Did you know that recruiters spend an average of just 7.4 seconds reviewing a resume? In that brief moment, even small mistakes can cost you the interview. Let's explore the five most common resume mistakes that qualified candidates make—and more importantly, how to fix them.
Table of Contents
Mistake #1: Generic, One-Size-Fits-All Resumes
The biggest mistake job seekers make is sending the same generic resume to every job opening. In today's competitive market, customization isn't optional—it's essential.
- 75% of resumes are rejected by ATS for lack of relevant keywords
- Recruiters can immediately spot a generic resume
- You miss opportunities to highlight relevant experience
"Experienced professional seeking challenging opportunity in dynamic organization where I can utilize my skills and contribute to company success."
"Senior Software Engineer with 7 years of experience building scalable microservices using Java and AWS. Seeking to leverage expertise in cloud architecture to drive innovation at [Company Name]'s Platform Engineering team."
- Matching keywords from the job description
- Highlighting relevant experiences
- Adjusting your professional summary
- Reordering skills based on job requirements
Mistake #2: Focusing on Duties Instead of Achievements
Listing job duties tells employers what you were supposed to do. Highlighting achievements shows what you actually accomplished—and that's what gets you hired.
- • Responsible for managing social media accounts
- • Handled customer service inquiries
- • Worked on marketing campaigns
- • Increased social media engagement by 150% in 6 months
- • Resolved 95% of customer inquiries within 24 hours
- • Led marketing campaign that generated $2M in revenue
Use this formula to transform duties into achievements:
- Situation: What challenge did you face?
- Task: What was your responsibility?
- Action: What specific steps did you take?
- Result: What was the measurable outcome?
Mistake #3: Poor ATS Optimization
With 95% of Fortune 500 companies using Applicant Tracking Systems, poor ATS optimization is a silent career killer. Your perfectly qualified resume might never reach human eyes.
"My Journey" instead of "Work Experience"
ATS often can't read header and footer content
ATS cannot parse visual elements
Using .png, .jpg, or complex PDFs
Mistake #4: Typos and Grammatical Errors
A single typo can destroy your credibility. Studies show that 61% of recruiters will reject a resume with typos—it signals lack of attention to detail.
- Use spell-check, but don't rely on it alone
- Read your resume backwards to catch errors
- Print it out and review on paper
- Ask someone else to proofread
- Wait 24 hours, then review with fresh eyes
- Inconsistent tense (use past tense for previous jobs, present for current)
- Inconsistent punctuation in bullet points
- Mixing first and third person
- Incorrect capitalization of job titles
- Misusing apostrophes (it's vs. its)
Mistake #5: Outdated or Irrelevant Information
Your resume is prime real estate—every line should earn its place. Including outdated or irrelevant information dilutes your message and wastes valuable space.
❌ Remove These:
- • "References available upon request"
- • Objective statements (use a summary instead)
- • High school education (if you have a degree)
- • Jobs from 15+ years ago (unless highly relevant)
- • Outdated technologies or skills
- • Personal information (age, marital status)
- • Full street address (city/state is enough)
✅ Include These:
- • LinkedIn profile URL
- • Professional summary (2-3 lines)
- • Recent, relevant experience (10-15 years)
- • Current, in-demand skills
- • Quantifiable achievements
- • Industry certifications
- • Email and phone number
How to Fix These Mistakes
- Run an ATS scan: Use a tool to check ATS compatibility before applying
- Customize for each job: Spend 15-20 minutes tailoring your resume
- Quantify achievements: Add numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts
- Triple-check for errors: Use multiple proofreading methods
- Update quarterly: Keep your resume current with new achievements
Final Resume Review Checklist
Before sending any resume, complete this final review:
Content Review
Format & ATS Review
Error Check
Stop Making These Mistakes Today
Don't let common resume mistakes cost you your dream job. Use ResumeTuned's AI-powered analysis to instantly identify and fix these issues. Our tool checks for ATS compatibility, suggests improvements, and helps you create targeted resumes that get interviews.