When I composed my first resume in 2017, I pulled up a nice-looking template online and punched in every interesting fact about myself that I could possibly remember.

Now, as a Career Ambassador, I have the opportunity to review and edit the resumes of my fellow students, and I see countless documents which look eerily similar to my own first attempt. And, just like I did, these students proceed to go through an editing process to achieve a resume that is both professional and specific.

I have compiled five of the most common errors that my fellow ambassadors and I see in student’s resumes. Whether you are composing your first resume or your fiftieth, you can use the following list to ensure that you are presenting yourself as the competent and qualified person you are!

Error #1: Listing transferable skills in the Skills section

One of the most frequent errors that I see in resumes is a dump of “transferable skills” in the Skills section. Transferable skills refer to non-quantifiable qualities such as “problem solving,” “time management” and “team player.” Although these are excellent credentials to convey to an employer, they do not belong in the Skills section of your resume. When an employer reads a list of these ambiguous adjectives, they will wonder: “Do I just take your word for it?”

A Skills section should include “hard skills.” Hard skills include computer competencies, certifications, and other concrete abilities. These skills need no further explanation. Transferable skills, on the other hand, need to be “proven” by your experience. This distinction leads us into the next common mistake.

Error #2: Writing bullets like a job description

One of the easiest mistakes to make on a resume is to describe your experience simply according to the duties you had. Don’t write your experience like a job posting! You should utilize this space on your resume to talk about your transferable skills.

For example: If you worked as a cashier at Walmart, don’t explain your experience as “exchanged money with customers.” Rather, explain how that experience made you a better worker! “Managed the flow of foot traffic by developing an efficient check-out system,” shows the employer that you have the skills of time management and problem solving. Now, your resume demonstrates what you can bring to a new job instead of just recording what you have done in the past.

Error #3: Using a Template

Especially when they are writing their first resume, many student’s first instinct is to fill out an online template. Although some templates can provide good design ideas, it is more professional and practical to make your resume from scratch on a blank Word document.

Firstly, an employer will be able to tell if the applicant has used a template. By making your resume from scratch, you are proving your competence in word processing, and you eliminate the danger of submitting a resume that looks exactly like someone else’s.

Secondly, it will be much easier to edit your resume if you are not using a template. A blank document will allow you to adjust margins, create the most applicable sections and titles, and edit the formatting to your exact preference with almost no headache. Most templates, on the other hand, have established formats and sections that are very challenging to change.

Error #4: Writing a general objective

Many new resume writers misunderstand the objective statement. Your objective should be all about making your resume specific. In fact, every resume you write should be a little different from the last, because you want to cater your content to the position you are applying for.

An objective statement is not the student’s personal bio. Many people write their objectives as descriptions of themselves, i.e. “An eager nursing student looking for a job in the medical field.” This statement immediately tells the employer that you are not invested in their company specifically, and that your resume could be going to countless other employers. Instead, an objective statement should be a summary of the purpose of your resume. Be sure to write it for the specific job you are applying for, i.e. “Objective: To obtain the position of lab aide at DeSales University.” Now, the objective gives context to the rest of your resume, and it tells the employer that this job is the one you want.

Error #5: Including references

Many applicants include a list of references or the blurb “references available upon request,” when they write their resume. Of course, it is great to have references, but it is actually incorrect to include them on the resume. Your references list should be a completely different document. You don’t need to say that your references are available upon request--if an employer wants references, he or she will ask for them.