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Job seekers may be facing a more competitive job market in 2024, as the latest jobs report revealed the unemployment rate ticked higher in February.
In this tough market, it’s crucial for job seekers to make a great first impression on their resume. However, there are some common pitfalls to avoid.
Fox News Digital spoke to two career experts who gave tips for job seekers on how to clean up their resumes and stick out from the crowd.
The biggest red flag, according to Jason Greer of Jason Greer Consulting, is being “defensive” instead of offensive in your writing.
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Experts weighed in on the top mistakes they see on resumes. (iStock / iStock)
“[T]hey are coming from the perspective of ‘Let me tell people [what] I think they want to hear, in order to get the job,’” he explained.
“What I encourage all job-seekers to do specifically in their resume is to write from the perspective that you are the trophy… Companies have then earned that right to have you work for them, which means you write your resume, according to what you’ve done, according to what you’ve accomplished, according to who you are with a bunch of heart,” Greer continued.
Employers want to see the impact you’ve made in your past roles rather than every task you’ve completed, according to Elaine Abate, an entrepreneur and former global director of talent acquisition with Anheuser-Busch InBev.
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“It can be tempting to list out everything you’ve ever done in an effort to communicate importance or relevance. However, employers are interested in the impact that you’ve been able to generate,” she said.
Abate suggested using strong verbs such as “built,” “designed,” “contributed,” “grew,” or “developed,” instead of using phrases like “responsible for.”
The expert also explained how to “quantify” success. For example, you can use terms like “increased sales by X or reduced time to market by Y.”
“Where you can’t quantify, do your best to qualify. Provide a sense of the size, scale, and scope of what you’re up to,” she continued.
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Having an unexplained gap in work history can also raise a red flag for employers. (iStock / iStock)
Forgetting to check for typos is another common mistake. Abate advised job seekers to utilize A.I. tools like Grammarly to help clean up their grammar and syntax.
“Don’t let easily corrected mistakes communicate that you don’t pay attention to detail or care enough about the application to do these revisions,” she said.
Employers are also looking for applicants to be upfront and honest about work history and job expectations, according to both experts.
Furthermore, resumes with unexplained discrepancies can hurt your chances, Abate went on to explain.
Make sure you’re telling “a consistent story across all platforms where potential employers might find you,” she advised.
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It’s also important to communicate job expectations from the beginning, Greer stressed, as more companies shift away from remote work.
“One of the biggest trends that I see in 2024 that people do not want to get with, but is coming, is the return to office… Resumes that are prioritized are those resumes where people say upfront, ‘I am fine with working in the office five days a week if that’s what the job entails.’ What that says to potential employers, is that this person is willing to work with us. This person values culture and this person is not so stubborn in their beliefs. If we decide that we want to return to office, it feels good knowing that at least we have that one person who will not fight us on it,” he explained.
A recent report from ResumeBuilder.com found 70% of workers said a higher salary was their top priority in 2024, and 43% of workers who have been forced to return to the office say that policy was a factor in their search for a new job.
Furthermore, 60% said they “want to work less than frequently from the office” than is currently required by their employer, “24% want to work from the office less than once per week” and “17% want to be fully remote.”
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Other experts say that keeping an open line of communication during the hiring process will help avoid misunderstandings about job expectations.
“Open and frequent communication — from both the employer and employee during the hiring process and once the employee is on board — is absolutely critical to ensure that both parties make the right decision,” Jeri Hawthorne, SVP, chief human resources officer for Aflac previously told Fox Business.
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FOX Business’ Jeffrey Clark and Erica Lamberg contributed to this report.
