Whenever a business is looking for a new hire, they are hoping to find an employee who can clearly explain why they are the best fit for the job. Often times, human resource departments find themselves going through a large pool of applications that does not convey such, which increases the likelihood of putting many resumes in the trash.
After many years of reading the same old mistakes, many recruiters decided to invest in HR software. These solutions can help eliminate some of the errors that Mashable contributor Elli Sharef explains are common across work sectors and hiring departments.
“The biggest mistake I see is people overstuffing their resumes, trying to cram every single activity, skill or job they have ever had onto one page instead of focusing on creating a coherent story,” Sharef writes.
In most instances, professionals do not need to have a resume that is over a page long. Regardless of work sector, hiring managers who are responsible for conducting interviews are probably never going to see resumes that were over a page long. If it does come across their desk, it is likely that they are going to process the file through HR software solutions first, to see if the resume included keywords applicable to the position.
“Being succinct is among the most important skills for a job applicant,” Sharef added.
Putting all information out there may be detrimental to the job seekers’ chances, even if all that information may apply to the position. Forming a narrative that uses the most relevant of a person’s past jobs to support his or her candidacy for the specific position is more powerful than simply naming each position they have held in the past.