5 things not to put on your resume | Economic Times

1. Typos and spellingsMost recruiters spend barely 30 seconds—a study claims this time is as little as 7 seconds—on a resume, so you need to make it as attractive as you can. Also, make sure it is free of flaws since typos and errors are big reasons for rejections. A typo in your resume indicates poor attention to detail and may cost you a coveted shortlist.2. Lying about skillsAnother common mistake is lying about skills, experience or falsifying other details on the resume. Any mismatch in the details on your resume and actual qualification is also undesirable. When a candidate is shortlisted, a company inevitably runs a verifi cation check. If they spot a discrepancy, you are unlikely to get an interview call.Also Read: How fresh graduates can ace campus placements3. Objective statementAvoid adding an objective statement to your bio-data. It is redundant since your objective is evident from your application for the vacancy. If you are keen to demonstrate relevance for the job, show it in the cover letter or use 3-4 lines of professional summary at the top of your resume, under work experience, without a separate heading.Also Read: How to write 1-page resume that can increase your chances of getting through first stage of job interview4. Templated cover letterDon’t send out the same cover letter and resume to all potential employers. Your resume and the cover letter should be relevant to the role, company and industry that you are applying to. The cover letter should speak to the person and try to convince him why your qualifications make you the perfect fi t for the role. Don’t let it appear like a copy-paste job.Also Read: 8 tips to help you ace the job interview5. Rework the draftNo writer types out the perfect draft in one sitting. Words should not be sacrosanct. Like every piece of published authorship that goes through multiple re-writings and editorial inputs, your resume needs to be reworked with inputs from friends/ professionals before finalising.Also Read: How to negotiate salary during job interview and not let taxes eat into your take home pay(The writer is a career coach, mentor and the author of Yoursortinghat.com)