Top Resume Mistakes That Kill Your Chances

Mistake 1: Writing responsibilities instead of outcomes

“Responsible for…” is not proof.\n Replace responsibilities with measurable outcomes:

• Bad: “Worked on checkout.”\n
• Better: “Reduced checkout errors by 18% by redesigning validation and recovery states.”\n

Mistake 2: Hiding your seniority and scope

If you’re senior, show it.\n Add one line of scope to each role (where appropriate):

• Team size\n
• Stakeholders\n
• Surface area\n
• Constraints (latency, compliance, scale)

Ambiguity reads as risk.

Mistake 3: Weak structure and inconsistent chronology

Recruiters scan for patterns.\n Chronology and alignment help them build trust:

• Consistent date format (e.g., “2022 — 2025”)\n
• Same alignment for dates and locations\n
• Clear section order\n

Mistake 4: Keyword stuffing (and the ATS myth)

ATS systems do parse text — but “stuffing” often backfires.\n Instead:

• Use the job’s language where it’s true\n
• Match titles and technologies you actually used\n
• Keep section labels standard (“Experience”, “Education”, “Skills”)

Mistake 5: Over-designing the resume

Design is not decoration.\n Over-designing breaks parsing and hurts readability:

• Text inside images\n
• Excessive icons\n
• Multi-column layouts that scramble reading order (in some ATS)\n

If you use columns, keep labels simple and content linear.\n

Mistake 6: Too many bullets, too little signal

The fastest way to improve signal density:

• Keep 3–5 bullets per role\n
• Lead with the strongest outcome\n
• Remove anything you can’t defend in an interview

Mistake 7: Missing links and proof

When relevant, include proof:

• Portfolio / GitHub\n
• Product links\n
• Talks, writing, open-source\n

Proof reduces uncertainty — and makes the interview easier.

A practical fix pass (copy this)

Do this once, end-to-end:

1. Rewrite top bullets as outcomes.\n
2. Add scope lines where needed.\n
3. Normalize dates.\n
4. Tighten spacing and headings.\n
5. Export and print-check on A4.\n

That’s the difference between “a resume” and “a decision document.”