Top 10 common resume mistakes to avoid and how to fix them

The job market is crowded. Some postings get flooded fast, and most resumes look “fine” at first glance, but they are not. Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for evidence of skills, impact, and fit.

In this guide you’ll find:

• The 10 mistakes that make your resume feel generic, confusing, or low-credibility.
• Practical fixes for each one, useful in any industry.

Summary: the 10 most common resume mistakes in 2026 (and the fast fix)

Here’s the fast overview. I’ll break each one down below and link the deeper guides you’ll want next.

Mistake 1: Unprofessional or incorrect contact details

This one is brutal because it’s avoidable. If a recruiter wants to call you and the phone number is wrong, you’re done. If your email looks like a joke, many won’t even bother.

How to format contact information

Before you send your resume, check this:

• Use a professional email based on your real name. No nicknames.
• Use a phone number that works. Add a country code only if you’re applying internationally (+1 for the US, etc.).
• Make sure everything is current and spelled correctly.
• Customize your LinkedIn URL so it doesn’t look like random numbers.

You generally don’t need to include personal data like a headshot/photo, date of birth, marital status, or an ID number on a resume. It’s unnecessary and can create bias/legal awkwardness. If a form needs that info, it belongs in the application system, not on the resume.

Mistake 2: Writing a generic resume summary

“Looking for a challenging position in a company where I can grow professionally.”

That could describe anyone. Your summary exists for one reason: the reader should immediately think, “OK, I get what this person does and why they match this role.”

How to rewrite your summary so it actually matches the job

Answer these three questions:

• Who are you and what do you do (target role + specialization)?
• What are 1–2 relevant strengths (tools, domain, type of problems)?
• What impact have you created (or can you realistically create)?

Mistake 3: Work experience that lists responsibilities, not impact

“Managed social media accounts.”

“Handled customer service.”

That tells me nothing. What did you do, how did you do it, what did you use, and what changed because of you?

A simple bullet point formula: action + scope + tools + result

Hiring isn’t “tell me what your job was.” It’s “show me you can produce outcomes we need.” The easiest way to prove that is to write achievement-focused bullets.

Use this formula:

• Action verb + what you did + how/with what tools + result

Mistake 4: Including irrelevant information on your resume

If you worked as a server in 2009 but you’re applying for data analyst roles today, that job probably doesn’t help you anymore.

The more irrelevant content you include, the harder you make it for someone to find what they care about. If they have to “hunt” for your value, they often won’t.

The “would I miss this?” test

For every line on your resume, ask:

• Does this prove I’m a match for the target role?
• Does it demonstrate a skill or proof point that matters here?
• If I remove it, does my application lose strength, or do I only lose filler?

Mistake 5: Skipping relevant projects (especially for juniors/career changers)

Projects aren’t mandatory, but for some profiles they’re a huge missed opportunity.

Add projects if:

• You’re early career, or switching fields.
• You need proof of a specific skill the job requires.

How to write projects like work experience

Create a Projects section and write bullets the same way you would for a job:

• Action verb + what you built/did + tools/method + result

Mistake 6: Making your resume too long

A lot of people fall into the “more is better” trap and end up with a resume that’s long for the wrong reasons:

• Repeating the same ideas.
• Explaining obvious responsibilities everyone in the role has.
• Including irrelevant content (see mistake 4).
• Using templates that inflate content and destroy hierarchy.

The shorter, the easier to read

Ask yourself, line by line:

• Does this job/experience support this specific target role?
• Is this education still relevant, or clearly outdated for what I’m applying to?
• Am I keeping this because it adds value, or because I’m afraid it looks “too short”?

Mistake 7: Using a resume template that’s not ATS-friendly

A resume template is bad when it’s not designed for the people who read it, or for the software that parses it.

Make sure that both humans and ATS are able to scan your resume and understand your value in seconds.

Two common traps: Canva and Word

• Why you should not use Canva to build your resume.
• If you used a Word resume template, read this too.

Mistake 8: Writing your resume in the third person

“John is a results-oriented professional with over 10 years of experience leading teams…”

That tone isn’t more professional. It’s colder and more artificial, exactly the opposite of what you want on a resume.

Use standard resume voice: clear, direct, and factual. No “I,” no third-person narrative.

Mistake 9: Typos and spelling errors

When someone has hundreds of resumes to review, they look for signals of quality. In roles where written communication is part of the job (marketing, operations, legal, sales, customer support), typos are a direct red flag.

Proofread carefully and use automated checkers, but don’t rely on them alone.

In CandyCV you can also share your resume via a link (URL), not just as a PDF. That means if you spot a mistake after sending it, you can fix it without resending a new file and highlighting the error.

Mistake 10: Not tailoring your resume to the job or company.

Sending the same resume to 20 different jobs is the most efficient way to look like a weak match for all of them.

Final checklist: what to verify before you hit submit

• In 10 seconds, is your target role obvious?
• Is your contact information correct and professional?
• Does your summary signal fit (not generic motivation)?
• Does your work experience show impact (not just responsibilities)?
• Did you remove irrelevant content?
• Is the resume easy to scan (hierarchy, spacing, typography)?
• Is the template modern and ATS-friendly?
• Any typos or grammar issues?
• Did you tailor keywords and priorities to the job posting?
• Do your resume and LinkedIn contradict each other?

Conclusion

Most resumes that don’t get interviews look “fine” at first glance. What fails is subtler: it’s hard to scan, the information is unreliable or irrelevant, and it doesn’t prove value.

Keep this standard: you don’t need a perfect resume. You need a clear, credible one. One that answers in seconds:

• What you do.
• What you’ve achieved.
• Why you’re a fit for this role.

If you want to avoid these mistakes end-to-end, build your resume in CandyCV. It helps with both formatting and content so you don’t lose interviews over preventable errors.

FAQs

What are the worst resume mistakes in 2026?

The worst ones are the mistakes that either stop your resume from being read properly or destroy trust quickly. Two buckets:

1. “Hygiene” mistakes (you get penalized before they even consider your experience): wrong contact info, typos, and an ATS-unfriendly template.
2. “Signal” mistakes (you don’t convince them): generic summary, work experience written as responsibilities without impact, lack of proof for key skills, and no clear target role.

If your resume doesn’t clearly show role, capabilities, and impact in 10 seconds, you’re losing interviews on both structure and substance.

What are the most common resume mistakes?

The most common ones are: unprofessional contact info, a generic summary, responsibility-only work experience, too much irrelevant content, a hard-to-scan format, typos, and not tailoring the resume to the job you’re applying for.

What should I never put on a resume?

Filler. Long lists of soft skills with no proof. And personal information that’s usually unnecessary like a photo, date of birth, marital status, or an ID number. Only include sensitive personal data if a specific application form requires it.

Should a resume be written in first person or third person?

Neither. The standard is implicit first person: no “I,” no third-person narrative. Just clear bullets and direct statements.