Résumé Red Flags to Avoid

In the midst of a candidate-favoring job market, applying for your dream position is perhaps now more achievable than ever. However, having a professional résumé plays a huge role for employers when considering a candidate. In fact, over 80% of résumés don’t continue through the first screening. Although you may have all the skills and qualifications for your dream job, your résumé is often a first impression for hiring managers, so presenting yourself adequately will be key in achieving your career goals. 

Below we explore five common mistakes and red flags found on candidates’ résumés.

5 Résumé Red Flags

Typos and Mistakes

While grammar, spelling, and typos might be nitpicky issues, they are some of the most important considerations for a résumé. It is crucial for candidates to put their best foot forward, meaning résumés need to be well-written, spell checked, and polished. A poorly written résumé can signify that a candidate does not value the job opportunity and has not put in much time or effort. In fact, 77% of employers disqualify résumés because of grammatical mistakes, so rereading your resume is a simple but important step.  

Poor Formatting

When employers evaluate a résumé, aesthetics play a small role; however, the bulk of their consideration is on job-specific skills and qualifications. As such, résumés need to be formatted to highlight these skills, with relevant sections pertaining to the position, such as education, work experience, and skills presented in an organized manner. Often, good résumés will have short paragraphs or bullet points to make them easy to read.  

Pro tip: Be sure to avoid using hard-to-read fonts or cramming too much information into a section, which might cause the hiring manager to stop reviewing the document altogether. 

Unprofessional Social Networks

With an increasingly digitally interconnected world, your social media presence is very important. Employers are checking what social media you offer on your résumé and cover letter and are likely searching further, as many employers can find applicants on social media with a simple search. While having a professional LinkedIn is one part of the equation (and can, in fact, help you land a job), keeping a clean Instagram and Twitter is also just as important if you are choosing to keep it public. Any derogatory comments on personal profiles could reflect poorly on the companies’ values as a whole.  

Lack of Career Growth, Employment Gaps or Unrelated Experience

When considering a candidate, employers pay specific attention to relevant work experience and past employment. A lot of times, they will look for career progression and the timeline of past jobs. They will consider how long a candidate has been there, the prestige of the position, the type of organization, etc. A green flag is to see changing job titles and increasing responsibility as their career progresses over time, whereas employers may be skeptical when an applicant has not advanced in their career or seems to be stuck in a cycle of jobs with limited mobility. As this does happen, candidates should be able to explain a possible employment gap or lull in their résumé during the interview process. Additionally, including relevant experience while omitting past and unrelated roles will help. 

Inconsistencies and Inaccuracies

While it might seem quite obvious, being completely transparent with skills and experience on a résumé is critical, as employers will likely ask candidates to complete tasks that pertain to the qualifications listed. However, lying and overexaggerating skills occur often, with 75% of human resources managers catching a lie on a résumé. Being honest and including accurate information about job titles, certifications, education, and more will boost credibility and let employers know that the applicant is truly good for their word and the best candidate for the role in which they are applying.  

Pro tip: Tweak your résumé to highlight the skills you do have rather than lying about ones that you do not.

BCTG Can Help

As a candidate searching for a new position, remembering these tips will upgrade your résumé and improve your number of job callbacks. Although résumés are not the sole factor in candidate consideration, they can definitely be a dealbreaker if hiring managers see some of these red flags. If you are looking to improve your résumé, make yourself look more appealing as a candidate, and get your foot in the door with employers, BCTG is here to help you land your dream job. 

Contributions from Leah Harding