Hiring Managers' No. 1 Resume Pitfall

According to a recent survey conducted by CareerBuilder, 66 percent of hiring managers throw a resume in the "no" pile if they see a typo. Other mistakes hiring managers mentioned included using an inappropriate email address and resumes with too much text and not enough white space.

If you are worried about having a resume filled with typos, take these steps to help clean it up:

•       Have a friend review your resume.
•         Let your draft sit for several days before you look at it again. Fresh eyes are more likely to see mistakes.
•        Read it out loud.

No. 1 Resume/Cover Letter Mistake

We have all made mistakes on our resumes and cover letters.  However, there is one correctable mistake I see applicants make all of the time: not tailoring a resume/cover letter for the position.

Applicants need to draft their cover letters and resumes to show how they meet the listed job qualifications. If a job posting says the position requires five years of supervisory experience, that should be one of the first items an applicant shares on his or her cover letter/resume.

A cover letter should mirror the job description--except it will describe how an applicant specifically meets the stated qualifications. For example: While employed for XXXX, I spent four years supervising a staff of eight employees. In this supervisory role, I helped each employee set goals, monitored their project status, etc.