Common Mistakes in an Academic Resume and How to Avoid them
Common Resume Mistakes: As the old adage says, “First impression is the last impression”. Similarly, your resume is your first impression on the Admission Committee. All your application documents do all the talking on your behalf and your resume is one important part of them. Thus, a resume devoid of mistakes surely goes a long way in casting a favourable impression of your candidature on the Admission Committee. An academic resume summarises one's academic and professional experiences. It is an important document which every employer would ask you to submit while applying for a job as the same will help them easily evaluate your achievements and decide if you're a good fit for their organisation. A well-created resume can assist you in standing out from other candidates, increasing your chances of selection.
This article discusses the common mistakes one tends to make in his/her resume and how to avoid them.
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Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid for Study Abroad
Here are a few common mistakes found in a resume:
Grammatical and typographical errors: This is the most common error found in a resume. You must proofread the resume several times before you actually submit it on the university website.
Very small font size or illegible fonts: Ideally you should use serif fonts. The more acceptable font sizes are Times New Roman or Ariel 11 points, but if you have to reduce the font size, say to create a one-page resume, the minimum you can use is 10-points. Use about 14 point size for the name and 10 point size for address and contact details.
Margins wider than required: Normal margins (one inch on all sides) are usually required and suggested. Making margins wider than that will squeeze your content in the middle of the page, resulting in a cluttered look.
No gap between headings: There must always be a blank line between each heading of the resume. This will make the resume clear and easily readable, which, of course, will work in your favour.
Use of paragraph format: Each section of the resume must be presented using bullet points. One must never describe any section in paragraph form.
Use of personal pronouns: This is a very common mistake in most resumes. Personal pronouns like I, me, myself, us, and we are never used in resumes.
Complicated structure: Your resume must be easy to read and thus comprehend. A complicated resume with too many textboxes/tables, special formatting or graphics is never appreciated by anyone, especially university admission committees.
Providing unnecessary/ irrelevant/ outdated details: Do not provide too many details on irrelevant topics or showcase experiences/ achievements that are from too far back in time. Just focus on the most significant and latest experiences and achievements which are related to the post you are applying for. State only the relevant details such as your work experience, education details, research experience, and the like.
Lack of specific information: Whatever information you provide in the resume must contain precision and quantification. A resume containing specific information will always receive preference over a resume containing generic content.
Just listing out your job responsibilities: Your role/ contribution to your team/ organization, should not be just ‘listed’. Rather, it should be presented as your accomplishment. Again, quantifying helps. Don’t just say what you did; talk about the outcomes/results of your actions.
Remember, in order to make an impressive resume, you must know your resume. You must never include anything in the CV you are unsure of. You must know exactly what and why you are including what you are including in the CV.
Too long or too short! Make sure that your resume is neither too short nor too long. In certain cases, if there is not much to write about, you may limit the resume length to one page, otherwise, a 1.5-page to two-page resume is considered most adequate.
Absence of strong actions verbs: Use of action verbs like ‘initiated’, ‘steered’, ‘led’, ‘established’ or ‘created’, demonstrate your leadership and innovative skills along with an out-of-the-box approach. Always try and use strong action verbs to begin each point.
Missing or incorrect information: You must check and recheck your resume, ensuring that it is not devoid of any required/important information. Remember, in order to make an impressive resume, you must know your resume, and never include anything in the CV that you are unsure of. It is also of prime importance that there is no incorrect/false information included in the resume.
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A passionate writer and a literature fanatic, Aishwarya Bhatnagar has 4+ years of experience - working in EdTech with a strong focus on studying abroad. She holds a postgraduate degree in Linguistics from Delhi Univ... Read Full Bio
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2 years ago
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Is it okay to list out hobbies in the educational resume?
Reply to shovan shrestha
a year ago
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Dear ShovanListing out hobbies in an academic CV (that is being prepared for abroad universities) is not a good idea. If you must, you may include them extracurricular activities but only if you have performed that activity on some level (like school, college, zone, district, state, national, or ...Dear Shovan
Listing out hobbies in an academic CV (that is being prepared for abroad universities) is not a good idea. If you must, you may include them extracurricular activities but only if you have performed that activity on some level (like school, college, zone, district, state, national, or international level). A certificate of participation or suchlike to support the activity might be required to prove the same. So, it is recommended to include only the things of which you have a proof.