Common Resume Mistakes That Could Cost You the Job—and How to Avoid Them

A resume is your professional story and, ideally, your ticket to new opportunities. Unfortunately, not everyone gives their professional story the full editorial treatment that it deserves. And that leads to costly resume mistakes.

Today’s job market is hyper-competitive, with hundreds of applications flowing in for a single job listing. Upwards of 80% don’t make it through the first screening and only a fraction of the remainder make it to the hiring manager. A simple grammatical error or formatting mistake on an otherwise stellar resume is all it takes to lose out on that new job.

With this in mind, let’s explore some of the most common mistakes to avoid when writing a resume.

What Are Some Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing A resume?

Learning how to write a resume well can make a major difference in your chances of landing a new job. But people get so caught up in tailoring their work experience and skillsets to the job that they overlook the little mistakes that can tank your chances.

Before you press submit, make sure you review your document for the most common mistakes made on a resume:

1. Typos and Grammatical Errors

Even minor errors can hurt your chances of getting hired. In a study of 445 recruiters, participants were 7.3% less likely to interview candidates with “a few errors,” while those that contained multiple errors had an 18.5% lower chance of getting an interview. When asked why mistakes produced these effects, the recruiters cited questions about the mental abilities, conscientiousness, and interpersonal skills of the applicants.

How to avoid this mistake:

• Proofread your resume multiple times
• Use spelling and grammar-checking tools
• Ask someone else to review your resume
• Read your resume backward (starting from the bottom) to catch errors your brain might otherwise skip over

Remember, a single typo can undermine an otherwise strong application. Think about it from the employer’s perspective: if you can't take the time to perfect a document that represents your entire career, how can they trust you to be thorough with job responsibilities?

2. Listing Duties Instead of Achievements

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is simply listing job responsibilities rather than showcasing their accomplishments. Your work experience section forms the heart of your resume, and it should quantify your impact, not just list your day-to-day tasks.

How to avoid this mistake:

• Focus on how you made a difference in each position
• Quantify your results with specific metrics whenever possible
• Use the formula: Action + Result + Context
• Begin each bullet point with strong action verbs

Instead of: "Responsible for managing social media accounts"

Try: "Grew Instagram following from 5,000 to 25,000 in 12 months, increasing engagement by 42% and driving a 15% boost in website traffic"

This achievement-focused approach shows employers what you did and, more importantly, how well you did it. Always highlight the concrete value you brought to your previous employers.

3. Using Generic Buzzwords

Terms like "team player," "hardworking," "detail-oriented," and "self-motivated" are overused to the point that they lack impact. They tell employers nothing specific about your capabilities and achievements, so there’s nothing to differentiate your resume from the dozens of other applicants using the same adjectives.

How to avoid this mistake:

• Replace vague descriptors with specific examples
• Show, don't tell—provide evidence of your skills through accomplishments
• Use industry-specific terminology that demonstrates your expertise
• Focus on unique contributions that set you apart

Instead of: "Excellent communication skills"

Try: "Presented quarterly marketing strategy to C-suite executives, translating complex data into actionable insights that led to a 20% increase in department budget"

By replacing generic buzzwords with concrete evidence of your abilities, you create a more compelling and credible professional narrative.

4. Poor Formatting and Design

A cluttered or inconsistent layout can make your resume hard to read and leave a negative impression. Recruiters on Reddit stress the importance of keeping formatting simple for professional resumes and highlight that overuse of columns and color makes it difficult to read (and less likely to be passed along).

How to avoid this mistake:

• Use a clean, consistent design with plenty of white space
• Stick to standard, professional fonts (e.g., Arial, Calibri) at 10-12 point size
• Stay consistent with spacing, alignment, and bullet styles throughout
• Use bold, italics, and underlining sparingly for emphasis
• Keep your resume to a single page, if possible (depending on experience level)

Remember that your resume's visual presentation creates an immediate impression of your ability to communicate value with concision and clarity. A simple, effective format signals that you know what you bring to the table and convey it with confidence.

5. Failing to Tailor the Resume to the Role

A generic, one-size-fits-all resume rarely impresses hiring managers. In reality, many of them prefer resumes personalized to the job position. Each application deserves a customized approach that aligns your qualifications with the specific requirements of the role. It takes more time, but it’s worth it in the end.

How to avoid this mistake:

• Carefully review each job description before applying
• Highlight experiences and find the best skills to put on a resume for the target position
• Mirror key terminology from the job posting (without keyword stuffing)
• Adjust your professional summary/objective for each application
• Create different versions of your resume for different types of roles

This customization shows employers that you've thoughtfully considered how your background aligns with their needs—a level of care that distinguishes serious candidates from mass applicants.

6. Including Irrelevant or Outdated Information

Your resume should be a focused document that highlights qualifications relevant to your target role. Including unnecessary personal details or outdated experiences distracts from your key selling points and takes up valuable space. Unless you’re applying for your first job or are fresh out of college, you don’t need to spend time finding hobbies to put on a resume.

How to avoid this mistake:

• Omit personal details such as age, marital status, or religious affiliations
• Focus on recent and relevant experience (generally the past 10-15 years)
• Remove obsolete skills or technologies unless they're directly relevant
• Exclude high school information once you have college experience
• Leave out "References available upon request" (this is understood)

For most mid-career professionals, keeping your resume focused on recent achievements is more effective than documenting your entire work history. As you gain experience, your education section should become more concise, while your work accomplishments take center stage.

7. Using an Unprofessional Email Address

Your email address serves as a digital first impression, and an unprofessional one can undermine your credibility. It’s a growing trend among hiring managers and recruiters to reject an application simply because the email didn’t meet professional standards.

How to avoid this mistake:

• Create a dedicated email for professional correspondence
• Use some variation of your name (e.g., firstname.lastname@email.com)
• Avoid nicknames, hobbies, or birth years in your email address
• Consider creating a new account if your current email is unprofessional
• Use mainstream email providers (Gmail, Outlook) rather than outdated or obscure services

This small detail signals your professionalism and attention to how you present yourself—qualities employers value in potential team members.

Resume Mistakes to Avoid when Navigating Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

The key takeaway from these common resume mistakes is that yours needs to be mistake-free, job-specific, and show the impact you made in previous roles. It seems simple, but it can make a major difference to the people reviewing your resume.

But before you get to that all-important human review, your resume will likely pass through a digital obstacle first: applicant tracking software (ATS) that filters down the applicant pool from the hundreds to the dozens (or less). Recent reports show that 75% of recruiters use applicant tracking systems to streamline the hiring process.

To stay on the good side of these screen tools, you need to avoid the following mistakes on your resume.

1. Overloading with Keywords

As ATS becomes the standard in recruitment, some job seekers respond by stuffing their resumes with keywords relevant to the position. Unsurprisingly, this approach often backfires. The overuse of specific terms makes these resumes seem unnatural and can trigger spam filters. Even if the resume makes it through ATS, the poor reading experience will stand out to the recruiter—and not in a good way.

How to avoid this mistake:

• Integrate keywords contextually within your achievements and experiences
• Use industry-standard terminology that appears in the job description
• Incorporate keywords naturally in ways that still read well to human reviewers
• Focus on quality over quantity—include the most relevant keywords rather than every possible term

Remember that your resume must eventually impress human readers, not just pass through automated filters. A keyword-stuffed document might reach a recruiter only to be quickly dismissed for its awkward, artificial construction.

3. Using Complex Formatting and Graphics

Fancy designs are a nice way to show off your creative chops, but it’s possible to take it too far. Fancy fonts, tables, images, and intricate layouts can confuse ATS software and prevent your qualifications from being properly indexed.

How to avoid this mistake:

• Use a clean, simple format with standard sections
• Avoid tables, text boxes, headers/footers, and graphics
• Stick to standard, easily readable fonts
• Use straightforward headings that clearly identify each section
• Save design elements for your portfolio or personal website

For most roles, prioritize readability and ATS compatibility over visual flair. You can make an exception for certain creative positions where design skills are directly relevant to the job. But even then, submitting a clean ATS-friendly resume and a separate file for your creative portfolio is the better move.

4. Submitting Resumes in Non-Preferred File Formats

Some ATS platforms struggle with certain file formats. This can lead to parsing errors where the software misinterprets or entirely misses your qualifications.

How to avoid this mistake:

• Submit resumes in Word (.doc or .docx) format unless otherwise specified
• If PDF is required or preferred, ensure it's a text-based PDF (not a scanned image)
• Avoid specialized formats like Pages or Google Docs unless specifically requested
• Name your file professionally (e.g., "FirstName_LastName_resume.docx")

When in doubt about preferred formats, check the application instructions or company website for guidance. If no format is specified, .docx is generally safest for ATS compatibility, whereas PDFs are preferred to preserve the design and formatting exactly as intended.

Stand Out By Avoiding the Most Common Mistakes Made on a Resume

In most cases, your resume is your first opportunity to make an impression on potential employers. By avoiding these common resume mistakes, you can significantly improve your chances of getting past initial screenings and landing interviews.

Remember these key principles:

• Focus on achievements rather than responsibilities
• Tailor your resume for each application
• Ensure perfect grammar and spelling
• Use clean, ATS-friendly formatting
• Quantify your accomplishments whenever possible
• Exclude irrelevant information
• Present yourself professionally in every detail

A well-crafted resume strategically showcases your value in a way that resonates with employers. By approaching your resume with care and attention to detail, you show your potential employer the key qualities you bring to the workplace.

Still struggling with your resume? My Career Shop connects you with experienced professionals and mentors who understand what hiring managers in your industry are looking for. Learn from industry experts who have been on both sides of the hiring process and can help you craft a resume that truly stands out.