30 Common Résumé/CV Mistakes that Will Kill Your Job Search

There’s a fine line between creating a killer résumé… and becoming a résumé killer.

Reviewed by Electra Michaelidou

CV and résumé mistakes

Mistakes are meant to be made, right? After all, how else are we going to learn and evolve and grow?

Irish novelist and poet James Joyce said it best: “Mistakes are the portals of discovery”.

But, although there’s something beautiful — and true — in that little quote, Joyce likely wasn’t thinking about CVs and résumés when he spoke those words. Indeed, making even the tiniest mistake in your résumé won’t open any portals of discovery. The kind of portals that they will open are those towards the trashcan.

To make sure that doesn’t happen, we took the time to identify 30 common résumé and CV mistakes you need to avoid — and how to fix them if you do make them.

1. Sending a generic résumé

Perhaps the biggest of all résumé and CV mistakes you can make is sending a one-size-fits-all document to every job you apply for.

And that’s because it signals to employers on the receiving end that you’re not completely (if at all) interested in the job. It also implies that you’re applying for jobs indiscriminately — ultimately making employers perceive you as unfocused or, worse, desperate.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Tailor your résumé specifically to your target job. Do this by strategically incorporating keywords from the job description, listing only skills and experiences directly relevant to the position, and generally aligning your résumé to the company’s values and ethos.

2. Focusing on duties instead of achievements

Hiring managers don’t need a rundown of your job — they know what the day-to-day of an accountant or a chef, for example, entails. What they don’t know, but want to, is your potential. Specifically: what you bring to the table.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Rewrite work experience entries to focus them around the results of your activities in past jobs. For example, instead of simply saying you were responsible for something, use the PAR method to define the problem you encountered, the action you took and the result of your efforts.

3. Failing to quantify achievements

You may have “increased revenue” — an admittedly impressive feat — but this doesn’t tell hiring managers much. Indeed, it fails to provide concrete evidence of your impact, making your achievements far less compelling.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

The fix here is simple: Use specific numbers, percentages and metrics to highlight your accomplishments, thereby demonstrating your value and effectiveness in various roles — as well as boosting your credibility. For example: “Developed and executed a sales strategy that increased revenue by 38% year-over-year.”

4. Not optimizing for applicant tracking systems

Most employers today use applicant tracking systems in their hiring processes, which means you’re writing for robots as much as humans. When you don’t optimize your résumé for ATS programs, which scan your résumé for relevant skills, experiences, qualifications and keywords, they will mercilessly discard your application for not fitting the bill.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Read the job description, and take note of important keywords and phrases to strategically incorporate into your résumé. It’s also a good idea to use specific job titles that match the job description.

5. Including an objective statement

An objective statement is exactly what it sounds like: a short statement that tells employers what your professional objective is — usually along the lines of “Seeking full-time employment with an innovative employer that will allow me to leverage my skills.”

This basically translates into a generic and self-focused declaration that offers little value to potential employers.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Replace the objective statement with a thoughtfully crafted career summary. Focus it around the skills and expertise you bring to the table, how these align with the employer’s needs, and how you can contribute to their company’s success.

6. Using skills graphs

Skills graphs can, admittedly, bring an otherwise plain, boring document to life, but they can be distracting and they don’t quite offer an accurate representation of your abilities. After all, how you rank your skills can be swayed by personal bias.

Meanwhile, many ATSs often ignore skills graphs and other images, as they can’t “read” them.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Prefer using a simple bulleted list to showcase your 5–10 most relevant professional skills — you can even group similar skills together under relevant categories to save space. Make sure to list skills that prove you can perform the job according to employers’ expectations.

7. Exaggerating or downright lying

Even the tiniest little white lie on your résumé (like stretching employment dates by a couple of months) has a habit of catching up with you, and the potential of damaging your professional reputation. For good.

Best-case scenario: you get disqualified from the candidate pool. Worst-case scenario: you get fired when you are eventually discovered.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Always stick to the truth — which is never a “subjective” construct when it comes to your career. If you have any shortcomings in your experience, find ways to spin them or direct the hiring manager’s attention to your transferable skills or redeeming qualities and qualifications. But don’t lie.

8. Including salary expectations

Your résumé is the last place you want to talk about salary expectations.

Why? Because it shows that you only care about money (even if you do, employers don’t need to know this little tidbit). It also takes the focus away from what really matters: your skills, achievements, qualifications and overall job fitness. Ultimately, it may lead to premature disqualification.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Leave talk of salary for the interview (only once asked!) or when negotiating a job offer. You can also mention salary expectations in your cover letter — if the job description specifically requests this information.

9. Ignoring employment gaps

Whether you took a career break, you were involuntarily unemployed for a long time or you otherwise have gaps in your employment history, you might be tempted to sweep them under the rug (by removing employment dates, for example) out of fear they will work against your candidacy.

But it’s trying to hide or blatantly ignore employment gaps that will achieve just that.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Make it a point to directly address any employment gaps in your résumé — and explain what you did during that time. For example, if you took a career break to care for an ill family member, add an entry to the work experience section for “Family Care”, along with the dates of your break.

10. Including a headshot

Résumé photos are a no-go for several reasons, the most notable of which is that they can introduce unconscious bias or discrimination based on appearance, race, gender, age and other factors that shouldn’t influence hiring decisions. Your physical appearance, after all, has no bearing on your ability to perform the job.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Only include a résumé photo if your profession requires it (such as modeling and acting) or you’re applying for jobs in a country where it’s standard practice (like China and the United Arab Emirates). Otherwise, reserve your headshot for your LinkedIn profile.

11. Listing unclear job titles

Even if your official job title is something like “Chief Inspiration Officer” or “Fashion Guru”, it doesn’t tell employers what exactly it is that you do. (Are chief inspiration officers responsible for sending daily motivational quotes to employees? Do fashion gurus meditate for a living while wearing Versace and Gucci gowns?)

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Replace confusing, ambiguous and misleading job titles with more relatable alternatives that clearly represent your profession. For example, “Fashion Designer” is far more self-explanatory than “Fashion Guru”.

12. Using an overly complicated design

In a bid to liven up an otherwise boring-looking document, you may be tempted to throw in a bunch of design elements like boxes and icons to make it pop. But this typically results in a busy, overcomplicated design — which often isn’t compliant with applicant tracking systems.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Embrace the principle of “less is more”. Leverage white space strategically, eliminate tables and columns (which aren’t ATS-friendly), and stick to a black-and-white color scheme (with an optional third color for section headings). If you’re not very confident in your design skills, meanwhile, you might want to consider using one of our résumé templates.

13. Making it too long

When it comes to résumés, nobody wants to read a book. Especially busy creatures like recruiters who often have to review 100–200 applications for a single job opening.

Not only will you lose the hiring manager’s attention with a résumé that’s too long, but you’ll also make it hard for them to locate the key information they’re looking for. Not to mention it suggests a lack of effective communication skills.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Adjust the length of your résumé according to your experience and career situation. For students and recent graduates, this is typically one page; for jobseekers with a few years’ experience under their belt, this would be two pages.

14. Using unusual fonts

Sure, Great Vibes is a beautiful typeface, but using unusual fonts like this on your résumé is a no-go, as they tend to be hard to read. And, most importantly, they’re not supported by all word processing software or applicant tracking systems, which will convert your content into what’s known as tofu.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Stick to universally accepted résumé fonts like Arial, Calibri and Garamond, which are supported by virtually all word processors. On that note, use no more than two styles, and keep the font size to 10–12 pts (although section headings can be slightly larger, typically 12–16pts).

15. Listing references

While it was common in the ’80s and ’90s to list references or the phrase “References available upon request” in résumés, it’s now considered an outdated practice.

It’s also unnecessary, as employers expect you to have references to supply at a later time, so there’s no need to mention them on your résumé. Meanwhile, dedicating an entire section for references only takes up valuable real estate that could be better used to highlight more important things.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Only provide a list of references, as a separate document, when you’re asked to do so — typically during the final stage of the recruitment process when employers are ready to make a job offer.

16. Using first-person pronouns

A seemingly innocent résumé mistake to make, using first-person pronouns can — and will — do more harm than good.

For one, it makes your résumé sound overly self-centered, and too much of “I did this” and “I did that” gets boring fast. Not to mention it can shift the focus from your skills, achievements and experiences.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Delete personal pronouns like “I”, “me”, “my”, “we” and “our” entirely from your résumé — but still employ a first-person narrative style. Their removal also creates additional (however little) space.

17. Relying on clichés

Recruiters and hiring managers typically review anywhere between 100 and 200 applications for a single job opening. And, sadly, almost all of those applications use the same overused and generic buzzwords like “results-driven” and “proven track record”.

These clichés only achieve two things. One, they bore the hiring manager who just read a near-identical résumé to yours. And two, their vagueness and imprecision leave a lackluster impression.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Show, don’t just tell. For example, instead of saying you’re a “team player”, describe a time when your teamwork abilities led to a successful project outcome, like: “Collaborated with a cross-functional team of 25 to launch a new software feature, resulting in a 34% increase in user engagement.”

18. Listing personal information

Personal information — like your date of birth, gender, race, political or religious affiliations, marital status, and sexual orientation — provide no insight whatsoever into your capabilities and past job performance.

Such personal details can also lead to all sorts of discrimination, even subconsciously.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Delete personal information from your résumé entirely. The only exception to this rule is when writing a résumé around country-specific conventions — in South Africa, for example, you’re expected to include things like your ID number and ethnicity.

19. Using an inappropriate email address

No matter how good your résumé is and how perfectly you match the job requirements, employers will think twice about continuing you to the next stage of the recruitment process if your email address is something inappropriate like “[email protected]” or, worse, something X-rated.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Create a dedicated email address for professional purposes. Your safest bet is to combine your first and last names, for example: “[email protected]”. Do, however, avoid using numbers (like your birthyear).

20. Listing incorrect contact information

Imagine being the best candidate for the job, meeting every single requirement down to a T, only to miss out on what’s potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because you listed an old phone number or email address. Indeed, when hiring managers can’t contact you, they will very likely move on to the runner-up.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Always double- and triple-check your contact information, and make sure you’ve listed your most recent phone number and email address. On that note, make sure your phone number includes your country’s calling code, particularly if you’re applying for jobs abroad.

21. Switching between tenses

Switching back and forth between tenses — especially in the middle of a sentence — is not only grammatically incorrect, but it also makes it difficult to follow the thought pattern of your résumé. Indeed, it confuses readers as to what you did when.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Use the present tense for all ongoing responsibilities, and the past tense for all completed projects. If you’re describing a position that features both current and past activities, list the completed projects last.

22. Using technical jargon

The first person to read your résumé — after being scanned by an ATS and before being passed on to the hiring manager — will often be a recruiter or an HR representative who isn’t familiar with your industry and its terminology.

While technical jargon may be second nature to you, it can confuse or alienate these initial reviewers, potentially causing them to overlook your qualifications.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Replace technical jargon with everyday terms that the average Joe can understand. For example, “Implemented RESTful APIs to facilitate seamless data exchange between the client and server” could be translated into “Created software tools to help different parts of the application communicate with each other smoothly.”

23. Using paragraphs

If there’s one thing that hiring managers don’t want to see in your résumé, it’s paragraphs. Indeed, large chunks of text make it hard for them to find the information they’re looking for, not to mention they make your résumé look cluttered and overwhelming.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Only format your summary section as a paragraph (between three and six lines long). Use bullet points for everything else to concisely and impactfully present your top skills, qualifications and achievements.

24. Using passive language

Passive language (think: “The project was managed by me”) tends to be less direct or compelling. Worse, still, it can inadvertently make you seem unsure and not at all confident about your own abilities and achievements — not the kind of qualities that employers look for in candidates.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Switch to active language to make your résumé more engaging and compelling. Meanwhile, using action verbs like “orchestrated” and “increased” will help you convey a stronger sense of accomplishment and responsibility.

25. Choosing a generic file name

Generic file names (think: “Resume.docx”) are perhaps one of the most common résumé and CV mistakes you can make. And that’s because, as recruiters and hiring managers receive countless applications, it can easily get lost or confused with others.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Prefer a specific, descriptive file name that helps recruiters quickly identify your résumé. As a general rule of thumb, it should include your name, job title and the word “résumé”, like so: “Jane Smith Accountant Résumé.docx”.

26. Adding “CV” or “Résumé” as a header

The person reading your CV or résumé) knows very well what exactly it is they’re reading. And affixing “curriculum vitae” or “résumé” at the top of the document only wastes space — not to mention it insults the hiring manager’s intelligence.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Only include your name, job title and contact information in your résumé’s letterhead. Make sure to copy it across, as is, to your supporting application documents, including your cover letter.

27. Adding irrelevant hobbies

While it’s okay to include hobbies and interests in your résumé in some situations (namely when you have limited work and educational experience and relevant skills), you need to be strategic with which ones you do include. Indeed, including irrelevant hobbies can distract hiring managers from your key skills and professional achievements.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Only include hobbies that directly relate to the job or demonstrate relevant skills like teamwork and leadership. And only add a hobbies section if there’s space for one.

28. Not proofreading

If your résumé brags about your “fluency in Spinach” and “attention to derail skills”, or how you received a “plague for Salesperson of the Year” and you “consistently tanked as top sales agent”, the good news is it will get a few laughs (for all the wrong reasons).

The bad news is that it unintentionally signals carelessness and a lack of diligence on your behalf, and it creates a rather unfavorable impression of you.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Always proofread your résumé (and proofread it again — and again) before sending it to potential employers. Beyond grammar and spelling errors, also check employment dates, contact information and formatting consistency, and correct them accordingly.

29. Not asking for feedback

A good author will never publish a book without first getting a second or third opinion, usually by an editor or a publisher. And that’s because they become too close to their own writing that they can’t help but be a little biased when self-editing. The same goes for résumé writing.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Ask someone you trust to review your résumé from top to bottom and give you feedback regarding its content, structure, impact, and overall relevance to your target job. Better yet, hire a professional to critique your résumé.

30. Not following instructions

Employers will rarely request you to follow specific instructions when submitting your résumé, but it does happen. And when you ignore these instructions (which might include things like submitting your résumé as a PDF or limiting its length to two pages), you only set yourself up for failure.

One, it’s disrespectful to the hiring manager’s time. Two, it shows carelessness and unprofessionalism. And three, it makes hiring managers think that you’re difficult to work with, as you “can’t follow simple instructions”.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

Carefully read the job description before submitting your application, and make note of any special instructions or requests. And follow them to a T.

Final thoughts

Whether you’re new to the whole résumé-writing process or a veteran, we can all agree that it’s an intimidating task. Add to that the knowledge of how even the tiniest faux pas can ruin your chances for job search success, then it becomes a lot more than simply intimating.

But if you take the time to identify and fix the 30 common résumé and CV mistakes we’ve listed in this article, you’ll most certainly be one step closer to landing that dream job of yours!

Are you guilty of making any of these résumé mistakes, or something else entirely? How did it affect your job search? Let us know in the comments section below.

This article is a complete update of an earlier version originally published on August 24, 2017.