To stand out during a job search, every word on your resume or in your cover letter counts—especially when you are trying to make a positive impression on a potential employer. However, it is also important to look at the element of your resume that can make you look like a poor job candidate.
A Sloppy Resume Reflects a Sloppy Candidate
While all the formatting that is required for a resume may seem silly, the way you present your work history will have a large impact on how hiring parties view you as a professional. A clean, crisp, well-balanced resume will not only make it easier for employers to read, but also to perceive you as a highly-adept job candidate.
On the flip side, a resume that looks like it was thrown together in just a few seconds, is not formatted and contains many grammatical errors will give off a whole different impression. In fact, resumes that are not composed with sensibility and style could make an employer think that candidates are lazy in the work they accomplish, and will likely reflect such “sloppiness” in their job if they were hired.
Ambiguity in a Cover Letter Suggests Lack of Direction
When trying to impress a potential employer, detailed specifics on your resume will help prove you know how to achieve success as a professional. Such specificity is important in a cover letter as well, and may take careful writing to convey. A cover letter that seems like it could be sent to any company in any industry may raise red flags for a hiring manager. For instance, one may think that a boring or ambiguous cover letter means you are simply looking for a job, and may not stay on for the long haul and career development.
Explaining Failures Will Not Help Improve Your Candidacy
One mistake that a job seeker may make, especially if his or her previous employer had a bad reputation, is trying to explain how one handled certain challenges or “failures” in a past position.
While explaining how you approach conflict resolution or achieve lofty goals is great during a job interview, taking time to focus on these elements in a resume can just make it seem like you are not qualified enough for the position. For example, explaining why you failed to meet a quota, why you did not like an employer or how you handled the faults of other employees will just exude an air of negativity that no recruiter will respond well to.
Get Positive with Your Job Search, Choose Chic Resumes to Write Your Resume and Cover Letter
If you want to make sure that your resume and cover letters do not reflect any negativity to potential employers, consider the professional resume services of Chic Resumes by Grammar Chic, Inc. Our writers understand the major impression small words and details can make; as such, we are committed to making your resume stand out in a positive way through excellent prose and descriptions.