If your resume is one of your top marketing calling cards, it’s important that it accurately represents your skills and abilities. This means that you need to avoid making critical errors that can get your resume placed on the discard pile. Here are the top 5 finance and accounting resume mistakes that can sabotage your job search goals.
No Accomplishments Section
Ideally, each role should contain an accomplishments section that details specifically what you achieved in the role (use numbers to back up your claims).
Spelling and Punctuation Errors
Nothing is going to sink your job search battleship more efficiently than spelling and punctuation errors.
Resource: Read “The Best Finance Resume We Ever Received” for tips on how to write an award-winning resume.
Bling is Not In
Unless you’re Beyoncé, or, um, a gypsy, bling is not in. Keep the formatting of your resume simple. Use one font and differentiate information through the use of bolding or italics. Integrate a lot of white space if possible which helps readability. And if you are going to use bullets, make sure that they’re the same size and shape in each section and that they’re aligned from page to page.
Not Strategic
One size does not fit all when it comes to resumes. Customize each resume based on the job description and your company research. Use outcome focused language. Be as specific as possible about duties and choose accomplishments that are most in line with what the job posting is looking for. Remember, your prospective employer is trying to understand how you can add value, so make it easy for them to determine that.
No Career Story
Resumes need to tell a career story, ideally one that shows a series of purposeful choices. Large gaps or vague dates of employment are two red flags that can leave an employer wondering. Consider explaining a large employment gap in your cover letter.
To learn how to write a great cover letter, read “The Best Finance Cover Letter We Ever Received.”
Key Takeaways
Shakespeare once said, “Don’t trust thy spell check” (ok he never said that, but he would have). Always re-read your resume, or better yet have a friend look it over. Make sure your resume tells a career story with specific accomplishments and duties that are tied to what the job posting is looking for. Be exact in your dates and explain any large employment gaps in your cover letter. Keep your resume’s format simple and integrate white space to increase readability. Following these tips will help keep you in the mix and avoid having your resume placed on the discard pile.
Your Next Step
No one should walk the job search or hiring road alone. At Clarity Recruitment we help others realize their success through a process that marries proprietary technology with unwavering commitment. Contact us today to take control of your career, or to partner with us to hire well.
Clarity Recruitment, connecting exceptional people with remarkable companies.
