10 Resume Mistakes That Get You Filtered Out Before a Human Sees It

Most resumes are rejected by software or a 6-second skim, not by careful reading. These are the mistakes that cause both.

1. Using a table or multi-column layout — many ATS parsers scramble the reading order and merge unrelated text.
2. A vague summary line like "hardworking team player" that could describe literally anyone.
3. Listing responsibilities instead of results — "Responsible for social media" says nothing; "Grew Instagram following 40% in 6 months" does.
4. Burying your most relevant experience below older, less relevant jobs.
5. A resume that doesn't mention any of the exact keywords from the job posting.
6. An email address that isn't your real name (recruiters notice).
7. Inconsistent formatting — mixed date formats, bullet styles, or font sizes.
8. No numbers anywhere. Even rough estimates beat none.
9. A objective statement from 2010 ("Seeking a challenging position...") instead of a summary.
10. Sending the exact same resume to every job instead of adjusting emphasis per posting.

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