Job Hunting Tips for Veterans: 7 Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Job Hunting Tips for Veterans: 7 Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Getting ready for a job hunt after leaving the military?

Want to make sure your resume is the best that it can be?

If you're recently out of the military and looking for a job, it can be tricky making the transition. It's also important to make sure you avoid the most common mistakes when creating your resume.

Luckily, we're here to help. Below we'll look at the biggest resume mistakes that you need to be aware of.

1. Using Too Much Military Jargon

One of the biggest mistakes veterans make when creating their resume is using too many military words or jargon that the general public isn't familiar with. Too much military jargon can make your resume difficult to comprehend for many recruiters and employers.

The way your resume appears can influence how they see you fitting any particular position. Leave the military jargon out so that the average employer will be able to easily understand what skills and experience you can bring to the job.

2. Leaving Off Contact Information

While this may seem like a simple mistake, leaving your contact information off of your resume can also be a big problem. When making your resume you need to double check that you've remembered to write in a way for employers to get in touch if they're interested.

You should also ensure that all of the contact information on your resume is relevant and up-to-date whether that includes an email address or phone numbers. Also keep in mind that while putting your home address probably isn't necessary, you should at least put your city name on the resume so that any employer will know that you're in their area.

3. Not Formatting It Well

When you're trying to create the perfect resume, a big part of that includes not just what the resume says but also how it presents everything you have to offer. Understand the importance of great formatting when building your resume.

Everything on your resume should look very organized and you should avoid cluttering it up too much. A great format will be easy for an employer to scan quickly. They should be able to easily understand what skills, education, and past experiences you have had with only a passing glance.

Remember that a great format will help ensure you're presenting yourself in the best light and an employer can quickly understand what's unique about you.

4. Including Photos

There are many resume formats to choose when building your resume and some of it is up to personal preference. However, keep in mind that you usually shouldn't include photos on your resume. 

You may mistakenly have heard that you should include your professional military photo on your resume, but that is usually not the best idea. Employers usually don't expect to see any photos on a resume.

It's best to stick to important information about your skills, experience, and education. The employer will have the chance to see you in person once they schedule an interview.

5. Giving Too Much Personal Information

Another mistake that veterans often make when filling out their resume is to add in too much unnecessary personal information.

Information that interviewers aren't allowed to ask you about shouldn't have a place on your resume. Remember that you shouldn't put your age, your marital status, or things such as race or religion. Your interests and hobbies usually shouldn't have a place on your resume, either.

Finally, you shouldn't put any information about disabilities or limitations you have either. As long as you can perform the job you're applying for, physical or mental issues won't be relevant and shouldn't be mentioned.

6. Making It Too Long

When creating your resume you should aim to keep it short. One or two pages is usually ideal.

While there is no definitive answer for how long it should be, you shouldn't take any more space than you have to for describing your experience, education, and other achievements.

Hiring managers are busy and want to see the most important and relevant things about you in a quick and manageable way. A resume that's too long may frustrate them or make them overlook your resume completely. Make sure that it's short and you're only listing what is most relevant about you and the job you're applying for.

7. Not Proofreading It

One big thing that can be a problem on a resume are typos, misspellings, and grammatical mistakes.

A resume that is full of these errors may indicate to an employer that you have a poor attention to detail or that you aren't serious about applying for the position. Make sure you've checked and double checked your resume to make sure it is free from errors and mistakes.

If necessary give your resume to a friend or family member to read over to catch anything you didn't notice. The presentation is everything with your resume, and many misspellings and grammar mistakes may distract a hiring manager from understanding what you're capable of.

Taking the Time to Correct These Resume Mistakes

If you're out of the military and putting effort into getting a job, you need to make sure you avoid the biggest resume mistakes listed above. Don't waste your time and effort applying for jobs when your resume isn't the best it can be.

By taking the time to tweak your resume to perfection, you'll do yourself a huge favor and will have a much easier time with your search.

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