Your resume is often the first impression you make on a potential employer. Unfortunately, many job seekers undermine their chances with easily avoidable mistakes. Here are the 10 most common resume errors and how to fix them.
1. Spelling and Grammar Errors
Nothing signals carelessness faster than spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Recruiters often immediately discard resumes with obvious mistakes, as they suggest poor attention to detail.
Solution: Use spell check but don't rely on it completely. Read your resume aloud to catch errors, and ask a friend to review it. Pay special attention to homophones like "there/their/they're" and company names.
2. Using an Outdated Format
Many candidates still use resume formats from 10-15 years ago. Dense paragraphs, objective statements, and "References Available Upon Request" sections date your application.
Modern formatting tips:
- Use clear section headings with ample white space
- Include a professional summary instead of an objective statement
- Focus on achievements rather than responsibilities
- Keep your resume to 1-2 pages maximum
3. Being Too Vague
Generic statements like "responsible for customer service" or "helped increase sales" don't provide meaningful information about your actual capabilities or achievements.
Before: "Responsible for social media management"
After: "Grew social media engagement by 62% and increased followers from 500 to 5,000 in 6 months through targeted content strategy"
4. Not Tailoring to the Job
Submitting the same generic resume for every position is a missed opportunity. Hiring managers can spot a one-size-fits-all resume immediately.
Solution: Carefully review the job description and incorporate relevant keywords. Highlight experiences and skills that directly relate to the specific role. Create a master resume, then tailor it for each application.
5. Including Irrelevant Information
Listing every job you've ever had or including personal details like marital status, age, or political affiliation can distract from your relevant qualifications.
What to exclude:
- High school achievements (if you have a college degree)
- Jobs from 15+ years ago unless highly relevant
- Personal information unrelated to professional qualifications
- Hobbies unless they directly relate to the job
6. Focusing on Duties Instead of Achievements
Recruiters know what a marketing manager or software developer does. They want to know what you accomplished in those roles.
Duty-focused: "Responsible for managing the company's Twitter account"
Achievement-focused: "Increased Twitter followers by 200% and engagement by 150% through implementation of a new content strategy"
7. Using Unprofessional Contact Information
An email address like "partyanimal23@email.com" or an outdated phone number can prevent employers from contacting you, no matter how qualified you are.
Professional setup: Create a professional email address with your name, ensure your voicemail message is appropriate, and include relevant links to your LinkedIn profile or professional portfolio.
8. Poor File Formatting and Naming
Submitting your resume as a Word document when PDF was requested or naming the file "resume.pdf" shows a lack of attention to detail.
Best practices:
- Save as PDF unless otherwise specified
- Use a clear naming convention: "YourName_Resume_JobTitle.pdf"
- Ensure the file isn't password protected
- Keep the file size under 2MB for easy emailing
9. Leaving Gaps Unexplained
Employment gaps aren't necessarily problematic, but leaving them unexplained can raise red flags for employers.
Solution: Briefly address gaps in your cover letter or use a functional resume format that focuses on skills rather than chronology. If the gap involved relevant activities like professional development or freelance work, include it.
10. Failing to Proofread
Even after carefully writing your resume, failing to do a final proofread can result in overlooked errors that undermine an otherwise strong application.
Final proofreading checklist: Read backwards to catch spelling errors, check consistency in formatting and punctuation, verify all dates and contact information, and print a copy to review on paper where errors are often more noticeable.
By avoiding these common resume mistakes, you'll present yourself as a detail-oriented, professional candidate worthy of further consideration. Remember that your resume is a marketing document—its purpose is to win you an interview, so make every word count.
