These things on your resume can make recruiters pass up your job application

Many job seekers tend to undervalue the impact of their resume during the hiring process. It is the best marketing tool you have when it comes to impressing recruiters and hiring managers. However, certain mistakes you make while creating your resume will seriously affect your chances of getting the job. Here are some of the biggest resume red flags and how you can avoid them:

Does not address the employer’s needs

The best way for you to understand what the employer wants is to read the job description they posted. All the skills, experiences, and attributes they expect in an ideal candidate are listed there. Once you have reviewed the job description, you can start tailoring your resume to match the specific needs of the employer. Do this every time you write a resume to keep your job application relevant to the job.

Contains outdated elements

Is the first thing a recruiter sees on your resume an objective statement? Objective statements went out of style years ago. The modern resume trend is to include a summary statement at the beginning of the document. Another element that is considered to be outdated on a resume is the references section. Your professional references only need to be supplied when requested by the employer at a later stage of the hiring process. So, don’t waste valuable resume space on an unnecessary references section.

Contains inconsistent dates

The timeline of your employment is important for recruiters. They use the years and dates to create a clearer picture of your career history and employment gaps. If there are inconsistencies in the date formats that you are using, it may tell hiring managers that you are trying to hide a gap. If you used the month/year format to list, follow the same style throughout your resume.

Has unexplained seniority regression

It raises alarms to hiring managers when a resume shows you going from a director-level role to a management position. It will look like a demotion due to a fault on your part. If you had to change industries, make that clear on your resume. Usually, career changes cause job seekers to start at different levels.

Does not align with the online presence

Hiring managers will search for you on social media and professional platforms like LinkedIn. If the timeline, job titles, or qualifications listed on your LinkedIn profile do not match those on your resume, it will present a hiring red flag. It’s important to have a consistent presence across your online profiles and resume.

Has a passive tone