7 Common Mistakes In Resumes (And How to Avoid Them)

Updated July 2025

For both hiring managers and candidates, resumes are an integral part of the hiring process. It’s often the first impression the candidate will make and a tool hiring managers use to screen potential fits for a role. In both cases, it’s vital to understand common resume mistakes.

Even the best resume could benefit from another review to catch any errors or make some adjustments. These tweaks could be anything from optimizing it for search, clarifying information, or highlighting updated skills.

A single mistake on a resume should not disqualify candidates from consideration if they are otherwise qualified. However, it’s good to notice and ask for context (if necessary) or correct.

7 Common Mistakes in Resumes

Here are seven common resume mistakes and how job seekers can fix them.

1. Formatting and Grammatical Errors

While a minor error might be overlooked, multiple issues can make your resume hard to read and suggest a lack of attention to detail. Similarly, a cluttered or overly designed layout can confuse hiring managers and prevent Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) from accurately parsing your qualifications. Together, these mistakes can undermine your chances before your experience is even considered.

How job seekers can fix this: A polished resume requires both clear writing and clean formatting. Don’t rush the process! Take time to carefully proofread your resume beyond what spellcheck can catch. Read it aloud, ask a friend to review it, or revisit it with fresh eyes after a break. AI tools can also help identify typos and grammar issues. At the same time, make sure your resume is visually clean and easy to follow. Use a simple layout, font that is easy to read, avoid unnecessary graphics or photos, and organize your content so your qualifications are easy to find. A well-written and well-formatted resume shows attention to detail and professionalism.

2. Providing Unprofessional Contact Information

Your email address is often the first impression you make—and an unprofessional one can raise red flags. Addresses like “partygirl92@…” or “gamer4life@…” may be harmless, but they can make your potential employer second guess a next-round offer.

A poorly formatted resume can be self-defeating. It makes it hard for people and the ATS to find the information that qualifies the candidate for the role.

How job seekers can fix this: If your current email doesn’t meet the mark, set up a new one just for job applications! Creating a professional email address that includes your name (something like [email protected]) is a small step that signals professionalism and helps ensure your resume is taken seriously from the start.

3. Not Following Job Description Directions

Job postings sometimes give specific instructions. For example, they may ask candidates to apply on the company site or include specific information in their cover letter or email. Disregarding or failing to notice those instructions is an easy resume mistake to correct.

If you are a hiring manager and notice that a large percentage of applicants are not following your special instructions, check the job site to make sure they are visible on the job listing.

How job seekers can address it: Read each job description carefully, all the way to the end. If there are special instructions, make a note somewhere so you remember to include all requested information with your application.

4. Including unrelated Work Experience

Job seekers should focus on showcasing experience that aligns closely with the role they’re targeting. When a resume appears to lack relevant experience, it’s often due to a few common issues, such as:

They have experience but haven’t made it clear on the resume
They are not thoroughly reading job descriptions before applying
They are unclear about their career goals
They want to make a career change and don’t have experience in this area yet
They are new to the workforce

How job seekers can address it: Select job postings that match your skills and experience, and tailor your resume to that specific job posting! If you want to venture into a new field, look for ways to add relevant experience through training, internship, volunteer work, or freelance. If you have relevant experience, make sure it’s easy to see on your resume. You shouldn’t have one singular version of a resume that you use for every application.

5. Putting Too Many or Outdated Skills

The skills section of a resume should be no longer than 10 and 20 relevant skills. A long list of skills or common skills like “email” or “Google Docs” is a pretty common resume mistake, especially if it takes up too much space and takes away space from other important sections. Candidates should always aim to list their most relevant skills (a mix of soft and hard skills is ideal) to the job.

How job seekers can address it: Identify the employer’s must-have skills as you read the job description. If you have those skills, highlight them in your resume skills section. (Sometimes that does mean highlighting skills like Office products, Adobe products, and more!)

6. Only Listing What You Did, Not What You Achieved

Your resume isn’t just a list of responsibilities—it’s your opportunity to show the impact you’ve made. Simply stating what your job entailed doesn’t help you stand out. Hiring managers want to see how you added value, not just what was expected of you.

How job seekers can address it:
When describing your experience, go beyond duties and highlight your accomplishments. The strongest resumes strike a balance between responsibilities and results. Consider including:

How much revenue or engagement increased during your time on a project—and your role in that success
The number of projects you completed and how they contributed to team or company goals
Specific problems you helped solve and the outcomes of your solutions
Examples of leadership, innovation, or growth within your role or organization

7. Social Media That Clouds Your Professional Image

Even the strongest resume can be overshadowed by what hiring managers find online. If your public social media profiles include inappropriate content or unprofessional behavior, it can cloud your personal brand and raise concerns about your fit for the role. A lack of consistency between your resume and online presence can also create confusion or doubt.

How job seekers can address it: Keep your LinkedIn profile active, professional, and up to date. Most recruiters and employers look there first! You can keep other social media accounts private if you choose. If you decide to keep your personal social media accounts public, it’s safe to assume that they could be viewed by potential employers. Unless social media is directly relevant to the role, consider leaving it off your resume.

Find the Perfect Match

The purpose of any job search is to find a skilled, capable candidate that matches the role and complements the company culture. For candidates, this means making it easy for hiring managers to recognize your skills and experience. For hiring managers, this may include overlooking a single mistake to dig deeper into the person behind the resume.

As a people-first recruiting agency, we are dedicated to helping individuals progress in their careers while pairing top candidates with open positions.