The 14 Worst Resume Mistakes With Fixes

1. Using the Same Resume for Every Job

Although it may seem efficient to send the same resume to numerous employers, this practice reduces your likelihood of being hired.

When you use a generic resume, it doesn’t speak to a specific job, which means it won’t have the correct keywords, so the applicant tracking systems (ATS) may filter it out.

How to fix this problem:

• Customize each resume. This doesn’t mean you have to continuously create resumes from scratch; all you need to do is make minor adjustments. Just match your experience and skills to the specific terms included in the job posting.
• Remember to customize your professional summary and career objectives as well.

2. Forgetting the Summary or Career Objective

If you jump directly into your experiences and skill set, your resume will lack direction. Without an objective or summary, recruiters may find it hard to visualize what your goals are and which position you’re interested in.
Additionally, if your experience includes a variety of positions in different industries, or you're changing your career, the absence of your summary or objective is even more problematic.

An easy fix:

At the top of your resume, write a short, two-to-three sentence summary or career objective. This section should clearly state how your experience and skills connect to the main requirements of the job you're interested in. It should also state the direction you’d like to take with your career.

3. Not Using the Appropriate Keywords

Since many companies scan resumes using ATS software, you must include the correct terms throughout your custom-tailored resumes.

Easily fix this problem by:

• Using standard headings (e.g., work experience, skills, and education). These are the labels that the ATS software recognizes.
• Removing text boxes, tables, and other graphics. These need to be removed because the ATS software may not be able to read this complex formatting.
• Using the employer's job posting to find appropriate keywords. Once you find them, you'll need to incorporate your skills, industry terms, and certifications exactly as they appear in the posting.
• Including full terms with their acronyms in your resume. This helps cover all variations of a potential keyword.
• Using simple fonts and traditional colors.
• Taking advantage of bullet points. This helps your resume look clean and makes it easy for human recruiters and the ATS software to read.

4. Creating an Inconsistent or Cluttered Looking Resume

Professionals who work in the human resources department don’t like resumes that are inconsistent or cluttered. In addition, overly creative layouts are frowned upon.

How to fix this problem:

• Keep your resume clean with consistent spacing, headers, and font sizes.
• Don’t use text boxes, tables, or graphics.
• Use a single-column format.

5. Copying and Pasting Information From the Job Posting

If you copy and paste the job description and the skills listed in the posting, you’re plagiarizing the ad. This negatively impacts the potential employer's view of you, which decreases your likelihood of being invited to interview.

Easy fix:

• While reviewing the posting, focus on the terms that best describe your experience and skills. These terms are the keywords you need to use throughout your resume.
• You can include them in your summary, work history, and skills section.
• Make sure the way you use them sounds natural.

6. Poor Grammar, Typos, and Misspellings

Grammar mistakes, misspelled words, and typos are unprofessional because they show a lack of attention to detail. Overlooking these issues can derail an otherwise strong resume.

Easily fix this:

• Use online proofreading tools.
• Print your resume and read it out loud.
• Ask someone else to review your resume because they may see typos that you missed.
• Use a proofreading checklist

7. The Use of Passive or Weak Language

Avoid mentioning vague responsibilities, adding filler words, and using passive or weak language.
When you use phrases like “I was involved in projects” or “I assisted with various tasks,” you aren’t showing initiative or displaying leadership. These statements sound passive and neglect to provide an impact or result. Furthermore, ATS software doesn’t recognize these types of phrases.

Easily fix this:

• Use the A.T.R. Model as you create your bullet points: [Action Verb] + [Task] + [Result/Impact]

Some good verbs to use are:

• Led: Displays leadership skills.
• Resolved: Emphasizes your problem-solving skills.
• Developed: Demonstrates your ability to create or improve processes, programs, or products.
• Designed: Shows planning and creativity.
• Generated: Indicates production results, revenue, or ideas.
• Increased: Demonstrates growth.
• Implemented: Highlights your ability to put plans into action.
• Improved: Shows optimization or a measurable enhancement.
• Trained: Highlights your ability to coach, mentor, or share knowledge.
• Streamlined: Demonstrates your ability to improve efficiency.
• Managed: Indicates your responsibility for projects, processes, or teams.
• Achieved: Emphasizes goal completion or a successful outcome.

When you don’t use strong, action-oriented language on your resume, a recruiter might skim past your accomplishments. Thus, disregarding your achievements and initiative.

8. Including Information That’s Outdated or Unnecessary

Adding unnecessary or outdated information doesn’t improve your resume; it’s distracting.

An easy fix:

• Don’t add outdated skills, personal information (e.g., marital status), or irrelevant jobs. Instead, focus on your experiences from the last 10 to 15 years.
• Make sure the experiences you add to your resume align with the job you're applying for, as well as with your career goals.

9. Emphasizing Your Duties Instead of Your Accomplishments

One of the most common mistakes people make when they’re writing their resumes is listing duties instead of accomplishments.

An easy fix:

A potential employer doesn’t just want to know what you did; they’re interested in seeing the results and how you were able to add value to your organization or team.

In addition, whenever possible, add metrics to your achievements:

• Revenue
• Percentages
• Project results
• Team size

More ideas for adding numbers that matter.

Identifying achievements can be difficult. So, here are some questions you can ask yourself:

1. What were the problems or challenges you faced? How were you able to overcome them?
2. Were you recognized by the company? Did you receive any awards or promotions?
3. How did your contribution help achieve the desired results? How did this result benefit the company?

When you list your duties with outcomes, your contribution is clear.

10. Undervaluing the Skills You Already Have

People who are making a career change or have recently entered the job market neglect to emphasize their current skills.
This is a problem because a hiring manager needs to connect your experiences to the role you’re applying for.

Fix this by emphasizing your:

• Soft skills
• Volunteer work
• Certifications
• GPA

You can also include any academic projects that support the role you’re applying for. If necessary, you can always add a ‘Relevant Experience’ or ‘Project’ section to your resume.

11. Forgetting To Update Your Resume

If you haven’t updated your resume in a while, it may not reflect your most recent accomplishments.

An easy fix:

• Review your resume every six months. Update any new skills you have and add missing roles from your resume.
• Review your contact information, updating it as needed.

12. Trying To Hide Employment Gaps

If you strategically try to hide employment gaps, your credibility suffers. Furthermore, a gap in your employment isn’t as bad as you may think.

Fix it by being honest:

• Mention the reason for this gap. Were you caring for a loved one or raising your child? Did you take this time off to learn a new skill?

13. Trusting a Chatbot To Write Your Resume

AI chatbots can help you write your resume. However, when you rely on artificial intelligence to write your resume, it lacks your personal touch. Recruiters recognize this, and they don’t like it.

An easy fix:

If you do use AI to help you create your resume, look for the typical problems seen with AI-generated content.

Common problems with an AI-created resume:

• It lacks specifics
• Repetitive language or ‘AI-speak’
• Formatting or style inconsistencies
• Exaggerated or false information

Make sure to correct these issues before you submit your resume.

14. Overusing Buzzwords and Clichés

An overuse of buzzwords and clichés (e.g., detail-oriented or hardworking) results in your resume blending in with many of the other candidates.

How to fix this issue:

• Focus on creating action-oriented statements and providing examples that demonstrate your abilities.
• Your action-oriented statements must also illustrate your contributions, achievements, and any measurable accomplishments.

Here’s a good example of an action-oriented statement:

“Reviewed 200 client accounts to look for unpaid balances and then collected these past-due amounts.”

Use this formula when creating your action-oriented statements:

[Action Verb] + [Task] + [Result/Impact]

Formula answers for this example: [Reviewed] + [Unpaid Balances] + [Collected]

When you avoid these mistakes, your resume will stand out. Thus, increasing the likelihood that you will be invited for an interview.