Reasons Employers Reject Your Resume

Your Resume

Finding a job is not an easy task, What will make you stand out from the rest of the candidates, if you have the same qualifications and experience? It's your resume. Your resume reaches your prospective recruiter before you do, and makes the first impression.

Reasons Employers Reject Your Resume:
1. Your resume is too long: A resume is not a book, nor is it an article. Your resume should convey the maximum information in the fewest of words. The longer your resume, the greater the chances of the employer of tossing it aside simply because he/she doesn't have the time to go through it.

Keep these facts in mind when deciding on resume length:

Your resume is a career marketing tool, not an autobiography. Strive to keep your resume concise and focused on your key selling points. Let go of past experiences that don't market you for your current goal. Every word in the resume should sell your credentials and value to a potential employer. You should also leave something to talk about in the interview.
It's common for employers or recruiters to sort through hundreds, or even thousands, of resumes to fill one position. 

Use a one-page resume : 

•     You have less than 10 years of experience.
•     You're pursuing a radical career change, and your experience isn't relevant to your new goal.
•     You've held one or two positions with one employer.

Use a two-page resume:

•  You have 10 or more years of experience related to your goal.
• Your field requires technical or engineering skills, and you need space to list and prove your technical knowledge.Put the most important information at the top of the first page. Lead your resume with a career summary so your key credentials appear at the forefront of the resume. On the second page, include a page number and your name and contact information.

Consider a three-page resume or longer :

•     You're a senior-level manager or executive with a long track record of leadership accomplishments.
•    You are in an academic or scientific field with an extensive list of publications, speaking engagements, professional courses, licenses or patents.

2. You list irrelevant work experience: Many people take up jobs in more than one field, but this doesn't mean you squeeze in everything in your resume. Your resume should be tailored for the job you are applying for, and unnecessary information should be left out. The recruiter only wants to know your skills that will be of use in the field you are applying for. A crisper resume will show you are focused, and can stick to the task at hand.

3. Typo, bad English: Spelling mistakes and bad grammar are the first things any recruiter will notice. Before giving a detailed look at your resume, a recruiter is most likely to give a cursory glance, and a spelling mistake is something you cannot afford. Proof-read your resume before sending it out.

4. You don't highlight your achievements correctly: Nobody wants to know if you won a painting competition in school. Write out your relevant achievements correctly and also how they have helped the company. Spell out the role you have played and the direct result of your achievement. Explain what exactly you did, the challenges you faced and how you overcame those. Again, it's important to stick to the role you are applying for.

5. You don't have a clear objective: The internet is full of resume objectives, and recruiters probably have them memorized. So don't make the mistake of lifting something off the web. Tailor your objective for the position you are applying for. List out what you intent to do if you get that job. The recruiter should know the goals you have for his/her company specifically.

Mistakes that may get your CV trashed

A cluttered CV

I have seen CVs where people simply dump all possible information and expect recruiters to scroll through them to find out relevant details. The only destiny these CVs have is getting the 'delete' key pressed and landing up in the trash bins.

HR people get hundreds of applications for a single position. They don't have the time to sift through your CV and see if each candidate suits their purpose. So, it is your job to make your CV as user-friendly, so that they can find the information they are looking for in a single glance.

Grammatical and spelling mistakes

Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes not only look shabby, but they reveal a lot about your attitude. If I receive a business proposal with grammar and spelling mistakes, the first thing I would think is, "Is this person really serious about the business?"

Similarly, a CV with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes will suggest that you do not care enough for this opportunity, you are lazy and you do not have an eye for detail. Nobody wants to hire an employee with any of these characteristics. So it's a given that such CVs are headed to the rejected pile.

Past failures and/or health problems

Your CV is not the place for you to talk about past failures or health problems, so keep them off paper. Some people may argue that almost everybody has the sense not to write about failures and health problems on CVs and while I agree with them, it's been known to happen.

So this pointer is for those who do commit this mistake. Take a look at your CV again and if you have addressed any of these problems directly or indirectly, it is wise to edit them out.

Current or expected CTC ( CTC means Cost To the Company)

Many of us have developed the habit of writing about our current salary or expected salary on a CV, as we assume all prospective employers are going to ask about it, or that most job notifications require it. My humble advice to you is not to mention it on the CV, unless specifically asked to do so.

While many employers will ask for it at this stage, there exist those who have a fixed salary for each grade. Also, there are those who are happy to negotiate the salary for the right kind of candidate. Writing your CTC on your CV may have you come across as an expensive employee, or in the case of your expected CTC, you may be asking for a sum far below what the potential employer is willing to pay.

So it is better to bring money matters into the discussion a little later. When you appear for the interview you will get a better idea of the employer, which will help you negotiate better when the chance arises.

Vague/unclear contact details

Picture this situation -- you have a menu card from a nearby restaurant in front of you. You like the dishes they serve and the price is right too. You are impressed by the fact that they deliver within 10 minutes. You pick up the phone to make a call, but are not able to find the telephone number on the menu card. You look a second time, but you are still not able to find it. You're hungry and there's another menu card from another restaurant right in front of you, which looks equally good.

What will you do? Won't you immediately place an order with the restaurant that offers a number and ask them to send the food ASAP? Later, you may realise that there was a phone number on the first menu card, hidden somewhere in a corner, but the opportunity is gone now. You may land up in a similar situation if your contact details are not clear or not easy to find for employers. Some other things to note here are:

    Provide a phone number where potential employers can talk to you directly and don't have to go through your parents or friends.
    Keep the e-mail addresses formal -- mostly a combination of your first and last name
    Keep the e-mail address small and uncomplicated to avoid any typing mistakes if employers decide to contact you online.

Writing a CV is not a difficult task. The best person to do it is you. The only thing you need is to analyse your candidature properly and present it well. You will need to draft and re-draft your CV many times before you are finally happy with it.

Kshipra Singh is a contributor to CareerRide.com, a website that offers a common platform for employers and candidates to discuss career opportunities.