🛑 Top 10 Resume Mistakes to Avoid (and How to Fix Them) — 2025 Edition

Your resume is your gateway to opportunity. But even small errors can shut the door before it opens. In this guide, we cover the most common—and costly—resume mistakes people make, and provide clear, actionable steps to correct them.

These aren’t just opinions—they’re backed by input from recruiters, hiring managers, and data from applicant tracking systems (ATS). Fixing these 10 mistakes can significantly improve your chances of getting noticed—and getting hired.

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1. 🔡 Spelling & Grammar Mistakes

Why it’s a dealbreaker: Typos signal sloppiness and poor attention to detail. Recruiters often use this as a quick filter to eliminate candidates from a large pile.

How to fix it:

• Use spellcheck—but don’t rely on it alone.
• Run your resume through Grammarly or .
• Read it out loud or backwards to catch awkward phrasing or hidden typos.
• Ask at least one other person to proofread it.

“Typos don’t just hurt clarity—they suggest a lack of professionalism. If you can’t proofread one page, what does that say about your work ethic?” — Hiring Manager, SaaS Company

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2. 📤 Submitting a Generic Resume

Why it hurts: A one-size-fits-all resume comes across as impersonal and irrelevant. Hiring managers expect to see alignment with their job description.

How to fix it:

• Customize your summary, skills section, and experience bullets to reflect keywords from the job ad.
• Mirror their terminology—e.g., “client success” vs. “customer support.”
• Use a tool like ResumaticAI to instantly tailor your resume to each job.

Tip: You don’t need a full rewrite—just targeted edits based on the role’s priorities.

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3. 🚫 Including Irrelevant Experience

Why it matters: Unrelated jobs clutter your resume, distract from your strengths, and dilute your value.

How to fix it:

• Focus on experience that relates to the role, even if indirectly.
• Reframe older roles by emphasizing transferable skills (e.g., leadership, communication, problem-solving).
• Summarize less relevant jobs in 1-2 lines under a “Previous Roles” section.

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4. 📊 No Metrics or Results

Why it weakens your case: Statements like “responsible for managing a team” don’t show impact. Metrics prove your value.

How to fix it:

• Turn duties into achievements.
• Use the formula: Action + Context + Outcome (e.g., “Reduced onboarding time by 35% through creation of new training materials”).
• Use real numbers wherever possible—estimates are okay if accurate.

Before: Managed client accounts.
After: Managed 12+ mid-market accounts, increasing upsell revenue by $50K over 6 months.

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5. 🎨 Poor Formatting and Design

Why it fails: Your resume should be skimmable in 7–10 seconds. Bad formatting creates friction for both humans and ATS.

How to fix it:

• Use a clean, single-column layout with consistent spacing.
• Avoid text boxes, tables, or columns—they confuse ATS.
• Use fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica at 10–12 pt size.
• Make use of bold, bullet points, and whitespace—don't over-format.

Tools: Google Docs, Canva (ATS-safe templates), or use ResumaticAI to auto-format your resume properly.

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6. 🧱 Keyword Stuffing

Why it’s problematic: “Synergistic team player” means little without context. Recruiters want results, not jargon.

How to fix it:

• Replace vague descriptors with specific achievements.
• Use strong action verbs: “led,” “created,” “improved,” “launched,” etc.
• Drop clichés unless backed up with a clear example.

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7. ⏳ Wrong File Format

Why it’s a red flag: Too short, and it looks underdeveloped. Too long, and recruiters won’t read it all.

Best practices:

• 1 page: Entry-level or recent grads
• 2 pages: Professionals with 5+ years of experience
• 3+ pages: Academic CVs only

Cut fluff. Every line should serve a purpose.

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8. 🤖 Outdated or Irrelevant Information

Why it disqualifies you: If your resume can’t be parsed correctly, it won’t reach a human reviewer.

How to fix it:

• Use standard section headings: “Experience,” “Education,” “Skills”
• Save as a .docx or clean .pdf
• Don’t use columns, headers/footers, images, or charts
• Insert relevant keywords from the job description

Test before sending: Run your file through ResumaticAI’s ATS scanner.

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9. 🧭 Missing or Incomplete Contact Information

Why it’s important: Your summary or objective gives recruiters a quick overview of who you are and what you’re seeking—crucial in fast-paced hiring environments.

What to include:

• Your role or target title
• Years of experience
• Key skills or results
• Career goals (brief)

Example: “Operations Coordinator with 4 years of experience streamlining fulfillment workflows and reducing costs. Passionate about creating scalable systems in growing logistics teams.”

Need help writing one? Use ResumaticAI to generate a tailored summary in seconds.

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10. 🛑 Including Unnecessary Personal Info

Why it’s outdated: Details like age, marital status, or nationality are unnecessary—and can expose you to unconscious bias.

What to include instead:

• Full Name
• Phone Number
• Email
• City/Region (optional)
• LinkedIn, GitHub, or portfolio URL

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📋 Final Checklist: Is Your Resume Ready?

• ✅ Proofread for typos and errors
• ✅ Tailored to job description
• ✅ Metrics and achievements in each bullet
• ✅ ATS-friendly formatting
• ✅ Keyword optimization complete
• ✅ Saved in a safe file type
• ✅ No personal or irrelevant info

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✨ Final Thoughts

Even the most talented candidates get overlooked because of resume errors that are completely avoidable. By identifying and fixing these top 10 mistakes, you're putting yourself ahead of most applicants. Your resume isn’t just a document—it’s a demonstration of your attention to detail, your communication style, and your fit for the role.

Want to skip the guesswork? ResumaticAI will scan your resume for mistakes, suggest improvements, and optimize it for ATS—all in minutes.

👉 Start your free resume check today. Because the right resume doesn't just get read—it gets results.