Twenty resume mistakes and how to fix them

Most resumes are rejected for small, avoidable reasons. Go through this list with your own page in front of you.

Mistakes in the basics

1. A wrong phone number or email. One mistyped digit and no call can reach you. Fix: dial the number and mail the address from the resume itself.
2. An unprofessional email address. Fix: make a plain one from your name.
3. Spelling and grammar errors. They suggest carelessness, whatever the job. Fix: read aloud, use a spell checker, and ask someone else to read.
4. A file called "resume final new (2).pdf". Fix: Firstname_Lastname_Resume.pdf.
5. Sending a photograph or scan of a printed resume. It is hard to read and software cannot read it at all. Fix: send a text PDF. See ATS-friendly resume.

Mistakes in content

6. A copied objective. "To work in a challenging environment..." Fix: write two lines of your own facts. Examples on the summary and objective page.
7. Duties instead of results. "Responsible for sales." Fix: say what you did and what came of it. See experience points.
8. No numbers anywhere. Fix: add how many, how much, how often to at least half your points.
9. Vague skills. "Computer knowledge, good communication." Fix: name the software and the level. See skills.
10. Claiming what you cannot do. One failed interview question spoils everything else. Fix: list only what you can show, with honest levels.
11. The same resume for every job. Fix: adjust headline, summary and the order of points for each application.
12. Unexplained gaps. Fix: account for long periods in one plain line. See gaps and job changes.
13. Irrelevant detail. School prizes on a ten-year professional's resume; every online course ever taken. Fix: keep what helps this application.
14. False statements. Inflated marks, invented experience, a job title you never held. Fix: remove them. Employers verify, and offers are withdrawn.

Mistakes in form

15. Too long. Three pages for two years of experience. Fix: one page.
16. Too decorated. Colours, borders, icons, skill bars, multiple fonts. Fix: one font, black text, one accent colour at most.
17. Dense blocks of text. Paragraphs where points should be. Fix: short points with space between sections.
18. Inconsistent format. Dates written three ways, some headings bold and others not. Fix: choose one style and apply it everywhere.

Mistakes special to India

19. Personal details by habit: father's name, date of birth, religion, caste, marital status, passport-size photo, and a signed declaration, all on a resume for a private-sector job that asked for none of them. Fix: include a detail only when the application asks for it. See photo, declaration and personal details.
20. Calling the document a "biodata" or "CV" without thinking. The three are different. For most private jobs, a resume is what is wanted. See resume, CV and biodata.

Mistakes when sending

• An empty email with only an attachment. Write three or four lines. See cover letter and email.
• Forgetting the attachment. Attach first, then write.
• Mass mailing to many employers in one message with all addresses visible.
• No subject line, or one that does not name the post.

How to use this list

Do not try to fix everything in one sitting. First fix the items that can stop a call altogether: numbers 1, 3, 5 and 14. Then rewrite the objective or summary. Then go through your experience points one by one. The final checklist lets you tick each item off, and the builder takes care of the form mistakes for you: one page, one font, consistent layout.

One more: silence after sending

Not hearing back is normal and is not always about your resume. Posts are filled internally, put on hold, or receive hundreds of applications. Keep a simple list of where you applied and when, follow up once after a week or ten days if you have a contact, and keep applying. Improve the resume when you notice a pattern, such as calls for one kind of role and none for another.

Questions people ask

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Sample resumes

General guidance. This page gives general suggestions on writing a resume, reviewed in November 2026. Employers differ: if an advertisement or application form asks for a particular format or detail, follow it. Every name, employer and college in our examples is invented. Nothing here promises an interview or a job.