UNH Today

Have you created and/or updated your resume recently? Career and Professional Success recommends updating your resume each semester to keep on top of new skills and experiences. As you edit, keep the following common mistakes in mind to make sure your document remains at the top of the pile.

1. Careless errors and typos

A grammatical error can be the first and last impression you make with a potential employer. Using spellcheck isn’t enough. Be aware of spelling, verb tense and word choice variation. Have your resume reviewed, then reviewed again. Additional sets of eyes will pick up errors you overlooked.

Start your bullet points with strong action verbs and quantify, where appropriate. This ensures your reader will have a clear picture of your skills and abilities.

2. Focused on duties rather than accomplishments

An impressive resume showcases an individual’s accomplishments in a particular position or role. Employers are interested in how you impacted an organization rather than what your particular job duties were. So instead of listing what you were expected to do in your role, highlight how you contributed to the organization.

3. Being too general

Write as an outsider. Be specific enough for your audience to visualize you in each experience. Start your bullet points with strong action verbs and quantify, where appropriate. This ensures your reader will have a clear picture of your skills and abilities. 

4. Poor formatting and/or visual appeal

Being too flashy and being too bland are dangerous territories for a resume. You want your document to be aesthetically pleasing to your audience. Are you consistent in your format? Is your font professional? Be aware of white space. Cramped wording will make it difficult to read your resume. Too much white space is a lost opportunity to expand on some of your experiences.

Find more tips and tricks as well as resume templates for each college and many individual majors at UNH. To have your resume reviewed by a member of the Career and Professional Success team, come to Career Express drop-in hours (held Monday through Wednesday and Friday during the academic year) or schedule a one-on-one career counseling appointment in Wildcat Careers.

Stephanie Banks is the Career Counselor in the St. Martin Career Exploration Office within the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture's Career and Professional Success team. See more tips and tricks from Stephanie and the COLSA team.