5 Mistakes in Writing a Tech Resume and How to Fix Them

You found your dream job and applied for it. Congratulations! 

The problem is you didn’t get a callback. Maybe it’s time to start reevaluating and revamping your resume. 

You might ask: why is nailing your resume so important? Most hiring managers scan through your resume for about six to seven seconds, thus making your resume the most crucial 7-second ticket to landing your dream tech job. So, you might want to write it wisely. 

We want every talented developer to land their dream jobs, so we compiled a list of common mistakes candidates make in writing their resumes.

1. Poor Formatting

You can be the best candidate for the job but may have the poorest resume format that hiring managers find hard to scan. 

What makes poor formatting?

• Inconsistent fonts
• Different styles of bullet points
• Too much bolding 
• Not uniform alignment
• Uneven spacing 

All these can make your resume confusing and hard to understand at first glance. 

How to fix them: 

Make sure you:

• Use the same font throughout your resume,
• Stick with one style of bullet points
• Don’t go overboard with bolding details
• Be consistent with the alignment
• Apply the same line and paragraph spacing

2. Typos and other Grammatical Errors

Joining a company requires professionalism, in fact, it should begin with your resume. Hiring managers might read between the lines and draw some not-so-flattering conclusions about you if your resume is filled with typos or typographical and grammatical errors. 

That is why your resume must be grammatically perfect to avoid conclusions like “This person is too lazy to double-check his resume.” or “This person is a poor communicator.”

Remember, tech development requires attention to detail, and not grammatically perfecting your resume speaks so much about you as a tech developer.

How to fix them: 

• Use typing assistant applications that review spelling, grammar, clarity, engagement, punctuation, and delivery mistakes.
• Ask a friend or family member to look at your resume and give you feedback.

3. Not Tailoring Your Resume to the Position

Your one-size-fits-all resume no longer works in this day and age. Submitting the same resume over and over again for every tech job opening screams your lack of effort and interest. Of course, you wouldn’t want hiring managers to think that of you, would you?

How to fix them: 

• Take time to study the job ads posted and write your resume according to the requirements the company is looking for:
• Highlight the skills you have that fit
• Use the keywords in the job posting
• Mention your strengths that work well with the company’s culture

4. Too Much on Your Technical Experience

You might think of this as confusing but hear us out. Going along with what was mentioned above, just because you’re applying for a tech job doesn’t mean you should mention all your technical experiences and subsequently end up with a four-page experience section.

How to fix them: 

• Keep it simple and straightforward. Don’t go writing a novel to explain your technical experiences.
• Include only details and experiences relevant to the position you were applying for and make sure it fits the job description.

5. Your Email Address and Other Links

Your resume would likely include your email address and other links to showcase your work experience. Indeed, this can be good or bad for you, depending on how well you utilize them.

•  An unprofessional email address. Using inappropriate or unprofessional email addresses can consequently be a big no-no for recruiters. 
• Non-clickable or broken links. Recruiters seldom copy-paste links included in the resume; they click the link to be redirected. 
• Links to outdated LinkedIn, empty Github, and other websites. Hiring managers that take an initial interest in your resume will likely check out the links you included in it. 
• Using the full URL of your links. Never paste full-length URLs in your resume if you plan to send it via email. 

How to fix them: 

• Use a simple email address using a variation of your first and last names, and avoid using codenames as they will appear unprofessional.
• Make sure the link is clickable and accessible. 
• Make sure your LinkedIn profile is updated, and your Github and other projects have good and clean codes they could look at. Remember to prioritize quality over quantity. 
• Hide your links behind texts that describe what those links are for. 

On the whole, these mistakes could be ruining your 7-second ticket to landing the job. How many of these mistakes did you commit in writing your own resume?

Assess your current resume and check if you are currently making these mistakes. Learn from these mistakes, then correct them. Only then will you become one step closer to getting the job of your dreams.

Be on Top of the Tech Job Hunt

So, you corrected your resume? That’s great!

But if you want to take it up a notch and stand out from the rest; include your programming IQ in your resume. What is that and how? Data Compass developed an assessment tool called PIQ or Programming IQ, that gauges a tech talent’s logic formulation, problem-solving and analytical skills in programming fundamentals. With Data Compass you can be the top pick for your dream destination brand.

You’re welcome to send us an email if you want to be updated about the launch of Data Compass or check out our FB page and other social media accounts to see some of our activities. We’d love to hear from you!