, Singapore

How to get your resume thrashed instantly

By Adrian Tan

Interested to know how you could get your resume deleted instantly?

When an employer is faced with dozens of applications, he or she will try to narrow this list down quickly. Make one of the following mistakes and I can guarantee that your resume goes straight to the Deleted Items.

1. You didn’t attach a cover letter

Failing to include a cover letter means that you have failed to put in that extra 10 minutes of effort and this is never a good thing.

It doesn’t help to personalize the message you wish to drive across and set the tone in your application. A lot of recruiters delete their first round of applicants simply because they have not included a cover letter.

2. You applied for the wrong job

It happens so many time – candidates are so caught up in applying to as many jobs as possible that they accidentally send their resume sand cover letters to the wrong people.

Or they apply for an engineer when their objective shows they want to be a top sales person. When a recruiter sees an application get addressed wrongly, it will get thrashed immediately.

3. You put a bad picture on your resume

Photos that are suitable to be on Facebook have no place on the resume. Please stick to professional-looking photos only – you are applying for a job after all.

There is no need to include a picture of you posing in a tank top or drinking with friends. You might as well stick to no picture at all.

4. You didn’t provide enough information about your work experience

Employers need as much specific information as possible to adequately process your application. Listing down just your job titles ONLY under “work experience” will just not cut it.

If you put little to no detail on your experience, recruiters will assume just that, you have nothing accountable or great achievement to speak off. And they will just thrash your application.

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