Why Most Resumes Still Fail (Plus 5 Tips For Success)
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
The job market is a competitive place. While junior vacancies can elicit hundreds of applicants, senior positions pit you against the cream of the crop in your sector. In these challenging conditions, it can be difficult to make your resume stand out. While estimates vary, it’s not unusual to need to send more than 100 resumes before you achieve that coveted job offer.
So, if most resumes result in failure, what are the key mistakes that mean you’re missing out on job offers, and what can you do to tip the odds in your favor? Let’s take a look at the top reasons most resumes fail, and what you can do to change your fortunes.
Top 5 reasons most resumes fail
Here are some of the most common resume mistakes, that can see you overlooked for job openings even when you’re well-qualified:
Too generic
If your resume’s too generic, it simply won’t stand out against other candidates. Each resume you send needs to be tailored to the specific requirements of the job description. Pay attention to the key skills listed in the job ad, and focus on these, showing how you’ve put them into action in your career to date. Tailoring your resume also means showing you’ve considered the unique qualities and appeal of the organization. Reference the organization by name and ensure your resume summary outlines why you want to work for them.
Outdated formatting and structure
Ignoring current resume conventions, formats and structures is a surefire way to show you’re not up-to-speed with what employers are looking for in a modern employee. This might include:
- Producing a resume that’s unnecessarily long (typically one page is long enough, while for senior, executive positions you might want to lengthen it).
- Opting for a skills-focused resume when a traditional chronological format might be more effective, or vice-versa.
- Writing in the third person, or even in the first person using “I” statements.
- Adding outdated resume sections, such as references, a long career profile, a personal photo or too many personal details.
Not optimized for ATS
When you write a resume, it’s important to keep in mind that it’ll be read by both humans and machines. Most recruiters and large organizations use some form of automation or software to screen resumes, known as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). If you’re not optimizing your resume for ATS screening, your resume may not even make it to the stage where a human reads it. This means using keywords that match the job description throughout your resume, and producing your resume in a clear, easily scannable format without text boxes or too many images.
Focuses on responsibilities
One of the all-time classic resume errors is listing responsibilities and duties from previous jobs rather than outlining your career achievements. If the aim is to make yourself stand out from other candidates, listing basic job duties and tasks will do the complete opposite. Every candidate who’s followed a traditional career path will have completed the same tasks and responsibilities as you in previous roles. Simply telling the employer you can complete tasks is no way to stand out and show your unique qualities.
Appears unprofessional
There are various careless and unprofessional things you can do to a resume to immediately discount you from the running. Basic errors of spelling and grammar are, for example, completely avoidable and there’s simply no excuse for sending a resume that contains them.
Another way to dent your chances is by adding an email address that undermines your professionalism. You might still use an email address you set up years ago as a teenager, which includes a nickname or informal, colloquial or ironic language. This can immediately mark you out as an unserious candidate. Take just a few minutes to set up a professional-looking email address based on your name and some other unique personal details such as your year of birth, location or profession (for example, AmandaWilsonMarketing@mail.com or Simon.Martin.2001@mail.com).
Top 5 tips for resume success
These simple fixes can ensure your resume overcomes the most common shortcomings and failures, putting you in a strong position to progress to the next stage of the recruitment process:
Tailor it to the role
The most powerful thing you can do to improve your chances of job application success is to create a bespoke resume for each application. The level to which you tailor your resume is up to you, but generally, the more tailored to a specific role, the more effective your resume will be.
If you’re working from a master resume, remove any previous roles, skills or qualifications that don’t match up with the job description. If you’re writing your resume from scratch, make sure every job, skill and achievement, either in work or education, is of relevance to the role. Write a bespoke resume summary that clearly outlines what makes you a strong candidate, and explains how the role and organization match your career stage, values and priorities. Finally, ensure your resume contains keywords that match those used in the job description, to maximize your chances of passing the ATS screening stage.
Highlight your achievements
The best way to move away from a generic resume that focuses on tasks and responsibilities is to focus on achievements. Recruiters will want to see the value you added in previous roles. This could mean referencing revenue you added, or costs you saved for a previous employer, new initiatives you spearheaded, awards you won or career milestones you surpassed. Link each achievement to a skill, so the reader can assess the impact you’ve made in your career to date, and how you might apply that in this new role and organization.
Write an engaging resume summary
Your resume summary or objective is your chance to draw the reader in and make them feel compelled to read on in greater detail. Pick one or two key skills and career achievements that reflect the requirements of the role but also highlight the qualities that make you a unique, standout candidate. Write in implied first-person perspective (omitting “I” statements), and ensure you reference why you’re applying for the role and how it fits with your career progression.
Choose the right resume format
Think about your skills and experience, and the requirements of the role, before settling on a resume format for your application. While most professional roles will require a traditional chronological resume format, which focuses on work experience, there might be some instances where a different format could be more effective. For example, if you lack relevant work experience but have plenty of transferable skills, a traditional resume format simply won’t do you justice. In this case, a functional or skills-based resume format might be more effective.
Use a professional resume design
If your resume lacks an engaging design and layout, it can easily fade into the background. Thankfully, you can easily access professional templates and build a resume in minutes with resume maker apps like Jobseeker. The templates are ready-made, but can be customized to fit your requirements. They’ve also been created in a way that’s optimized for ATS systems, which should ensure you pass the initial screening stage of the recruitment process.
Final thoughts
It can take hundreds of job applications to find success and actually be offered a position, so it’s understandable if you might not want to spend too long tailoring your resume for each individual application. However, this is likely holding you back from success, creating a loop that’s difficult to break out of. Only by taking the time to tailor your resume to each specific application can you truly appeal to the hiring manager and show you’re a good fit for the role and organization.
This might also mean you need to be more discerning about what you apply for. Try dedicating more of your job search time to tailoring your resume for the roles you’re most suited for, and spend less time sending bulk, generic applications in the hope one will stick. Taking the time to avoid the most common resume pitfalls and produce a resume that showcases your best qualities and matches the requirements of the job description, will put you in the best possible position for success.
Ⓒ The Big Game Hunter, Inc., Asheville, NC 2025
Transitioning to Another Industry or Field
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves career coaching, all as well as executive job search coaching, job coaching, and interview coaching. He is the producer and former host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with more than 3000 episodes.
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