. The first is believing that formatting and design are minor issues, and submitting a resume that looks sloppy, cluttered and unprofessional. The second mistake is getting obsessed with the resume looks and creating a fancy, bright document that is difficult to read because of bright colors and fun fonts. Both cases show that you have poor judgement about how a professional document should look. A resume should look neat yet not overly bright – it shows that you invested a decent amount of time in making it easier to read for an employer. - A resume looks generic
Today, the hiring manager expects to see certain customization for the company (or at least the industry) in your resume. If you use the same version of a resume to apply for all jobs you’ve found online, they can spot it in a glance. Generic resumes are ineffective because they don’t contain the right keywords and don’t make it clear why the company should interview you. So, spend some time to customize at least the top third of the document to make an impression that you’re a good fit for the company. Look here to know words for a winning resume. - Failure to follow application directions
When posting jobs online, some companies add specific requirements about the application process. For example, you may be asked to specify salary expectations, apply via email instead of applying through the job board or to include a keyword at the top of the resume. In most cases, not following these directions will automatically exclude you as a candidate. And even if the job isn’t very popular, not following the guidelines means that you either send your resume everywhere or that you lack attention to detail. - Using the current corporate email
Applying with a current working email has become so popular that many people see nothing wrong about it. Meanwhile, for a recruiter receiving such an application is a huge red flag. In most cases, it means that you are job-searching in your working hours, which casts doubt on your work ethics. If you use the resources of your current employer to land a new job, chances are that you’ll do just that if the company hires you. This practice is also risky: chances are, that the employer can read your emails and they’ll be curious to know that instead of calculating sales forecasts you seek opportunities elsewhere. - A resume that shows you’re overqualified
If you’ve been unemployed for a while, you see nothing wrong about applying for a job you’re overqualified for. Employers, however, typically reject overqualified candidates as they believe you’ll quit as soon as you find something that better meets your professional level and salary expectations. If you’ve worked as a marketing director and now would like to apply for a job as a marketing manager, you’ll need to adapt your resume to be considered. Try adjusting the job titles and downplaying the accomplishments.
We cannot say that these ten red flags absolutely mean disqualifying you from the competition. Everything depends on the person doing the screening – while one recruiter will decline a resume upon seeing a mistake, the other will see nothing wrong about them. However, it’s better not to risk your career and make your resume look the best possible way.
In the era of the internet, it’s easier than ever to do a background check
If you are tempted to stretch the truth a little to get the job, think twice. Embellishing facts in resume is a huge red flag which can not only cost you an interview but also destroy your professional reputation. By browsing your social media pages and making a couple of calls a hiring manager can check quickly if what you’ve written in a resume is true. So, don’t take the risk and only say the truth in a resume.
Which words do the employers look for on online resumes?
As you’ve cleaned up the resume space from fluff, it’s time to add some helpful details. To catch the reader’s attention, make use of these top 5 resume words:
✓ Led/managed
✓ Achieved
✓ Value
✓ Verbal/written communication
✓ Performance improvement
These traits communicate the important characteristics that hiring managers look for across the fields: leadership, initiative, and willingness to create value for an employer.
Want a professional resume that turns heads?
If you hesitate that your current resume can get your foot in the door, contact us. Our company offers professional resumes editing 24/7 and will help you eliminate all resume mistakes and red flags. Thus, you’ll find it easy to impress prospective employers with your accomplishments and skills. The writer will work one-on-one with you until you are totally satisfied with a completed resume. Moreover, it is affordable to get resume assistance – check out our services and prices.