A Quick Guide to the 4 Most Common Resume Mistakes

Ready to wow hiring managers with your resume? Getting a job or even an interview can hinge on your resume, how it looks, and the information in it. And a bad resume can cost you the opportunity of a lifetime, even if you’re well qualified.  

There are a few basic things that you can prevent from doing that might prevent you from getting a job. Watch out for these common resume mistakes and you’ll be getting interviews in no time. 

1. Basic Errors

Read over your resume multiple times. You would be surprised how many small mistakes you may not notice if you don’t and triple-check it. Most resume mistakes are unintentional, but avoiding things like spelling and grammatical errors are at the top of the list. 

When you’re working on your resume, read over things out loud to make sure they make sense and all of your information is correct. It’s one thing to misspell one word, but if you misspell your email it could cost you.

2. Same Old Same Old

Don’t use the same resume for every job application. Every resume mistakes guide will tell you that your resume needs to be specific to the job you’re applying for. You might not have a ton of different jobs to choose from when listing your experience, but the accomplishments and tasks you did for those jobs might look slightly different depending on your current application.

Highlight the things you’ve done that you will be doing in the next job. Show how you have the right experience and new ideas in the field you want to go into. A one-size-fits-all approach does not typically work for resumes. 

3. Outdated Style

Most resume mistakes are easy fixes, and this is no exception. Don’t use weird or wacky fonts, or style it in a way that isn’t modern and easy to read. Having an outdated resume makes you and your skills feel outdated as well, even if they’re not. 

Using a resume builder can be incredibly helpful in getting you started. But be sure you are going through the final product and checking all your information. If you use a built-in formatted it can be easy to not notice if something gets cut off or something was mistyped when you first put it in. 

4. Wrong Details

The devil is in the details with resumes. Be sure you check what the job is looking for and what the job application requires. Sometimes you need a cover letter in the same document as your resume, or two references at the end. Taylor your resume and the document itself to what the job requires.

Avoid Common Resume Mistakes

Applying for jobs is hard enough. Not getting an interview or a great opportunity because of something fixable shouldn’t happen to you. Avoid the see common resume mistakes and know that you won’t be turned away because of your initial application. 

If you haven’t looked at your resume in a while, look at some of the resume templates out there today to make sure yours looks good and modern.

And if this helped you feel a bit more confident in your application materials, keep reading for more great tips.