Hasta La Ideas

Are you still sending out your resume as a word doc rather than a PDF or trying to hide gaps in employment by experimenting with format (skills-based resume, anyone)? While the reasons you’re chosen or not for an interview can remain a mystery, the resume mistakes that will dampen your chances aren’t.

One thing to keep in mind is the perspective of your potential employer, who may be sifting through hundreds of applications. Make your resume accessible and easy to understand, because the likelihood is that the hiring manager won’t have the time to decipher a poorly formatted resume. Plus, there are other ways to prove a gap isn’t a big deal:

Sometimes resume experts suggest using skill-based formatting to hide employment gaps. However, recruiter [Aimée] Starck urges applicants to just be honest. “They’re going to get to the bottom of it regardless, so I would be up front about it,” she says, whether [the gaps are] due to family obligations, illness or unemployment.

Employers do want to make sure you’re not out of the loop, so be sure to stay informed about your industry. “It’s important to… make sure that if you’re trying to get back into the industry that you can talk intelligently about [trends],” says Starck.

For more, read: 7 Red Flags on Your Resume — and How to Fix ‘Em Fast

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