Lies in a Resume Are Easily Uncovered

When applying for a job advertisement, do not approach it superficially. Start by tailoring your application and resume to that specific employer. Do not send generic applications; no one likes that and it makes you appear unserious.

The portal MojPosao.net offers several tips on how to improve your resume: 

1) List Achievements 
Most people, when applying for a job, list their responsibilities in their application or resume. Be different and highlight your achievements. Responsibilities, in fact, tell what the employer already knows, while achievements are individual – they do not say what you did, but how you did it! 

2) Use Numbers 
If you want to highlight more achievements, number them so that the reader of your resume can easily navigate through the information you provide. Similarly, when talking about achievements, try to express them in numbers, percentages – if possible. This shows that you have facts at your disposal. 

3) Tailor Your Resume
Do not send the same resume and application to several different advertisements. Instead, customize them for each individual employer (advertisement). This will take you a little more time, but everyone likes to see that you took the time to stand out specifically for them and that you are not ‘just another one in the line’. 

4) Be More Specific 
When connecting your skills with work experience in your resume, be as precise as possible. For example, do not say that you were willing to put in extra effort to satisfy the client. Instead, specifically explain what you did to ensure the client was satisfied. 

5) Identify the Problem of Your Potential Employer 
When you want to work for someone, you must know what the biggest challenge that employer is facing is. Only when you know that can you explain very concretely how you can help solve that problem. 

6) Select Work Experience
There is no need to list all the jobs you have done so far, but rather those that are the same or in any way close to the job you want to apply for now. 

7) Sell Yourself 
Do not be embarrassed to highlight your own achievements, virtues, recommendations… of course, be careful not to come off as narcissistic, but there is nothing wrong with a little self-praise. 

8) Do Not Lie in Your Resume
Keep in mind that even the smallest lie in a resume can be easily uncovered. Losing a good job is one thing, but losing your reputation is another! 

9) Eliminate the Unnecessary
Employers do not have much time… highlight the most important, be brief and clear, very precise! 

10) Number the Pages of Your Resume 
Although a good resume fits on one sheet of paper, there are many quality resumes that span two or even three pages. Be sure to number them – this is a detail that the employer may take for granted, but if it is missing, they will certainly consider it a mistake. 

11) Check Your Resume Before Sending
And several times, if necessary. There is nothing worse than noticing a mistake afterward. 

12) Be Selective
When it comes to our past experience, we feel that all information is important. It is not. Try to view your resume from the perspective of a potential employer. Try to shorten it so that you leave only the information that will surely be useful and interesting to that employer. 

13) Assumptions 
When reading your resume, it is not enough for it to be clear only to you. It must be clear to anyone who will read it. Your friends, family members, and especially the employer. That is why it is so important for someone to read your resume before you send it. Someone who will honestly tell you if there are unclear parts of the text. 

14) Sum Up Your Thoughts
Before you start writing (or revising) your resume, think about the information that is important and needs to be highlighted. Consider the job you want to do, imagine that you are already doing that job… what skills will be particularly useful to you? Now proceed to compile your resume. It will be shorter, more precise, and more interesting. 

15) More Recent Work Experience is More Important
If you have changed several employers so far and have more than 10 years of work experience, highlight your more recent jobs. Along with the jobs you have already highlighted that are similar to the job you are applying for now. 

16) The Most Important Parts of the Resume
Make sure you have provided good contact information. If you have a two-page resume, ensure that the transition to the second page is neat, with a new thematic section, etc. 

17) Emphasis on Action
When writing a resume, it is better to use verbs instead of adjectives. This makes you sound proactive. Although the resume refers to the past, choose strong and impactful verbs that suggest that these are activities you will continue to do in the future. 

18) Show Interest
Of course, you show interest simply by applying for the advertisement, but that is not enough. Through your application, show that you have recognized the problems the employer is facing and that you could/know how to solve them. Be specific. 

19) Complement Your Resume with the Application 
Align the appearance of the application and resume (font size, spacing, font…). Ideally, the information from the application complements the information from the resume and vice versa. Do not repeat yourself. 

20) Remember Spelling
Where to place a comma, what to capitalize, abbreviations, rules when listing… these are all things we easily forget, and it is good to remind ourselves of them while compiling the application and resume.