Is your résumé secretly sabotaging your chances of landing your dream job?

Applied. Rejected.

Applied. Rejected.

Applied. Rejected. You know the cycle.

Actually, it seems as of late that the never-ending saga of applying for jobs is to submit your application and hear nothing back. Let's not forget about the applications that require a résumé upload and then ask you to fill in your entire work history.

There's a lot that goes into a job search. Cutting corners on the attention you give your résumé is not the best place to regain some lost time.

If your New Year's resolution is to land that amazing job at an even better company, do yourself a favor and pull your résumé out for a quick check-up.

By now, many of us know that most résumés are given a (very) quick first look. Résumés that are well organized stand the best chance of getting a more detailed look. I look at applications and resumes often for various positions within my organization, and there are some consistent mistakes I see applicants making.

Let's look at the top four common résumé mistakes to steer clear of to help you get noticed by employers:

1. Spelling and Grammar Mistakes

While this seems like a no-brainer, a staggering 64% of résumés contain at least one spelling mistake. With free tools, such as Grammarly, at your disposal, there's no real reason why you can't submit an error-free resume. You can also ask someone you trust to review for grammar or spelling errors.

Having even one spelling or grammar mistake on your résumé can ruin your chances of being considered for the role.

2. Not Tailoring Your Résumé To Each Position

This isn't the worst issue, but I can confirm that hiring managers can tell if you're sending out the same generic résumé with each application, which could leave a negative impression. This is especially frustrating if you still use an objective and reference some other position or company in that objective.

Although it could be tedious, taking the time to tailor your accomplishments and message to each position will demonstrate that you're detail-oriented and that you have the specific skills they require for the job.

If you submit the same résumé to every company, chances are there will be irrelevant skills and jobs that won't help you land your dream role. I recommend you carefully read the job description and company website and include any keywords words in your work experience section.

3. Accomplishments without Data

One of the biggest mistakes applicants make is not listing specific achievements. Instead of providing employers with a list of responsibilities at your previous jobs, specifically state the results you've achieved.

• What kind of results did you bring? Use specific numbers.

• How you achieved these results?

• How long did it take you?

4. Too Short or Long

I've heard the critics, and I'm sure you have too: "Keep your résumé to one page." I don't really subscribe to this. As long as your résumé is succinct and the information contained in it is relevant, I recommend keeping the extra information. I've read plenty of multi-page résumés, which were full of relevant and insightful information to help paint the picture of why I should move a candidate to the next step.

5. Bonus: Volunteer work

Be sure to include any relevant volunteer service, especially if you are a recent graduate.

Final Thoughts

Your résumé is the first impression you'll make at any company. If you genuinely try to avoid these common mistakes, you'll have a competitive advantage over other applicants.

Good luck!