Here are the top “pet peeves” from employers and some advice from HR departments to ensure your resume is not eliminated:
Unqualified Candidates - You may want a job, but if you do not have the certification, skills, and experience required, employers interpret this as you wasting their time.
Ensure to review the job description for specific criteria, such as qualifications to teach, required state certifications, etc. In your resume, highlight the skills they are looking for with a bulleted list of your related qualifications at the top of the document.
Spelling Errors, Typos and Poor Grammar - This directly reflects your skills, credibility, and reputation as an educator.
Of course, you want to use spell check, but that will not catch every mistake’ for example, one very common mistake is "Manger" in lieu of "Manager". Be sure to pay close attention to these type of mistakes, this especially important because you are or are applying to be employed in the education sector.
Too Duty-Oriented - If you are using the employer's job description, you are missing the point of your resume. HR departments already know what the job entails; your resume should highlight your accomplishments for the position.
Be sure to document your qualifications and your accomplishments to date; outline the process, outcomes, and results that are specific to your professional history.
Inaccurate Dates or None at All - Employers need to know when and where you have worked in order to get a better understanding of your working history, as well as perform, necessary background/criminal record checks, as appropriate. Missing dates, especially for extended periods of time, could send up a red flag, resulting discarding the resume.
Include specific ranges in months and years for every position. If there are time gaps, provide an explanation in either your cover letter or introduction, but not in your resume.
It always helps to continue your education and training this should me mentioned as well. Any volunteer work during a slow period or summer months is also a positive reflection on your skills, professionalism, and work abilities. List these under education or volunteer work, especially if these have had an impact on any gaps in work activity.
Inaccurate or Missing Contact Information - You create a resume for one reason: To solicit communications between you and a potential employer, whether it's via a phone call, email, or letter that ultimately will lead to an interview.
Ensure all contact information is current and accurate; otherwise, the employer is unable to contact you, thus eliminating any potential of an interview.
Contact information to include: name, phone number, email address(es), and street address. Employers WILL NOT look you up; they'll move on to the next candidate.
Poor/Bad Formatting - Different typefaces and boxes may look nice on paper, but if the resume needs to be scanned, they can cause confusion. Employers suggest keeping your resume in plain text (Size 10/11 Arial or Times Roman typeface).
Functional Resumes - Whenever possible, employers advise that you provide a chronological resume and focus on the skills and accomplishments that pertain to the position you are seeking. If you have been subjected to a layoff, be assured that nowadays, unemployment or being laid off is quite prevalent, and employers regard it differently. Most people are proactive in ensuring their work skills are current. Use that information to fill in the gaps.
Long Resumes and Paragraphs - Employers simply DO NOT have the time to read them!
Focus on the skills and accomplishments that directly apply to the position you in which you are applying. Every word counts, do not dwell on the specifics of each job, but focus on the highlights specific to you.
Personal Information Unrelated to the Job - With the limited time employers can dedicate to each resume, do not distract them with personal details, e.g. age, height, weight, interests, etc. unless they directly relate to the job in which you are seeking.
Focus on the link between the employer needs and you abilities. Anything personal that is not directly linked to the position takes away from the point of the resume.
Inability to Apply Online - If you do not take advantage of this component, you are already two weeks behind other creative and aggressive job seekers! This is now the current practice of many employers across United States, as this expedites the process.
Setting up your MyECN Account properly, utilizing these tips, will ensure your ability to both apply online, as well as set up job bots that will automatically match you up with new job postings on a daily basis.
