Resume mistakes to avoid: ten common problems and how to fix them

Mistakes in content

These make your experience harder to believe or to understand.

• Describing duties instead of results. Fix: start each bullet with an action verb and end with the outcome.
• No numbers. Fix: add counts, percentages, time saved or money handled wherever you honestly can.
• One generic resume for every job. Fix: move the most relevant skills and bullets to the top for each application.
• A long, vague objective. Fix: replace it with a two or three line summary naming your role, experience and strongest skills.
• Claiming skills or titles you do not have. Fix: leave them out. Interviews and background checks will find them.

Mistakes in layout

These make the resume hard for software and people to read.

• Tables, text boxes, icons or images carrying important text. Fix: use plain text in a single column.
• Unusual headings. Fix: use Summary, Experience, Education, Skills.
• Dense walls of text. Fix: three to five short bullets per job and clear spacing between sections.
• Inconsistent dates and fonts. Fix: choose one date format and one font family and apply them everywhere.

Mistakes in the details

Typos and wrong contact details are the cheapest mistakes to avoid and the most damaging. Read your resume aloud, check it on your phone, and have someone else read it. Confirm your email address and phone number are correct and that your email address looks professional. Use a file name like Rahul-Sharma-Resume.pdf, not final_v7_new.pdf.

Length matters too: one page for freshers and early careers, two pages for longer careers, and no more.

A five minute final check

Before you send an application, run your resume through a checker with the job description pasted in, scan for any of the mistakes above, and open the PDF to make sure the text is selectable. Fixing small problems now is far quicker than waiting weeks for replies that never arrive.

Keep reading

• How to write a resume that gets shortlistedA step-by-step guide for job seekers: what to include, what to leave out and how to order it.
• How to make your resume ATS-friendlyWhat applicant tracking systems do, how they read your resume and how to avoid common formatting mistakes.
• How to improve your resume's ATS score, step by stepA practical checklist for raising your resume's ATS score: readable layout, the right keywords from the job post, clear headings and measurable results, without adding skills you lack.
• Resume for freshers: how to write one with no experienceHow to build a strong first resume from projects, internships, college work and skills.