The Biggest Resume Mistakes That Could Cost You A Job

Experience and skills are the two crucial ingredients to getting the dream job in the hospitality industry. But, fail to get it right with the resume, and you may just be the one to stand in the way of making this dream come true.

As a document that concisely displays your personality and qualifications, it can be the tool that sets you apart from other applicants on OysterLink.com as the go-to platform for restaurant and hospitality job listings.

With this in mind, it’s necessary to be aware of some of the most common resume mistakes that could cost you a job in this competitive industry.

Resume Mistakes to Avoid

The next time you start working on your resume, consider the following mistakes to ensure that what you include qualifies you for the job and company you’re applying for.

Poor Language

It’s understandable to make a mistake or two with spelling and grammar when anxiety gets the best of you. And, while it’s no indicator of poor language skills, it’s important to remember these types of errors and typos are unwanted details because they make you seem unprofessional. This is as informal as the use of an outdated or inappropriate email address you created when you were a teenager.

As such, these are among the first things to be spotted by hiring managers. With the digitalization that this industry has been going through, the use of ATS (Applicant Tracking System) doesn’t work in your favor either as this system can spot these even before the hiring managers, leaving you with a lower score rating. This indicates poor language can be the decisive factor that gets you rejected.

Creating a spotless resume is an art, and proofreading is the essential step for showcasing the needed professionalism.

In case you require assistance, you can utilize platforms like Grammarly to your advantage. They can be of help in spotting errors you might otherwise miss. Once the resume is completed, take the time to read through it carefully, checking it from the point of view of an employer to evaluate its quality, and get an idea if it sounds like the kind of document that would get you to the interview stage. Ask someone else to do the same afterward before submitting to be certain there’s nothing in it that could get it tossed aside.

If you can, find a professional from the industry you’re applying for to give you more insight and feedback. After all, communication plays a crucial role in the hospitality industry as an important type of soft skill it is. Speaking of this specific aspect, poor communication and grammar can be in the form of repetitions with phrases and similar words, as well as the use of certain buzzwords that can have the opposite effect of what you’re trying to achieve – make your resume sound polished and natural.

So, just because something is formal, or you think it makes you seem more distinguished, doesn’t mean it should be in your document. There’s no need to resort to exaggerations to create an impressive resume.

A simple design is always better than one that’s too elaborate as it’s beneficial for maximum readability and makes the hiring process a lot easier and faster. This is true even if the recruiter employs ATS software before the resume gets to the hiring managers.

Poor Layout

Elements like long paragraphs and cluttered layouts are other details that you should avoid. Instead, stick to clear and simple wording with bullet points for easy readability and you won’t be in the wrong. As some job-seekers get it wrong with the bullet points too, it’s best to use a combination of paragraphs so you don’t overdo one or the other.

You can add a few tweaks in the form of numbers, like percentages, to your achievements to spice things up a bit with otherwise boring paragraphs or bullet points. An example would be to include your contributions to the previous team or company you worked for. Leadership, problem-solving, time management, and teamwork are great aspects to consider as quantifiable achievements, considering they’re highly valued in terms of soft skills.

These are the details that make the resume worth it, as much as properly used industry-related keywords so don’t just focus on finding the best but also on optimizing them. Carefully inspect the job posting to get an idea of the keywords on skill, experience, and qualifications a company finds to be crucial in this industry, and use them in your document.

One word of caution here is to avoid adding too many of these keywords in the resume because it can easily result in keyword stuffing, making it sound unnatural; too much of a good thing can be bad.

To make the format clean and professional, be sure to pick out a font, like the classic Times New Roman, and stick to it for consistency throughout the document. While they may seem like a good option, fancy fonts can be an eyesore equally as images and tables, so it’s best to leave them out.

If unsure, check for punctuation use and avoid leaving big chunks of white space. To give you some idea of how a proper resume should look like when it comes to structuring it, OysterLink as the platform that caters to the needs of employers and employees alike can provide you with advice on the specifics (e.g. format, contact information, experience, skills, certifications). This along with a template is the perfect example you could use as a reference in landing your next job.

Wrong Size

On the one hand, writing a short resume (e.g. half a page) means failing to include some crucial bits of information that the hiring managers find essential about you in terms of experience, personality, or skills.

On the other hand, writing one that’s too long with all of your job history also sets you up for failure as it can easily overwhelm the reader with too much information that’s not exactly helpful for your application.

There’s no need to list every job that you’ve had over the years, but rather focus on the last 10 years of experience and relevant details for the hospitality industry. Remember, balance is key, and quality should always come over quantity. It’s necessary to include crucial information about your experience, hard and soft skills essential for the industry, and achievements that you find to be useful for the job listing you’re applying to get.

In general, the best resumes consist of a page or two at most, the first containing personal information and work experience and the second containing extensive qualifications and certificates. Two pages are usually the recommended number for people with more than a decade of experience. Graduates and those with limited experience should have a page, providing details about education and internships as well as volunteer work.

Generalization

Even if this isn’t your first application, it’s okay if you use the same PDF document of the resume you did for the last job listing – there’s no need to write a new one from scratch every time you’re interested in a new job. What’s not okay is using a generic version of it, bearing in mind it’s most likely to get your submission ignored. This is especially the case with one that contains outdated data, like experience or a hobby, that doesn’t truly add value.

The point is to stand out, and not blend in, and for that, it’s advisable to get in the habit of regularly updating the document. That is, every time you have a new achievement or skill relevant to the industry. Evaluate your responsibilities and contributions so that only those that would be considered important for the job and company you’re applying for would make it to the list.

Going the extra mile with tailoring the resume to the job requirements, and also the company you’re applying for, can set you apart from other applicants right from the start. It’s the small details that make the most difference as it shows you took the time with the extra effort. It’s further a good indicator of your interest plus familiarity with the specific industry sector and company, rather than merely being an opportunity you use for a job you’d like to get just so you have one more for the resume.

A little customization goes a long way, and OysterLink.com provides all the info you may require with all the resources they have available. Do your homework by browsing through the user-friendly website, and you’re sure to find everything you need to educate yourself on the industry, a specific sector, or a company, assisting you with the best prep