Have you been looking for a new job but somehow been unsuccessful even though you fit the description given in the job posting perfectly?
Have you often wondered why you haven’t been able to land that job you applied for just recently even though you have years of experience and the perfect skills?
Well, guess what.
It may not be you, but your resume that’s to blame for your not being able to land the job here in Qatar.
Think about it.
Read your resume again and then match it up against the dos and don’ts given below. Make the changes, see how things change and watch how you land the perfect job.
1. Don’t include your age, date-of-birth, marital status, religion or hobbies.
2. Don’t include references in the resume. Don’t even write ‘References available on request' and waste precious space you could be using to write something more important.
3. Don’t use personal pronouns like ‘I’, ‘my’ ‘me’. It’s more than obvious the resume is about you and not someone else.
4. Don’t make text errors. Always re-read and spell check for mistakes.
5. Don’t add work experience that may not be relevant to the job you are applying for.
6. Don’t use e-mail addresses like [email protected], [email protected] as your correspondence address.
7. Don’t write your present work contact info. The last thing you want is a potential employer contacting you at work and putting you at risk of losing your present job.
8. Don’t put in social media URLs that are not relevant.
9. Don’t provide information about your desired salary.
10. Don’t put your picture on the resume.
11. Don’t use fancy fonts.
12. Don’t use fonts that are outdated, like Times New Roman or Serif fonts.
13. Don’t clutter your resume.
14. Don’t repeat the same words for similar tasks.
15. Don’t lie and write things or duties that you did not perform or accomplishments you did not achieve.
16. Don’t make your resume too long.
1. Do spell check your resume, check for grammatical errors and repetitions.
2. Do use an email address that sounds professional, like [email protected] or [email protected].
3. Do use Sans-Serif fonts like Arial to write your resume.
4. Do use different descriptive words while describing similar tasks.
5. Do use action verbs and numbers to highlight your achievements and make your tasks more exciting.
6. Do describe your accomplishments and how you solved problems that may have arisen.
7. Do use headers and bullet points without cluttering your resume.
8. Do ensure your resume layout is balanced and easy to read.
9. Do add a little touch of colour to jazz up your resume, but not too much.
10. Do make changes in your resume depending on the kind of job you are applying for.
11. Do keep your resume concise and to the point.
12. Do leave enough white space in your resume so it looks neat and is easy to read.
13. Do highlight your key skills.
14. Do use phrases used in the job post in your resume.
15. Do leave out the date you graduated; it’s unnecessary.
Do you have an up-to-date resume? Are you guilty of making mistakes in your resume that didn’t get you the job? Do you find these dos and don’ts helpful? Do you have any other dos and don’ts that can be added to this list? Do let us know in the comments section. Like and share this article – it keeps us going?
Follow us on our social media channels:
@ILQlive
@ILQlive
@ILoveQtr
ILoveQatar
You have successfully registered your account!
Please confirm your e-mail address by clicking on the URL sent to you.The e-mail usually arrives in 5-10 minutes.
How ajeeb was that!? Thanks for contributing to our community! Your post will appear after we take a quick look!
