7 Resume Mistakes That Are Costing You Interviews

You're qualified for the job. You have the experience. But for some reason, you're not getting calls back. The problem might be your resume.

1. Using a Generic Objective Statement

Objective statements are outdated. Replace them with a professional summary that highlights your key achievements and what you bring to the table.

2. Listing Duties Instead of Achievements

Anyone can list job duties—they're often the same across similar roles. What sets you apart are your achievements. Use numbers and metrics wherever possible: "Increased sales by 40%" is much more compelling than "Responsible for sales."

3. Making It Too Long

Recruiters spend an average of 7 seconds scanning a resume. Keep it concise—one page for early career, two pages maximum for experienced professionals.

4. Poor Formatting

A cluttered, hard-to-read resume will be skipped over. Use clean formatting, consistent fonts, and plenty of white space. And always save as PDF to preserve formatting.

5. Typos and Grammar Errors

Nothing kills a first impression faster than typos. Proofread multiple times, use spell-check, and have someone else review your resume before sending.

6. Missing Keywords

Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter resumes. If your resume doesn't include relevant keywords from the job description, it might never reach human eyes.

7. Outdated Information

Remove that job from 15 years ago. Drop the "References available upon request" line. And please, take off your AOL email address.

The Fix

Review your resume with these mistakes in mind. Better yet, use AI tools to optimize your resume for each application, ensuring it passes ATS filters and catches recruiters' attention.