Resume Mistake 1: Using the same resume for every job application

I have received a lot of good resumes that were quickly rejected. Why? Because when spending the first few seconds with the resume, it was not in alignment with the skills/education/experience I need to hire, I will quickly pass on the resume. Within the first 10 seconds, I should be able to glance at your resume and identify related coursework and academic projects, relevant work experience or student involvement, and transferable skills. This is not to say that as a college student I expect you to have a significant amount of industry-specific experience but if the first thing I read is a summary section that references unrelated experiences or skills, that’s an immediate red flag. Avoid this mistake by customizing your summary section to directly reference how you have prepared for the position I am hiring for and put your most related experiences (work, student clubs, academic projects, skills, etc.) toward the top of your resume. Unrelated job experience or other sections are welcome but emphasize transferable skills and use the same language mentioned in the job description whenever possible.

Resume Mistake 2: Work experience is lumped together.

All work experience is not created equal, and therefore should not be included in a single section. In a practical example, let's say a college student plans to apply to St. Luke’s. Over the past year, that student had a work-study position on campus, worked at Target in the summer, and volunteered with St. Luke’s. All three of those experiences should be on the resume, however considering only one of those experiences is with St. Luke’s and healthcare related- it should be listed first and easy to find. Putting all three experiences into a “Work Experience” section buries the most important experience and it might be overlooked. To avoid this mistake consider adding a “Related Experience” that includes the volunteer position and anything else healthcare-related (even academic projects!). All the other jobs can be included in a separate “Additional Experience” section lower on the page.

Resume Mistake 3: Templates and typos

The first two mistakes focused on content but format matters as well. There are lots of resume templates available, but I caution against all of them. It can be obvious to a hiring manager if you have used a template because your resume looks like dozens of others, and you also take the risk that the template does not prioritize the most important information or mismanages the space on the page. Your best bet is to create a resume in a Word document so that you control the formatting and can easily make updates and changes in the future. Watch for mismatched fonts, bullet spacing that doesn’t align, font size discrepancies, and other inconsistencies that make it feel sloppy or rushed. Simple typos or errors will jump out to a hiring manager and will create a poor first impression. Avoid this mistake by having your resume proofread and reviewed by the DeSales Career Center.

Your resume is your ticket to an interview, so it must:

• Be customized for the specific job
• Pass a ten second scan so that the most important and related information is
  easy to find
• Error-free and well-formatted

If you have a resume ready for St. Luke’s please visit sluhn.org/students to apply to clinical and nonclinical internships, training programs and volunteer opportunities. St. Luke’s hires a wide variety of academic majors for positions at 14 hospitals and 400+ outpatient locations throughout the Lehigh Valley. Join the growing list of DeSales alumni who have built careers at St. Luke’s University Health Network.

Meet the Guest Blogger

Andrea Reger, Manager for Career Development at St. Luke’s University Health Network, supports recruitment and retention efforts in Human Resources. Andrea previously worked in career services in higher education and pivoted to healthcare to build talent pipelines into clinical and non-clinical careers within St. Luke’s. Over the last 15 years Andrea estimates she has reviewed more than 10,000 resumes and her experience in HR and career education provides the perspective as a hiring manager and career coach. When it comes to resumes, Andrea has seen it all and has advice for what makes a great resume and how to avoid mistakes that can eliminate you from a job search.