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There are a million reasons an HR person may pass on your resume. You may not have enough experience. You could have too much experience. You could have worked for the wrong boss in the past. Office politics, height, weight, skin color, hair color… Right or wrong the list goes on and on. But there is one reason that is absolutely unacceptable: A poorly written resume.

If you lose out on a job because of a poorly written resume, it’s no one’s fault but your own. The quality of your resume and your distribution plan are the only two things you can control in a job search. To help you put together a better resume, we’ve included a few of the most common resume mistakes.

Resume Typos:
Your resume is the one document that should never contain typos. It’s your first impression and possibly your last if you don’t spell check it and review it.

Generic Resumes:
Many people list very vague experiences in their resume. One resume I read contained the following statement, “I graduated from a college with a degree. Then I took a job a store selling things.” I could really tell from this description that this person was an excellent fit for the open position. (Just kidding)

Lack of Focus:
Generic resumes are as bad as vague resumes. When reading a resume, the HR person and Hiring manager both need to see that you want this job and why. However, a lot of resumes are very generic and contain no information about the actual role or the writer’s desire to fill that role. This often leads to a resume being stuffed in the garbage without a second look.

Duties & Responsibilities:
Everyone has duties and responsibilities. Be different show actions and accomplishments. This slightly different focus will make you stand out and will let the hiring manager see more clearly what you’re capable of doing for their company.

You can’t pick your next job. You can’t even choose if you get interviewed. But you can choose how you write your resume. Make sure to give it your best shot and avoid these simple mistakes.

Related posts:

1. Resume Writing Tips, Do’s and Don’ts
2. Resume Tips: Overcoming Lack of Experience Rejection Letters
3. What’s the Objective of Your Resume?
4. Building a Stronger Resume using a SWOT Analysis
5. Unique Resume Formats for Unique Situations