13 Resume Mistakes That Are Keeping You From Getting Hired

Are you tirelessly applying for jobs but not getting any interviews?

Your resume is often the first impression you'll make on a potential employer. A well-crafted resume is your first step toward securing an interview and ultimately, the job you desire. After reviewing hundreds of resumes over my decade-long tenure as a hiring manager, I've seen plenty of mistakes that can quickly get your application tossed in the rejection pile. 

In this article, I’ll cover 13 mistakes that could be sabotaging your chances of securing that coveted interview. By the end of this article, you will have a clearer understanding of how to create a resume that effectively showcases your skills and experiences and helps you stand out in today’s tough job market! 

1. Lengthy resumes: Hiring managers are busy people. They may only spend 30 seconds to 2 minutes initially scanning each resume, especially in this economy, when they're being bombarded by hundreds of applications for one role. Keep your resume concise - no more than two pages. As a general rule, if information doesn't directly support your qualifications for the role you're pursuing, it likely doesn't belong on your resume. 

2. Not tailored to the role: Using a generic, one-size-fits-all resume is a surefire way to get overlooked as it comes across as lazy or disinterested. To avoid this, carefully read the job posting and adjust your resume to highlight the most relevant skills and experiences. For example, when I was looking for my last job, I was looking for a management position in either engineering or in technical program management (TPM). So I had two sets of resumes, one on the engineering side, one on the TPM side. Each highlighted different experiences and skills, and I catered it further to the specific company and the job that I was applying to. 

3. Lacking relevant keywords: Pay close attention to the keywords and phrases used in a job posting, then replicate that same or similar language throughout your resume where applicable. For example, if the role requires "leading cross-functional engineering teams," you'll want to include work experience that demonstrates that using similar language. Including relevant keywords will increase your chances of passing through applicant tracking systems and catching the recruiter's or the hiring manager’s eyes.

4. Copying job descriptions verbatim: While including relevant keywords is smart, I don’t advise copying and pasting bullet points directly from a job posting. Yes, I've actually seen people do this! Your resume should demonstrate your qualifications through your unique professional achievements and responsibilities you've held in past roles.

5. Paragraphs instead of bullet points: Resumes loaded with dense paragraphs of text make it difficult for recruiters and hiring managers to quickly grasp your qualifications and role fit. Use clear and concise bullet points to outline your accomplishments, responsibilities, and skill sets. Aim for 1-2 lines per bullet. 

6. Lack of specificity: Vague statements like "I worked on App X" don't differentiate your contributions from other candidates. Be specific! What part of the product did you work on? What specific feature? Did you work on the customer service side, the user experience side or on the engineering side? 

7. Failure to quantify achievements: Resumes that list job duties without showcasing quantifiable achievements are less impactful. Connect your efforts back to the value you’ve brought to the overall business, customer, or team in your previous roles. Think about your past roles and identify metrics or accomplishments that you can highlight e.g. “built a new chat feature that allowed users to respond quickly with custom stickers. Increased user engagement by 25%." Quantifiable achievements provide concrete evidence of your capabilities and can make your resume stand out. 

8. Excessive Use of Acronyms: While abbreviations can be helpful in your own workplace, acronyms on a resume can confuse those unfamiliar with your field or past organization. Spell out acronyms followed by the acronym in parentheses to ensure clarity. You can then use the abbreviation later in the resume. 

9. Weak Action Verbs: Start each bullet point with a strong action verb to convey confidence and initiative. For example, avoid generic starters like supported, worked on, coded, contributed, or participated in. Instead use proactive verbs like led, collaborated, partnered, built, created. 

10. Suboptimal Section Order: Arrange your resume sections strategically. Hiring managers prioritize work experience over education. Use the order: Skills Summary, Work Experience, Relevant Projects, then Education. Within the sections, list in reverse chronological order. If you're very early in your career, you may not have relevant work experience. In this case, I would advise including Relevant Projects above Education.

11. Inconsistent Formatting: Your resume must be clean, easy to read, and formatted in a way that is compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Avoid using overly decorative fonts or complex layouts that can be difficult to parse. Instead, opt for a streamlined design with clear headings, bullet points, and plenty of white space. Maintain uniformity in fonts, bolding, and punctuation throughout your resume for a polished appearance. All this shows attention to detail and will make it easier for employers to quickly find the information they need. 

12. Overuse of Graphics: Unless specifically requested for a design role, extraneous graphics, icons, images or colors often distract more than help on a resume. Use whitespace and clean formatting, instead. Well-formatted plain text is perfectly acceptable. For artistic jobs, the employer will usually ask for a portfolio, which you can link in your resume. 

13. Lengthy LinkedIn URL: Including your LinkedIn URL on your resume allows reviewers to quickly research your background and experience further. Using a default LinkedIn URL loaded with numbers looks sloppy. Invest 5 minutes setting up a custom URL like linkedin.com/yourname to enhance professionalism and accessibility. For example, mine is https://www.linkedin.com/in/neeraj-mathrani/. 

Lastly, proofreading is non-negotiable. Spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and inconsistencies can undermine your professionalism. After proofreading your resume yourself, consider seeking feedback from others. A fresh set of eyes can catch errors you might have overlooked and provide valuable insights on how to improve your resume.

Want personalized feedback on your resume? Schedule a one-on-one coaching session with me today. Let's get you hired!

I wish you the very best. You got this.