A well-written resume is the key to projecting your skills and highlighting your qualification in front of the interview board. While it’s deceptively easier to make silly mistakes on a resume, it’s incredibly difficult to repair the damage done. As such, prevention is your only outlet, whether you’re putting together your first career resume or just reviewing it. There are certain resume writing pitfalls that can literally take you away from the job you’ve always wanted. Here’s how to avoid them:

#1: Beware of the beginning: the professional goal statement is a thing of the past

A long time ago, resumes without a career objective statement were worthless. Students were forced to start their resume with a well-written statement outlining their vision. However, times have changed and there is no longer scope for such statements.

Hiring managers suggest that such statements are irrelevant to the preliminary selection. Initially, you need to go through the assessment, which will then take you to the next stage and you will be able to work out your goals and objectives.

#2: Add job titles

It’s best to avoid adding peculiar job titles to your resume. More often than not, these titles actually hurt your resume and leave you behind in the league of other hopefuls.

Job titles often lack context, making your resume unsuccessful. Since resumes are posted on job sites, being keyword specific or generic is a better way to introduce yourself. For example, a query for “associate editor” will get a better response than “writing guru”.

#3: Overwhelming work history

Recruiters, on average, spend 6 seconds reviewing a resume. So it’s best to keep your resume concise, crisp and to the point, no longer than one page, especially for fresher ones. Including pages after pages dedicated to your work history can only get overwhelming.

#4: Unexplained employment gaps

The big gaps in the race should be pointed out in summary. If you had to take a break for personal or leisure reasons, describe it in one word.

#5: Details gone wrong

If your resume lacks details, it’s just ordinary writing. Emphasize your achievements, our roles and duties. Recruiters are not interested in menial duties and tasks. Specify the output.

#6: Grammatical errors and typos

Recruiters will simply ignore resumes with typos and grammatical errors. Use the spell check feature and grammar checkers to make sure it’s perfect. Also, have at least 2 people review the document.

#7: Getting the wrong format

The format of your resume is a deciding factor. Shockingly, up to 75 percent of all qualified applicants are rejected due to improper resume formatting. Always use the .txt or .doc format for your resume, not the .pdf files. Avoid the use of tables and graphs. Upload your resume as an attachment instead of typing it. Use relevant keywords to make sure you are visible when searched.

#8: Not giving the correct contact details

If you don’t provide your correct contact details, employers will never be able to find you. Always provide your contact number, email id and mailing address.

#9: Promising Reference on Demand

This is the most obvious thing that doesn’t need to be stated. Do not add words to the resume by including such points.

#10: Sharing Personal Information

You cannot violate the confidentiality rule while writing your resume. It’s not impressive at all. Any personal information related to your previous job cannot bring you another.