With the Great Resignation, many professionals will want to dust off their resumes to apply for a new job that will bring them better working conditions. We interviewed recruiting and job search professionals to find out the common mistakes to avoid in 2022 when writing a resume.
1. Forgetting cross-functional skills
In my experience, the most common mistake in a CV is to limit yourself to experiences related to the field in which you are looking for a job,” says Dorothée Beaudoin, job search manager at the Accès-Cible SMT organization. People often forget that from one field to another, we have transferable professional skills.”
The idea of putting forward one’s generic skills is all the more important since the world of work is going through a period of turbulence, and several job categories are being redefined. To illustrate her point, the job search counsellor explains how a “simple” job as a waitress can involve a whole range of management skills.
Working as a waitress in the past, I learned how to keep a space neat and safe. I also learned how to synchronize merchandise, make sure I had enough cups and spoons – keep a sufficient amount of supplies. I also had to place orders with suppliers, give good customer service, handle emergencies, etc. All skills that can be picked up in an administrative setting.”
2. Not putting your computer skills forward
All HR stakeholders say it: there will be no going back when it comes to telecommuting. In such a context, digital literacy and computer skills become crucial in all jobs that are done remotely.
Currently, with the popularity of telecommuting, computer skills are becoming strategic and highly coveted by employers,” confirms Dorothée Beaudoin. It is therefore preferable to put more than not enough in the resume. The new type of mistake would indeed be to omit to mark our computer skills.”
3. Not personalizing and updating your CV
In today’s labor shortage environment, job postings are raining down on LinkedIn and other job search sites (like Isarta!). It is tempting to apply “just to see if you get the job”, without bothering to review your resume. It’s taking the risk of tarnishing your professional image.
I sometimes see resumes that are not up to date,” says Robert Di Ciero, a talent acquisition specialist. For example, the candidate does not hold the position indicated on the CV. Or the resume is not suitable for the position… with the name of another employer! A generic CV for all positions is not ideal either,” he concludes.
4. Expand, spread and confuse
Even if, ultimately, each career path is different, the recruiter believes that two pages are usually enough to communicate the important information and sell your salad.
A recruiter spends 45 to 60 seconds reviewing a resume, he says. Having a CV that is too long is therefore a mistake to avoid. The CV must be easy to follow and must be concise. The elements that will be sorted and evaluated are the professional background, work experience, computer knowledge, etc. All of this should be easy to find and understand.”
The recruiter suggests putting dates and chronology prominently, to accentuate years of experience and stability of career path.
It’s up to you!
