Most resumes don't get rejected by a human — they get filtered out by an ATS before anyone reads them. Here are the ten most common mistakes we see, based on analyzing thousands of resumes on RJob.net.
1. Using an unparseable format
Multi-column layouts, tables, and text boxes often break ATS parsing entirely. Stick to a single-column, standard format for maximum compatibility.
2. Missing keywords from the job description
ATS systems rank resumes by keyword match. If the job description says "stakeholder management" and your resume says "worked with teams," you may be filtered out entirely.
3. Vague, unquantified bullet points
"Responsible for marketing campaigns" tells a recruiter nothing. "Grew email signups by 42% in six months" tells them everything.
4. Objective statements instead of summaries
Skip the outdated "seeking a challenging role" objective. Lead with a two-line summary of your strongest, most relevant achievement.
5. Resume length mismatched to experience
Early-career candidates padding to two pages, and senior candidates cramming fifteen years onto one page, are both common — and both hurt readability.
Want RJob.net to catch these automatically? Run your resume through our AI Resume Review tool for an instant, itemized breakdown.