10 Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid Immediately

A single mistake—wrong format, typos, or irrelevant information—can cost you an interview opportunity, even if you’re otherwise qualified. The good news is most common resume mistakes are easy to fix once you know them.

Sending the same resume to every role makes you look unfocused. Recruiters can quickly see when your resume doesn’t match the job description.

• Adapt your summary, skills, and a few bullet points for each role.
• Highlight experience and projects most relevant to the job.

While some creative roles require visual resumes, most jobs do not. Heavy designs may confuse ATS and distract from your content.

Listing what you were “responsible for” does not show what you actually accomplished.

Recruiters rarely read three or four pages. For most professionals, one to two pages is enough.

• Avoid adding: marital status, religion, parents’ names, full postal address.
• Focus on information that supports your application: skills, achievements, projects.

Inconsistent fonts, bullet styles, or spacing make your resume look unprofessional.

Small spelling mistakes send a big signal about your attention to detail.

Gaps are not automatically a problem, but hiding or lying about them is. Use honest dates and be prepared to explain what you did in that time (upskilling, caregiving, freelancing, etc.).

A resume that tries to be everything for everyone ends up matching nothing strongly. Be specific about the kind of role you’re targeting in your summary, skills, and experiences.