Article Keyword Videos to Watch
Careers
Click on the image to start the video.
|
Related Topics
Images - Links - Articles
Denver
Related Images
|
Why a Poor Resume Can be Detrimental to Your Career Chances
You might have carefully chosen your undergraduate college, wishing to attend an institution that was highly-respected in your chosen field. If you went on to receive an advanced degree, you were probably quite careful to take those courses that would best prepare you for your professional life. Over the years, you’ve given careful thought to cultivating mentors, gaining networking skills, and amassing an impressive work record.
And yet, your entire career could easily be sabotaged—if you fail to come up with a winning resume. At first, you might be quite skeptical of the notion that your resume could carry such weight. After all, it’s just a piece of paper or two. However, in actuality, a poorly-constructed resume could set you back for a number of reasons:
It Makes an Employer Question Your Professionalism
If your resume is filled with spelling errors, an employer is likely to characterize you as careless. If the document appears to have some key words missing, the hiring manager might think that you are not detail-oriented. Any grammatical mistake could cause a human resources executive to think that you are poorly-educated—or that you were slacking off in school when you should have been studying.
If your resume lacks structure, the prospective employer might believe that you have difficulty with problem-solving tasks. Similarly, if your resume is not in a standard format, an employer might think that you are unfamiliar with standard business procedures. When you produce a professional resume, an employer will consider you to be a professional. By the same token, if you create a substandard resume, a recruiter will think that you are not up to the job.
It Makes an Employer Question Your Commitment
Individuals who are truly committed to their careers put forth their best effort each day in every circumstance. They realize that each task that they are assigned, no matter how small it may be, is important. There’s an old workplace adage which goes, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” What this means is that busy people tend to be conscientious people—and conscientious people are more likely to produce superior work.
A sloppy resume tells an employer that you don’t care enough to do your best. If you cannot be trusted to compose a simple resume, how can you be trusted to serve in a sensitive, high-ranking position within a business? When your resume is below par, it tells an employer that you really don’t want the job—and you are not all that interested in advancing your career.
It Leaves an Unflattering Impression
Not only will a poor resume ruin your chances of securing a given job—it may also prevent you from getting future jobs. Here’s the reason: Even though you may not be particularly well-suited for an advertised position, you may be an appropriate candidate for another position within the company. However, you might never be considered for that future post—if you’ve left a poor impression with one company manager.
It Could Jeopardize Your Networking Opportunities
You might be surprised at how small the business world can be. A manager at one company could jump ship tomorrow, ending up with his former employer’s chief competitor. Therefore, you need to realize that you could meet a hiring manager again at a different company sometime in the future. If your first introduction to the manager is in the form of a poorly-crafted resume, he may remember you down the line—and recall that you made a poor showing. As a result, you’ve turned a potential ally into a critic—a person who may not be willing to give you a second chance.
It Will Cost You Interviews
If you e-mail a resume that is unprofessional in every sense of the word, it is unlikely that you will be interviewed. There is just too much competition nowadays for every available position. Some Fortune 500 companies receive more than 1,000 resumes every week. Since many—if not most—of those resumes will be letter-perfect, what hope do you possibly have of being called in for an interview if your resume is perceived to be poor?
Remember, you simply cannot rely on your networking skills alone to secure job interviews. While a winning personality can help you to make valuable contacts, it cannot overcome a lackluster resume. Like it or not, you will be judged on the quality of your resume. A hiring manager would have serious difficulty justifying granting you an interview if you failed to submit a high-caliber resume.
It Could be a Serious Blow to Your Ego
If you submit a poor resume and a hiring manager calls attention to the fact, it could cause you to lose self-confidence. You may be reluctant to take risks in your career, fearing that your attempts will end in failure. You may even be hesitant to apply for other jobs, thinking that you could not possibly produce a resume that will make a favorable impression on an employer.
It Could Make it Difficult for You to Recover Lost Ground
While opportunities can spring up at anytime, there are certain opportunities that are, quite simply, once-in-a-lifetime events. If you submit a poor resume for a job at a critical stage in your career, it may be months—even years—before a job with similar potential comes your way. In essence, each opportunity is precious and should be treated like a fine jewel. You would use the best equipment possible to mine for diamonds—why wouldn’t you use the best tool you could come up with to apply for a job?
Why Take the Chance?
Given all the negative consequences which result from submitting a poor resume, why would any serious job applicant take the chance? A resume of less-than-stellar quality reflects badly on you, your current employer, your alma mater—even your mentors. By going the extra mile and ensuring that your resume is top-of-the-line, you will be in the best possible position as far as your job application is concerned. And that could do wonders for your career.
About the Author: This article was written by the certified professional resume writers of Resume Writing Services. The writers at AccuroResumes will help create a perfect professional resume suited to your best needs. See why thousands of people are discovering the benefits of a perfect professional resume written by AccuroResumes.com. You are guaranteed to be 100% satisfied with your new, professional resume or, your money back. Reproductions of this article are encouraged, but must include a link pointing to http://www.AccuroResumes.com/.
|
