7 Resume Mistakes and What to Do Instead

Build a Resume For Today’s Hiring Process

Your resume is often the first introduction employers have to your experience and skills. Recruiters may review many applications for a single role, and some organizations use applicant tracking systems to organize resumes before a hiring manager reviews them.

Because of this, resumes should be easy to scan, clearly organized and aligned with the role you are applying for. Even qualified candidates can be overlooked if employers cannot quickly understand their qualifications.

Reviewing your resume for common mistakes may help strengthen how your experience is presented.

Using a Vague Objective Instead of a Professional Summary

A short professional summary can highlight your background, key skills and experience related to the role. This section usually includes two to four sentences that help employers quickly understand your qualifications.

Listing Duties Instead of Achievements

Listing responsibilities does not always show how you contributed in a role. Employers often want to understand how your work made an impact.

Consider using bullet points that highlight results or outcomes, such as:

• Projects you helped complete
• Improvements to processes or workflows
• Goals achieved with your team

When possible, include measurable details that provide context.

Submitting the Same Resume for Every Role

Using the same resume for every application can make it harder for employers to see how your experience connects to the role.

Tailoring your resume allows you to emphasize the skills and experiences most relevant to the position.

Making Key Skills Hard to Find

Recruiters often scan resumes quickly to identify whether candidates meet basic skill requirements.

Including a dedicated skills section may help employers quickly identify tools, software platforms or professional abilities relevant to the role.

Watch out for these common mistakes:

• Using Complicated Formatting: Resumes with heavy graphics or unusual layouts can be difficult to review and may not display correctly across systems. A clean layout with clear headings, simple fonts and concise bullet points can make information easier to scan.
• Including Incorrect Contact Information: Incorrect phone numbers or outdated email addresses can prevent employers from contacting you. Before submitting your resume, confirm that your contact details are accurate and easy to locate.

Continuing to Build Skills:

A resume can help open the door to interviews, but building knowledge and skills is also important for long-term career growth.

At AIU, students have access to online career resources and services designed to help them prepare for job searches. These resources may include resume guidance, interview preparation and strategies for presenting experience to employers.

AIU also offers degree programs designed to help students build knowledge aligned with professional goals.

AIU cannot guarantee employment, salary or career advancement.
Not all programs are available to residents of all states. REQ2207431 03/2026