Resumes are your tickets to a better job. They can even be your best bet to grab your dream job. Hence, a single mistake in building your resume and you might miss a job opportunity. When you are planning and designing your resume in 2014, you should keep in mind the mistakes, which were common earlier. It will help you avoid them and build a comprehensive resume.

Creating a Dull Resume Full of Text and Information

Already have a long and dull resume with loads of information written on it? It’s time to do away with it. Always remember that the recruiter will give only a passing look at your resume when seeing it among a bunch of other profiles. And you have just that much time to impress your potential employer. Always keep in mind the old adage: a picture speaks a thousand words. Think twice before building a resume, which appears plain and simple with only words typed on it. Add a few images; insert a few clip arts; sprinkle a few shades and colors — and your resume will be ready enough to stand apart even amid tough competition.

Building a Skill-focused Resume

You might be highly skilled and have won wide acclaims across the industry for your performance. However, mentioning only your skills in the resume is a thing of the past. Gone are the days when skill-based resumes used to be the favorite among the applicants and the recruiters. Currently, achievement-focused resumes rule the roost in the process of job search. Saved time or money of your employer through some outstanding performance? Design the resume in the perfect way so that these find a mention there. These resumes follow the simple rule: results speak for themselves. Avoid mentioning merely the duties that you performed at the past companies, but try to add tangible achievements. You can even state quantify the accomplishments of your career to make it more objective and attractive.

Remaining Inactive on the Social Media Websites

This is probably one of the biggest mistakes you can make in 2014 if you are planning to search for a job. Being unsocial online is no more a positive characteristic. Quite a few social media websites have emerged over the years. People from across the globe are present on these sites. The profiles created on these websites are usually informal. Besides, they also help to portray a clear picture of your personal self. You should always remember that most of the potential employees are going to search for your profile on the social media websites. Hence, remaining inactive on these websites is going to have a negative effect on your job search efforts.

Remaining Indifferent about the Resume’s Design

Gone are the days when you needed just a few scribes on a sheet of paper. Such resumes look dull in an age when executive resumes are carving out a niche for themselves among the job seekers. There is no reason why you should stick to the old-age resumes instead of designing a new one, especially when it is going to be your ticket to a brighter career. You should take proper care of the design of the resume. Use the perfect colors wherever necessary and ensure that the overall appearance is good enough to set you apart even amid tough competition.

Not Telling Your Story through the Resume

Do you have a resume, which only has a number of lists of bullet points? Listing some of the skills in the resume is a thing of the past. Recruiters now look for a comprehensive resume, which present a complete story of the product you are marketing – YOU. It is important to tell the story of your complete career in the most engaging manner possible. Mention the obstacles that you faced and how you overcame them. Always remember that a grabbing story of your career will be one of the best things to attract the attention of the recruiters.

Not Taking Websites, such as LinkedIn into Account

An executive touch to your resume can also fetch great results. Majority of the job portals accept executive resumes, which are designed in a formal manner. This holds true for sites, such as LinkedIn as well. In the years to come, LinkedIn is going to be a favorite among the job seekers in near future. Hence, you should plan and design your resume in a way, which is compatible for searching jobs on LinkedIn. Your LinkedIn profile should also be written keeping in mind the search engine optimization aspect. It will help to maximize the visit of the potential recruiters to your profile and thus, increase the visibility of your resume.

Do away with the mistakes in building your resume, which were common earlier. And the year 2014 can turn out to be a great one for you. With a comprehensive resume, you will be able to get interview calls from different companies, which you could not even expect earlier.