What Does Your Resume Say About You?

A resume is designed to be a concise summary of your professional background. It should serve as the first introduction to an employer, and it will often determine if you even get that first look.

This may interest you: Effective Resumes

So what does your resume say about you? One thing it says is how good you are at presenting information in a clear, concise manner. But more importantly, the way your resume looks reveals something about who you are as a professional person: Are you detail-oriented or lax?

Image Source

About Your Work Experience

Your resume is the best place to present your work and educational background honestly, but it can also be a source of misinformation. Whether you state the correct titles of jobs you held or claim that you were in charge of more people than you managed, how accurate your resume is may show an employer whether or not they want to hire you.

Supplementary reading: 7 Resume Writing Tips for Those Without Prior Job Experience

Employers are understandably wary of any misrepresentation of the facts because if you can't be honest about your work experience, how do they know you won't lie to them about something else? Despite it being an innocent mistake, if there are too many inaccuracies in your resume, this could cost you the job.

How Organised You Are

How you organise and format your resume can be used to determine how well you understand the structure and how good you are at following instructions. It may also discern what kind of person you are.

The more organised the presentation of your work history, education, and other details, the better a picture an employer will get about who you are as a worker. On the other hand, a disorganised and poorly presented resume may indicate a lack of care for detail.

With a well-polished resume, the recruiters will see a candidate who is organised. It makes them solidify their trust in you more, which increases the chances of being short listed for the job position. There are resume services that help job seekers package themselves well. Since the job market is competitive, having perfection in resume generation is worthwhile.

About Your Appearance

Typos or careless mistakes in your resume can reflect poorly on you as a job candidate. it shows that you are inattentive and negligent. Having a poor resume can say a lot about you. Particularly if it is messy and disorganised. Ensure that your resume is sleek and neat. Every word and subsections are clear to be read by your employer. Only include necessary mentions in your resume that can be relevant to the job you are applying for. A resume that is too cramped will not be tolerated or peered. You will miss your chance of getting a second interview or securing that job due to your carelessness.

Whether you use a computer program to format your resume, purchase a professionally-written one from a service provider, or write it by hand, you must proofread every draft of your resume to identify and correct mistakes. A resume that's difficult to read or formatted poorly may indicate a lack of understanding of detail and an inability or unwillingness to adapt to change.

How Well Do You Adapt?

Your personality comes through your resume as well, primarily if it's been written by hand or if you had someone else write it for you. A handwritten resume that has been put together over time might show an adaptable, well-organised person who can easily follow and adapt to instructions. Having a ‘pretty’ resume may also score you that job (especially when you’re applying for a visual editor, software engineering, digital, etc., job position) - it shows your skills and how well you are employing them.

Ensure that your resume screams neat and determined but flexible — employers will see that you heed instructions but are not afraid to enlighten it with your own charm, such as showing valour when tribulations emerge.

This may interest you: Resume Tips For The Experienced Professional

About Your Communication Skills

Whether your resume is printed electronically, professionally written by someone else, or hand-written, it can be a good indicator of your communication skills. Furthermore, resumes are supposed to be succinct and informative, therefore, this needs to be showcased in your resume. You need to ensure that you know how to deliver your experiences by simplifying them but never failing to capture the essence and core of the event. This should shine through via your communication skills. Your writing style will demonstrate whether you communicate clearly and eloquently or struggle to communicate what you want to say.

Image Source

The more organised and well-written a resume is, the better it will be received by employers--and the higher your chances for landing a job.

How Precise You Are

Your resume represents you as a person, so it's essential to be honest, and precise about your work history. If an employer discovers you've been less than forthcoming on your resume, how long do you think they'll want to risk hiring you before finding out the truth? Unorganised, incorrect, or misleading information in your resume can be a tip-off that you're not very detail-oriented.

It's essential to be honest, and accurate on your resume. This is also a leadership quality that employers are actively seeking. So, possessing such traits can be an advantage to you. Employers would notice and recognise your integrity. You would be seen as a trustworthy person that can be seconded to many responsibilities. Whether you use a computer program, purchase one from a service provider, or write it by hand, make sure that every draft is proofread for mistakes before submitting it. You can always find guidance from resume experts as the team can make you develop the best.

Read more: How to Showcase Leadership Strengths on a Resume

Check out the media below to unlock the Top 10 Most Foolish Resume Mistakes That Could Cost You Your Job: