I read a lot of resumes over the course of a year for my job. Here are five common mistakes I see on them:
1. Technology/programs/company names are MISSPELLED. Be sure you check that you have spelled these important words correctly. And spell them the same way throughout your resume.
2. Acronyms do not need an APOSTROPHE unless they're showing possession. For example, if your bullet point on your resume mentions RFPs, IDs, and PMs, no apostrophe is needed. However, if you are saying something like this: Used the RFP's address for mailing the proposal, then you would use the apostrophe.
3. Take out extra uses of the word "THE." There are some cases where "the" isn't really necessary and can be left out. This can free up space on your resume. Also, removing unnecessary phrases like in order to or as needed will save space too.
4. Avoid starting your bullet points with "Responsible for." Use a more active verb like "managed" or "assisted" or "planned."
5. Start each bullet point with a verb and be consistent. Use all past tense verbs (for example, wrote proposals) for past jobs and present tense verbs for your current job (for example, write procedures).
And one final suggestion: Keep your resume short and to the point. You don't need to write a book. If you can, try to keep your resume under three pages. Two pages would be even better.
If you can afford to, have a proofreader or editor read over your resume to catch any errors. Or, if you have an eagle-eyed friend, ask him/her to review it for you.
