What to Avoid When Writing a Resume

Your resume has one job: to get you an interview. Recruiters often spend only a few seconds on a first pass, and many resumes are screened by software before a person sees them. That means small mistakes can quietly cost you opportunities you are qualified for. Below are the most common formatting, wording and content mistakes we see, and what to do instead.

Formatting mistakes

Layouts that screening software cannot read

Two-column designs, tables, text boxes, icons and graphics can look great as a PDF but often confuse applicant tracking systems (ATS). Your job titles can end up in the wrong field, or whole sections can disappear. Use a clean, single-column layout with standard section headings such as “Experience”, “Education” and “Skills”.

Important details in the header or footer

Some systems skip headers and footers entirely. Keep your name, phone number, email and LinkedIn URL in the main body of the page.

Hard-to-read fonts and crowded pages

Tiny fonts, narrow margins and dense blocks of text make a recruiter work too hard. Choose a standard font such as Calibri, Arial or Georgia at 10 to 12 points, leave white space, and use bullet points.

Inconsistent dates and styles

If one job says “Jan 2022” and the next says “03/2020”, it looks careless. Pick one date format, one bullet style and one way of writing job titles, and use them everywhere.

Wording mistakes

Overused buzzwords

Words like “detail-oriented”, “team player”, “results-driven” and “hard-working” appear on so many resumes that recruiters stop seeing them. Show these qualities through results instead. “Caught a billing error that saved $40,000” proves attention to detail far better than saying you have it.

Describing duties instead of results

“Responsible for managing social media” tells a recruiter what your job was, not how well you did it. Lead with what changed because of your work: “Grew Instagram followers from 4,000 to 21,000 in nine months.”

No numbers anywhere

Numbers make results concrete and easy to remember. Think about money saved or earned, time saved, people managed, customers served, percentages improved and targets beaten. Even approximate figures, honestly stated, are better than none.

Personal pronouns and long sentences

Resumes are written in a clipped style without “I”, “me” or “my”. Start bullets with strong action verbs such as led, built, reduced, launched or negotiated, and keep each bullet to one or two lines.

Spelling and grammar errors

A single typo can make a hiring manager doubt your attention to detail. Read your resume out loud, use a spell checker, and ask someone else to read it before you send it. Watch especially for words a spell checker will not catch, like “manger” for “manager”.

Content mistakes

A generic resume sent to every job

Sending the same resume everywhere is one of the most common reasons people hear nothing back. Tailor your summary, skills and top bullet points to each type of role, using the language from the job posting.

Missing keywords

Recruiters search ATS databases for specific skills, tools and job titles. If those words are not on your resume, you do not appear in their results. Pull the key terms from the posting and include the ones that genuinely apply to you.

Irrelevant or outdated information

Your high school, jobs from 20 years ago, hobbies unrelated to the role and “References available upon request” all take space from what matters. In most cases, focus on the last 10 to 15 years and the experience that supports the job you want.

An objective statement instead of a summary

Objectives say what you want. A short professional summary says what you offer: your target title, your years of experience, one strong result and what you are known for.

Too long, or too short

One page is usually right for early-career candidates, and two pages for experienced professionals. Going longer rarely helps. Cutting a strong career down to half a page does not help either.

Unexplained gaps

Gaps are common and usually not a problem, but leaving them completely unexplained invites questions. A short line such as “Career break: family care” or “Freelance consulting” is enough.

Personal details employers do not need

In the US, leave off your photo, date of birth, marital status and full street address. A city and state is enough.

Before you hit send: a quick checklist

• Single-column layout with standard headings
• Contact details in the body, not the header
• A summary tailored to the role
• Results with numbers in your top bullets
• Keywords from the job posting included naturally
• Consistent dates, fonts and formatting
• Read out loud and checked by a second person
• Saved as a PDF or Word file named with your full name

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest resume mistake?

Sending the same generic resume to every job. Tailoring your summary, skills and top bullets to each type of role is the single change that most often turns silence into interview requests.

Should I use a resume template?

A simple, single-column template is fine. Avoid designs with columns, tables, graphics or skill bars, which can confuse screening software and distract recruiters.

Is it OK to leave jobs off my resume?

Yes. Your resume is a marketing document, not a full work history. It is common to leave off very old or unrelated roles, as long as you are honest if asked about them.

Should I include references on my resume?

No. Employers will ask for references later in the process. Use that space for experience and results instead.

Should my resume be a PDF or Word document?

Follow the instructions in the job posting. If none are given, a text-based PDF keeps your formatting intact and is read by most systems.

Get a second opinion

It is hard to spot mistakes in your own resume. If you would like an expert view, a CPRW-certified writer at Rock My Resume will review yours for free and point out exactly what to fix. Get your free resume review.