Resume Proofreading and Error Avoidance: 15 Ways to Avoid Common Mistakes
To help job seekers avoid common resume mistakes, we’ve gathered fifteen invaluable tips from professionals such as Career Coaches and Talent Acquisition Specialists. From understanding the importance of adding a suitable profile picture to the necessity of tailoring each resume and cover letter, these insights will guide you in creating a standout resume.
- Add a Suitable Profile Picture
- Balance the Amount of Information
- Proofread for Clichés
- Understand Target Country’s Resume Norms
- Customize AI-Generated Content
- Start Bullets with Active Verbs
- Opt for Simple, Image-Free Designs
- Get Your Resume Peer Reviewed
- Provide Specific Results and Achievements
- Craft a Career Highlights Reel
- Avoid Special Resume Formatting
- Focus on Impact, Not Duties
- Highlight Transferable Competencies and Results
- Include a Professional Phone Number
- Tailor Each Resume and Cover Letter
Add a Suitable Profile Picture
Not adding a business-suitable profile picture is a mistake. I don’t mean a profile picture with suits, but it shouldn’t be a picture with friends or in a restaurant/cafe. That shows recruiters that you are not serious enough. If you want to seem like a professional, you must have a suitable profile picture. Not having any is a problem, too.
Selman Seref, Head of Digital, tectrain GmbH
Balance the Amount of Information
A common mistake job seekers make is including excessive or insufficient information. Remember the principles of relevance and balance when crafting your resume, similar to presenting a professional “highlight reel.” Avoid overloading your resume with every employment position or task you’ve undertaken, particularly if they lack relevance to the specific job you’re seeking. While some hiring managers appreciate glimpses into your achievements beyond work, others may not. To keep it concise, I recommend reserving such information for casual conversation during the interview.
Conversely, it is equally vital not to be too brief, leaving hiring managers with doubts about the depth of your experience. Aim for an ideal balance, showcasing how your previous roles and skills align with the job description. The objective is to ensure your resume conveys as much information as possible within its limited pages so that hiring managers can readily envision your success.
Rachel Weiner, Senior Technology Consultant, EC1 Partners
Proofread for Clichés
One common mistake job seekers might want to steer clear of is listing “attention to detail” as a strength while having several spelling and grammatical errors on their resume. It’s kind of like saying you’re a great chef, but your signature dish is burnt toast.
To avoid this, it’s crucial to give the resume a thorough proofread. Consider asking a friend or using tools like spell-check to catch any slip-ups. A polished and error-free resume speaks volumes about a candidate’s attention to detail, making a much stronger impression on potential employers.
Kimberley Tyler-Smith, VP of Strategy and Growth, Resume Worded
Understand Target Country’s Resume Norms
One aspect to be mindful of is conducting research to understand the specific requirements and expectations for resumes in the target country to which you are applying. For instance, in some countries, it is still common to include more personalized information, such as birthdate and marital status, while in other countries, like Canada, this information is neither required nor expected.
By familiarizing yourself with the cultural norms and expectations of the country where the job is located, you can tailor your resume accordingly. Always prioritize highlighting skills, qualifications, and experiences that align with the job requirement and showcase your achievements and professional accomplishments.
Prior to submitting an application, scan your resume and ensure it is free from any errors. Pay attention to details such as spelling, grammar, and formatting to ensure you present a polished and professional document – putting forward your best efforts to secure an interview.
Heidi Hauver, Chief People Officer
Customize AI-Generated Content
While fully AI-generated content can serve as a useful starting point for creating a solid resume, be sure to tweak and tailor this content so it doesn’t come across as vague or impersonal. The trouble with AI is that it follows repetitive writing patterns and comes up with statements that can often be attributed to anybody. Sometimes, generative AI tools can create outright wrong statements as well. I’d recommend job seekers always re-read their document before sending it out, even if you think you have a perfect prompt down.
To avoid sounding like a robot yourself, customize AI-generated content so you’ll create a more authentic resume that resonates with employers and demonstrates your genuine interest and effort in the application process. Try reading over your statements out loud and make sure you add numbers, specific skills that relate back to the job requirements, and more context whenever possible, such as the names of the tools you used or the type of project you worked on.
Sebastian Morgan, Senior Content Specialist, CV Genius
Start Bullets with Active Verbs
A very common mistake is starting resume bullets with “Responsible for…” which comes off as lazy and passive. Just because we are responsible for something doesn’t mean we did it well or even did it at all!
I recommend just deleting that part and starting each bullet with the active verb. Avoid repeating the same verb at the beginning of bullets, especially within the same job. Having a good variety of verbs demonstrates diversity of skills and accomplishments.
Linda Evans, Career Coach, Launched By Linda
Opt for Simple, Image-Free Designs
One common mistake is using flashy resume designs that include images and headshots.
When trying to make a resume that stands out, it’s tempting to opt for “pretty” resume designs like the ones seen on Canva. However, most hiring managers and recruiters prefer a simple and straightforward resume. This type of resume quickly communicates experience and qualifications, and it’s easy for them to scan.
American employers need to follow anti-discrimination laws and demonstrate fair hiring practices. As a result, they tend to prefer photo-free resumes that don’t carry any associated risks. Therefore, including a headshot on a resume in the U.S. can work against you.
When choosing a resume template, job seekers should opt for simple, image-free designs. These designs help them effectively convey how their skills and experience translate to a target role. They should avoid designs with distracting aesthetics that make it more difficult for employers to find the information they’re looking for.
Eva Chan, Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Senior Content Specialist, Resume Genius
Get Your Resume Peer Reviewed
A frequent resume error is the lack of specificity. Job seekers often use one general resume for all applications, which can lead to their resumes being dismissed. Customizing a resume for each job by reflecting the language and requirements of the job posting is crucial. This strategy not only helps to pass the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) but also shows employers that the candidate has made a deliberate effort to align with the job criteria.
Ensuring a resume is free from errors is equally important. Simple mistakes can imply a lack of diligence. A thorough review by others or by professional services can prevent these errors.
By tailoring every application and avoiding common errors, a resume can make a strong, relevant impression, greatly enhancing a job seeker’s prospects.
Jose Gomez, Founder and CTO, Evinex
Provide Specific Results and Achievements
Job seekers often have a resume that is too vague or generic in their resume content. To avoid this, job seekers should tailor their resumes for each job application, provide quantifiable results and achievements, and utilize action verbs to describe their accomplishments and contributions in former roles.
John Logal, Talent Acquisition Specialist
Craft a Career Highlights Reel
Your resume is not an autobiography; it’s a marketing document used to help the recruiter or hiring manager understand why they should invite you for an interview with their company for a specific position.
With this in mind, you want to avoid the mistake of listing every job duty from your career. Instead, craft a highlights reel that quickly demonstrates what sets you apart from the hundreds, or thousands, of other people applying for the same role. If it’s not immediately clear why you’re uniquely qualified for the role compared to other applicants, your resume isn’t yet ready for submission.
Dr. Kyle Elliott, Founder and Tech Career Coach, CaffeinatedKyle.com
Avoid Special Resume Formatting
Many candidates want to present a beautiful resume with columns and graphics that mess with the document’s formatting. While having a nicely designed version of your resume can be advantageous, there is no place for it in an applicant-tracking system. When applicants apply on a company’s website, their information can be uploaded into the system incorrectly if there is special formatting.
Instead, focus on having a simple, clean, and concisely formatted resume with impeccable content in it.
Kelli Anderson, Career Coach, Resume Seed
Focus on Impact, Not Duties
Your resume should be an overview of the impactful things you’ve done during your employment. As recruiters, we typically understand that as a software engineer, you’re writing code, or as an office manager, you’re keeping office supplies stocked. Instead, tell me about how the software you created impacted revenue, or how your innovative, automated ordering of supplies allowed you to focus on more high-value work.
Always ask yourself, “Does this show my impact, not just my job duties?” and if the answer is no, drop it. Edit ruthlessly!
Steph McDonald, Senior Technical Recruiter, HubSpot
Highlight Transferable Competencies and Results
A big mistake I see on resumes is being overly focused on tasks completed versus results obtained and competencies grown. While it’s important to say what you did in the role, you should make sure to identify transferable competencies that came from the experience.
Connect the dots for the employer so they don’t have to guess how those tasks make you fit for their role. Tell them directly that you possess whatever your top competencies are, e.g., Strategic Focus, Detail Orientation, and tie that to the behavioral evidence of what you did.
As for the results portion, wherever possible, indicate how long you took to do something, whether you did it at or under budget, any cost savings, and/or efficiencies you created in the role. In other words, make it clear that you didn’t just occupy the role, you made a tangible difference while in the role.
Sandy Fiaschetti, Ph.D., Founder and Managing Partner, Lodestone People Consulting
Include a Professional Phone Number
Some job-seekers are guilty of not including their phone number in their resume. While personal phone numbers aren’t common in resumes, it’s still important to include a phone number that can be used for professional purposes.
A job-seeker’s resume can be sent to potential employers, and including a phone number can make it easier for recruiters to contact the candidate. Including a phone number can also prevent the need to create an email address specifically for job-search purposes. While some job-seekers may not include a phone number in their resume, it’s an important detail to keep in mind.
Matthew Ramirez, Founder, USMLE Test Prep
Tailor Each Resume and Cover Letter
One common mistake I see job-seekers make is when they have one generic resume and cover letter that they use for all the jobs they are applying to. I understand why this happens. Applying to positions with multiple companies takes time, and having one version of your resume or cover letter can be a way to cut down on the amount of time it takes to job hunt.
However, this strategy might be the reason you aren’t getting a call back. When you have just one version of your resume and cover letter, you are usually taking a more generic approach to those documents to make them loosely fit the role you are applying to. The problem with this tactic is that your resume is not tailored to the role you are applying to. It is great to have a structure to your resume, but a more effective approach will be to study the job description and customize your resume and cover letter to the role you are applying to. Highlight your skills and experience as they relate to the job description.
Mary Krull, Lead Talent Attraction Partner, Southern New Hampshire University
