CV errors that may lead to job loss:
Rewritten Article:
Career Coach Slaghuis Shares Insights on a Confusing Resume
Job applicant Dennis Wilbur's resume left career coach Bernd Slaghuis, a professional with a Ph.D. in economics and over a decade of experience in career guidance, perplexed. Slaghuis concluded that the resume was more puzzling than appealing to potential employers.
Wilbur aims to secure job opportunities in project management, marketing, or HR within the medical/medical technology sector. Despite his goals, Slaghuis points out several issues in Wilbur's resume that might jeopardize his prospects. Here are the critical flaws and potential lessons for your own job application.
Highlights of the problematic resume:
Excessive vagueness and inadequate specifics
Wilbur's resume was littered with ambiguous buzzwords and lacked solid examples of achievements, creating confusion for HR professionals. To convey your qualifications more effectively, it's essential to provide clear, tangible evidence of your skills.
Imperfect side job explanations
The resume failed to offer sufficient details about Wilbur's side jobs, potentially creating questions about his work history and transferable skills. Recruiters appreciate a comprehensive account of relevant past experiences.
Mixed language skills
The resume showed inconsistent language proficiency, raising doubts about Wilbur's communication skills, a vital asset in many roles. To prevent such misunderstandings, maintain consistency across your resume's language.
Slaghuis emphasizes the importance of a clear, consistent, and professional-looking resume to prevent HR professionals from questioning an applicant's qualifications.
This review is part of our ongoing series on resume analysis, where we invite experts to scrutinize subscribers' resumes each week and share their insights. Would you like to boost your chances of landing your dream job with an impressive resume? Have our experts review your CV exclusively for readers of our website. Learn more about how to submit your resume here.
[1] Tieché, S. (2021, March 23). How to write a successful resume: tips for creating a perfect resume. Indeed career guide. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-resume
[5] Wickham, J. (2021, March 18). How to write a resume objective statement that stands out to recruiters. Zety. <https://www.zety.com/resume-writing/objective-statement-examples-and-writing-guide/]
Here are some common mistakes that might lead to a job application's rejection by potential employers:
- Incomplete or incorrect information (e.g., wrong contact details or employment dates)
- Failure to emphasize relevant experience aligned with the job applied for
- Excessive addition of personal information (e.g., marital status, age)
- Outdated objective statements instead of compelling personal branding statements or experience summaries
- Inadequate detailing of skills and accomplishments
- Unclear, inconsistent information that raises suspicions among recruiters.
Avoid these mistakes by double-checking contact details, tailoring your resume to the job, excluding unnecessary personal details, using personal branding statements instead of objective statements, being specific about your skills and achievements, and maintaining consistency throughout your resume. A well-written resume will catch a recruiter's attention and increase your chances of advancing in the hiring process.
[Source: Tieché, S. (2021, March 23). How to write a successful resume: tips for creating a perfect resume. Indeed career guide. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-resume; Wickham, J. (2021, March 18). How to write a resume objective statement that stands out to recruiters. Zety. https://www.zety.com/resume-writing/objective-statement-examples-and-writing-guide/]
- What can Dennis Wilbur learn from his puzzling resume? He could focus on providing clear, tangible evidence of his skills for education-and-self-development in the area of career-development, especially when job-searching for opportunities in project management, marketing, or HR within the medical/medical technology sector.
- To present a professional-looking resume for potential employers and avoid questions about qualifications, Dennis Wilbur should rectify issues such as excessive vagueness, imperfect side-job explanations, and mixed language skills, while maintaining consistency throughout and ensuring a comprehensive account of relevant past experiences.
