When we discuss resumes, we want to ensure we educate our clients on what is important and what should be highlighted. Our skills-based resumes ensure you are putting your best foot forward, and our expertise in crafting resumes in many different industries is key to your success. With that, we see many resumes from clients that are either outdated, ineffective, or contain certain things that can be a detriment to getting through the Applicant Tracking Systems. Today we would like to discuss three things to remove from your resume.
Multiple Columns
Resume parsing software enables companies to easily identify keywords to efficiently sort through a significant number of applications. Using resume parsing helps companies identify the top applicants, based on the information they have input into the system. With resume parsing, and how it works, this is important. You want to be careful in terms of the format of your resume. This is less about aesthetic, and more about its effectiveness on how to get your resume successfully through ATS software.
If you use columns, tables, or text field, for example, ATS systems will parse the information from left to right. This means information in one column might not make it through. While many ATS systems are extremely sophisticated, they aren’t without their faults. They can have difficulty in reading the columns, meaning the information contained therein may appear invisible. It may also mean that keywords you included don’t get flagged and your resume can be discarded by hiring managers. Therefore, to give your resume the best chance at beating the ATS, it is best practice to remove these potential problem areas.
Infographics
The use of infographics on a resume is something to steer clear of. In some instances, when you include an infographic that is meant to show a specific skill, this may include a rating system, where you rate yourself on how proficient you are. The problem with this is if you give yourself a four out of five rating, this might set off alarm bells for hiring managers. While you might like the style of including infographics, they may be showing that you are weak in certain areas, rather than accurately showing your skill level. When crafting your resume, you want to ensure you are highlighting your top skills, and our skills-based resumes certainly will help do that!
Unprofessional emails
If you are using an email from your high school or college years, it is time to update your email address. For example, the email account you created when you were 18 years old, which contains something that you found amusing then, is not going to make a good first impression when your resume is viewed by a potential employer. Ideally, you should create an email account that contains your full name, or first initial with your last name, through a reputable email service provider such as Gmail. Avoid nicknames or anything that could be judged by hiring managers. This way, it is easy to remember, connects back to you, and appears professional.
Do you have questions about your resume? Are you still using some of these things we discussed? If so, please give our team a call. We would love to work with you!