10 Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid (and How to Fix Them)
- Alessa Hickman
- Oct 28, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 4, 2025
In today’s job market, every posting gets hundreds, if not thousands, of applications. Between AI resume scanners and hiring managers who only skim for a few seconds, even small mistakes can stop you from landing an interview.
You might have all the right experience, education, and skills, but if your resume misses the mark, you’ll get overlooked.
As someone who writes resumes professionally, I’ve noticed the same mistakes pop up again and again. But once they're fixed, it instantly improves people’s success with interviews. In this post, we'll go through 10 common resume mistakes (and how to fix each one).
10 Common Resume Mistakes
1. Choosing an Unprofessional or Messy Format
Your resume design sets the tone before anyone even reads a word. If it looks chaotic or poorly formatted, it’s an instant turn-off for hiring managers and AI scanners.
Avoid using overly colourful templates, funky fonts, or layouts that make information hard to read. A cluttered or overly complex design can confuse resume-scanning software (ATS systems). Elements like tables, logos, or too many icons can make it harder for the software to scan your information correctly, and might prevent your resume from reaching a hiring manager.
A clean, modern design makes a huge difference. My resume templates are the same ones I’ve personally used to land interviews — they’re sleek, professional, and easy to customize.
2. Writing Too Casually (Not Like a Professional)
Your resume is not the place for slang, typos, emojis, or overly casual/vague language. Every sentence should sound polished and results-driven — clearly showcasing your value, impact, and skills.
Resume wording examples
❌ Before: “Helped some customers out at the till and chatted with them.”
✅ After: “Delivered friendly, efficient service to over 100 customers daily, ensuring smooth transactions and positive experiences during peak hours.”
Keep your tone professional, avoid vague wording (like ‘just,’ ‘some,’ or ‘helped with’), and triple-check for typos. Write like someone who takes their work seriously — you want every line to sound intentional.
3. Making Your Resume Too Long
You can have a resume that's longer than one page, but you don't need to. I find that short and targeted resumes almost always perform better. I’ve personally used a one-page resume for years now and still get hired.
Hiring managers and employers are busy. They don’t want (or need) to read your entire career history. They just need the highlights that prove you’re right for the job.
Only keep what’s most relevant to the job you’re applying for — skills, experience, and results that directly connect to the job description. A clear, tailored one-page resume makes it easier for people to instantly see your value without reading through multiple pages.
4. Not Adding Enough Detail
A vague resume doesn’t tell your story. Instead of listing job duties and responsibilities, give context and describe what you actually accomplished.
How to write resume bullet points
❌ Before: “Served tables and took customer orders.”
✅ After: “Provided table and bar service for 50+ guests per shift, managing multiple sections while maintaining fast, friendly, and accurate service.”
Numbers, results, metrics, and specific tools all help demonstrate your impact and make your experience more credible. Talk about what you achieved, not just what you did. Try: sales growth, efficiency, volume, accuracy, time saved, customer satisfaction, or team results.
5. Using Passive Language
Your resume should clearly show your direct impact. Active verbs grab attention and show confidence!
Passive vs. active voice on a resume
❌ Before: “Part of a team responsible for social media marketing.”
✅ After: “Managed and grew a social media community of 5,000+ by creating consistent, engaging content on Instagram and TikTok.”
See the difference?
Words like managed, led, created, built, implemented, and developed help you sound confident and capable.
Active verbs for your resume:
Coordinated
Facilitated
Streamlined
Designed
Improved
Organized
Delivered
Trained
Collaborated
6. Ignoring Keywords from Job Postings
AI screening systems look for specific words that match the job description. If those words aren’t in your resume, you might get filtered out before anyone reads it. Similarly, hiring managers also scan for specific terms. If the job mentions Microsoft Office or Capcut, for example, they’ll want to see that listed on your resume.
How to add keywords to your resume:
Review the job posting and note repeated skills, tools, or terms — things like WordPress, Canva, SEO, customer service, Excel, or project coordination.
Incorporate those keywords throughout your resume in your skills section, professional summary, or bullet points where they fit naturally and make sense.
Example: If the job mentions lesson planning and classroom technology, you might say, “Designed interactive ESL lesson plans using Google Classroom and Canva to engage 10+ students daily.”
7. Using the Same Resume for Every Application
One-size-fits-all resumes don't really work anymore (at least in my experience). If you’re applying to different fields or industries, you need more than one version. Tailoring your resume for each path boosts your chances of matching the keywords that employers care about, and it makes your experience more specific and relevant to that job.
I personally have three: one for teaching/education, one for writing/editing, and one for social work roles. Each one highlights the most relevant experience and skills for that specific field.
Creating multiple versions of your resume requires some work upfront, but it pays off quickly when you start applying. Once they’re done, you’ll only need to update your resumes when you change jobs or gain new experience. And if you use my customizable resume templates, you won’t need to start from scratch every time!
8. Including Unrelated or Personal Information
There’s no need to list your full home address, marital status, age, or hobbies from ten years ago. Those details take up valuable space and don’t help your case either.
Include only:
City + province/state (I work remotely, so I don’t even list my city — most employers can tell roughly where I’m based from my education or past jobs)
Email + LinkedIn
Phone number
Relevant experience, education, and skills
Everything else? Leave it out.
9. Skipping the Professional Summary
A quick professional summary at the top of your resume helps employers understand who you are and what you do right away.
Mine says: Professional writer and educator with experience as a college instructor and content creator. Skilled in crafting blog posts, digital resources, and resumes to help individuals and businesses elevate their communication and careers.
Write 2–3 sentences describing who you are, what you’re great at, and what kinds of roles you’re targeting.
Professional summary template
"[Your job title/field] with [X years] of experience in [specialty/industry]. Skilled in [key skills or tools], with a focus on [type of results you create or goals you help achieve]."
10. Lying or Exaggerating (Seriously, Don’t)
This should go without saying, but it still happens. Employers can (and often do) verify your experience, education, or references. And they'll probably ask about the details in interviews. If they catch a lie, it can cost you the job.
Be honest about your experience and focus on highlighting your real wins. You don’t need to fake anything to stand out — you’re already great as you are!
✨ Avoid These Resume Mistakes to Land More Interviews
By avoiding these ten common resume mistakes and focusing on clarity, honesty, and presentation, you’ll set yourself up for way more interview invites. Your resume is your first impression, so make it count.
If you’re ready to polish your resume, make sure you check out my professional resume templates or reach out for my resume writing services!
And don't forget to join my email list for more career tips, freelance advice, and practical guides to building a career you love — all sent straight to your inbox 💌