Top Mistakes You Need to Avoid when Writing a Resume

In the professional world, a good resume is key to finding a job. Whether it’s your first job or you’re advancing to a higher position, a well-crafted resume is paramount. This is especially true when you are writing a resume for an IT or cyber-related position. This month at Aspis, we are taking a wider look at resumes as a whole. Each week, we will offer a new blog with more resume tips. our team will cover what you should add to your resume, the top mistakes people make when writing a resume, and how to make your resume stand out. Now is a great time to be hunting for a job.

Many companies, Aspis included, are hiring right now giving many job seekers hope to find their dream job. Our goal is that this blog, and the future resume blogs, will help you improve your resume and help you find a job that works well for you.

I recently sat down with Jeff Wagner, Aspis’ founder, and CEO, to discuss resumes. Jeff has held a wide variety of positions in the cybersecurity world over the years and has overseen the hiring for a wide variety of different positions. In this week’s blog, we are focusing on resume mistakes that could cost you the interview. Any time you look at a lot of resumes, you’re going to be seeing a lot of mistakes. When applying for a job, the last thing you want is for the person reading your resume to lose interest. After talking with Jeff, it seemed like most resume mistakes fell into 2 categories: appearance and content.

Mistake #1) How does it look?

You may think this seems too basic. Of course, you want a good-looking resume. But what does that really mean? It’s all about readability. Firstly, your resume should probably all be on one page. Unless you have 20+ years of experience or are applying for a senior position, you don’t need more than one page. If you are struggling to put all your work experience on one page, stop trying. You probably don’t need to include every single job you’ve ever worked. Applying for a cybersecurity job? It’s probably not super important to include your high school job at Burger King. This leads us perfectly to the next point: Avoid having a ‘general’ resume. You don’t want to submit the same resume for every single position. You want to tailor your resume depending on what you are applying for.

Personally, I keep a ‘master’ resume that has all my work experience and all my skills; really anything that could ever go on a resume. When I go to apply for a job, I pick and choose things from the master resume to include on that specific resume.

Visual Resume Tips:

Keep it to 1 page
Cater the design to your audience
Only include an objective if it adds to your resume
Create a master resume of all of your experiences

Mistake #2) How is the content?

Obviously, you can have the prettiest resume in the world, but if the content of the resume is bad, you won’t get the job. Make sure to heavily consult the job application when building your resume. In fact, your resume should very closely map the application for the job that you are applying for. Does the job application say that it requires candidates to know a certain coding language? You better have that in your resume. Does the application ask for 5 years of experience doing graphic design? Put it in your resume. When looking at applicants, most hiring managers only care about your past 5 years of experience. So, unless there’s something super relevant that you did 10 years ago, stick to more recent things. Remember to include what you did, why it mattered, and what impact it had in every experience.

Content Resume Tips:

Check your grammar
Input key words that the job asks for into your resume
Use numbers to showcase your impact
Avoid long paragraphs and focus on bullet points

The big thing to remember here is quality over quantity. No one wants to read a 3-page resume filled with junk. Look at the application and build your resume based on that. Don’t overthink it. If you need help getting started, there are a ton of great resume templates out there. These will get you pointed in the right direction. We previously covered things to add to your resume. Now you know what to avoid. Later this week, you can read our blog that is focused on how to make a resume stand out. Writing a resume can be stressful, but Aspis is here to help. Keep an eye on our social media pages for more helpful resumes and cybersecurity tips! Want more resume mistakes you need to avoid? Check out our other resume blogs below.

Aspis is Hiring!

The Aspis team is hiring! With the new year comes a huge growth for our firm. Aspis offers great pay, amazing benefits, and lastly a fantastic community of cyber enthusiasts. To learn more about our open positions click here

Who is Aspis Consulting?

Aspis is a cybersecurity and administrative service firm headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Starting in 2019 with a goal of democratizing cybersecurity, Aspis believes that all businesses deserve to feel safe from cyber threats. Because of that we took our government-level services and offer them to small businesses for a price they can afford. With additional branches in Duluth, Minnesota, and Washington DC Aspis has grown to become a national brand and has helped countless businesses with their cybersecurity needs. Our team offers a full suite of services including Darkweb Monitoring Solutions, Cybersecurity Management Consulting, and Cybersecurity Consulting to both our commercial and government clients. Our organization has been featured in countless publications including Forbes, IBM, and the US Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Aspis is proudly HUBZone certified and a national LGBT Business Enterprise.

To learn more on how Aspis can help you with your cybersecurity needs check out our website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We post things to stay up to do on cybersecurity news, company updates, and need-to-know tips.

Additionally, check out some of our other blogs here: