A resume doesn't get you a job. It gets you an interview. That distinction matters, because the bar for a good resume isn't "impressive" — it's "doesn't get filtered out." Most resumes fail before they're read. Here are ten mistakes that cause that to happen, and how to fix them.
1. Using a Design Template That Breaks ATS Parsing
Canva, Google Slides, and design-first tools produce beautiful PDFs that applicant tracking systems frequently cannot parse. The result: your experience bullets and skills disappear entirely, and you score zero on keyword matching. Use a text-based template designed for ATS compatibility. Save the visual creativity for industries where portfolios matter more than applications.
2. Writing a Generic Objective Statement
"Seeking a challenging position where I can leverage my skills and contribute to company growth." This says nothing. Recruiters skip it. Replace your objective statement with a 2-3 sentence professional summary that names your specialization, your years of experience, and one specific outcome you've delivered. Make it specific enough that it could only describe you, not a thousand other candidates.
3. Listing Responsibilities Instead of Achievements
The most common and damaging resume mistake. "Responsible for managing social media accounts" tells an employer what your job description said. "Grew Instagram following from 4,200 to 31,000 in 11 months through a daily original content strategy" tells them what you actually did. Every bullet point should describe an outcome, not a duty. If you genuinely can't quantify something, at least describe the scope: "Led customer support for a 15,000-user platform as the sole agent."
4. Inconsistent Formatting
Mixed date formats (Jan 2023 vs. 01/2023 vs. January 2023), inconsistent bullet styles, different font sizes in the same section — these signal carelessness. Recruiters who are reviewing 200 resumes in a day notice immediately. Pick one style and apply it everywhere, including alignment, spacing, and capitalization.
5. Including Irrelevant Experience
A resume should be 1-2 pages. Filling those pages with jobs from 15 years ago, summer positions with no relevance to your target role, or skills every candidate has (Microsoft Word, email) wastes space and dilutes your strongest material. Prioritize relevance over completeness. If an old role demonstrates a specific, relevant skill, include it briefly. If it doesn't add anything, cut it.
6. Using the Same Resume for Every Application
Your resume should be tailored to each job description. This doesn't mean rewriting it from scratch — it means adjusting your professional summary to match the role's focus, reordering your skills section to lead with the most relevant items, and ensuring the keywords from the job posting appear in your experience bullets. A resume tailored to a specific posting consistently outperforms a generic one.
7. Burying Your Skills Section
Many candidates list their skills at the bottom of their resume as an afterthought. ATS systems and human reviewers both scan for skills early. Put your skills section near the top — after your contact info and summary, before your work experience — or ensure key skills appear prominently within your experience bullets. Don't make anyone hunt for proof that you have what the job requires.
8. Including Personal Information That Doesn't Belong
In most Western markets (US, UK, EU, Australia), do not include: a photo, your date of birth, marital status, nationality, or religion. These details are not appropriate, can create legal complications for employers, and waste space. Include: your name, professional email, phone, LinkedIn URL, city/country, and a link to a portfolio or GitHub if relevant.
9. Using a Personal or Outdated Email Address
"coolguy1987@hotmail.com" or "partygirl@aol.com" — these still appear in job applications, and recruiters notice. Use a professional email: firstname.lastname@gmail.com or a custom domain if you have one. If your email is hosted by an employer you're leaving, set up a new personal address before you start applying.
10. Skipping Proofreading
Typos in a resume signal that you don't check your work before submitting it. For roles that involve writing, communication, or attention to detail, a typo can end your candidacy immediately. Read your resume aloud. Use spellcheck. Then have one other person read it cold. The bar is simple: zero errors.
Each of these mistakes is fixable in under an hour. The goal isn't a perfect resume — it's a resume that clears the filters and gives a recruiter a reason to call you. Get those ten things right, and you're ahead of most of the competition.