Common resume mistakes to avoid
Most resumes that get rejected aren't rejected because the person isn't qualified. They're rejected because of fixable mistakes that cost the applicant the chance to even be considered.
Mistake 1: Typos and spelling errors
The most common reason a resume gets dismissed in the first ten seconds. A typo on a resume tells the hiring manager that you didn't proofread your most important document. If you didn't take that seriously, what else won't you take seriously?
Read your resume out loud. Read it again the next morning. Have someone else read it. If you're using auto-correct on your phone, watch out for words that got changed to something else without you noticing. Common ones: "manger" instead of "manager," "form" instead of "from," "your" instead of "you're."
Mistake 2: Wrong contact information
Surprisingly common. A wrong digit in your phone number, a typo in your email address, an old phone you no longer have. The employer wants to call you, and they can't reach you. The opportunity passes.
Test it. Send yourself an email at the address on your resume from a different account. Call the phone number listed on your resume from a different phone. Make sure both work. Make sure the voicemail is set up and sounds professional. "Hi, you've reached John Smith, please leave a message" is fine. "What up, leave a message" with your kid yelling in the background is not.
Mistake 3: Fancy formatting that doesn't pass ATS
Multi-column layouts. Sidebars. Text boxes. Graphics. Fancy fonts. Skill bars showing percentages. Profile photos. All of these can make your resume invisible to applicant tracking systems, which means a human never gets to see it.
The fix: a clean, single-column resume in standard fonts (Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial), with clearly labeled sections, plain bullet points, and no graphics. The resume builder on this site produces this format by default.
A boring-looking resume that gets through the ATS beats a beautiful resume that doesn't.
Mistake 4: Generic objective statements
"Seeking a position where I can grow professionally and contribute to a great team." This sentence appears on millions of resumes. It says nothing. It tells the employer nothing they didn't already know.
Replace the objective with a summary. A summary describes who you are and what you bring. "Experienced warehouse associate with three years of forklift operation and a perfect safety record, seeking full-time employment with a logistics company." That's specific, concrete, and useful.
Mistake 5: Listing duties instead of accomplishments
"Responsible for taking customer orders." Every cashier is responsible for taking orders. The phrase tells me nothing.
"Took 200+ customer orders per shift with 99% accuracy across the POS system." Now we're talking. Same job, but the second version shows volume, accuracy, and competence.
You don't have to invent numbers you don't know. But where you can include real numbers, do. They make claims credible.
Mistake 6: Including everything
Your resume is not a complete history of your professional life. It's a targeted document for a specific job application. Things that don't help you get this specific job should be cut.
If you have twelve years of experience but only the last six are relevant to the job you're applying for, you can leave the older jobs off, or summarize them in one line. If you took a course five years ago that has nothing to do with this position, leave it off.
The goal is one to two pages of relevant material, not five pages of everything.
Mistake 7: Leaving in personal details that don't belong
Things that should not be on a U.S. resume:
- Your photograph. Standard in some countries, but in the U.S. it can actually hurt you because it opens the door to unconscious bias.
- Your age or birthday. Not relevant. Some companies will reject the resume to avoid age-discrimination claims.
- Your marital status. Not relevant.
- Your religion or political beliefs. Not relevant.
- Your social security number. Never on a resume. Identity theft risk and not needed at this stage.
- Your full street address. City and state is enough.
Mistake 8: Using "References available upon request"
Don't write this. Hiring managers know references are available — that's standard. The line just takes up space that could be used for something useful. When references are wanted, the employer will ask, and you'll provide them on a separate sheet.
Mistake 9: An unprofessional email address
"hottieboi23@aol.com" is not the email address that gets you hired. Get a free Gmail or Outlook address that's just your name (or your name plus a number if your name is taken): "john.smith@gmail.com." It costs nothing. It takes five minutes.
Mistake 10: Saving the file with a generic name
"Resume.pdf." "Resume_Final.pdf." "Resume_Final_v3_REAL.pdf." All bad.
Save it as your name: "John_Smith_Resume.pdf." Hiring managers receive hundreds of resume files. Yours should be easy to find later. The resume builder on this site automatically names your file with your last name, so you don't have to think about it.
Don't lie. Embellishing slightly is one thing. Outright lying about a job you didn't have, a degree you didn't earn, or a skill you don't have will catch up with you. Background checks happen. Reference checks happen. It's better to apply for a job you're qualified for than to lie your way into one you're not.
Mistake 11: One generic resume for every application
Sending the same resume to every job is the most common mistake people make. The skills section, the summary, even the order of bullet points should shift slightly based on what the job posting prioritizes.
This takes five minutes per application. It dramatically increases your chances of getting through the first screen. The five minutes is worth it.
Almost every mistake on this list takes less than ten minutes to fix. If you've been sending out applications without callbacks, the first thing to check is your resume. Run through this list, fix what applies, and try again.