10 CV Mistakes That Make Recruiters Reject You Instantly
Research shows recruiters spend just 6-8 seconds scanning your CV before deciding (Ladders Eye-Tracking Study). Avoid these common resume errors that eliminate 90% of candidates—with before/after fixes to transform your application.
1. Typos and Grammatical Errors
THE PROBLEM: 58% of recruiters automatically reject CVs with spelling mistakes (CareerBuilder Survey).
THE FIX: Use Grammarly and text-to-speech tools to catch errors your eyes miss.
❌ Bad: "Managed a team of sale's representatives and acheived 25% growth"
✅ Good: "Led a 12-person sales team that increased revenue by 25% in Q3 2023"
2. Generic Objective Statements
THE PROBLEM: Outdated "I want a job that utilizes my skills" openings waste precious space.
THE FIX: Replace with a 3-line professional summary highlighting your value.
❌ Bad: "Recent graduate seeking marketing position to gain experience"
✅ Good: "Digital Marketing Specialist with 3+ years experience growing e-commerce brands. Google Ads certified with 40% average ROAS improvement across 15+ campaigns. Passionate about data-driven customer acquisition."
3. Listing Duties Instead of Achievements
THE PROBLEM: Responsibilities tell what you did—achievements show why it mattered.
THE FIX: Use the CAR method (Challenge-Action-Result) for bullet points.
❌ Bad: "Responsible for social media posts"
✅ Good: "Grew Instagram following from 1K to 15K in 6 months through viral Reels strategy (3 posts averaging 50K+ views)"
4. Ignoring ATS Optimization
THE PROBLEM: 75% of CVs never reach humans due to Applicant Tracking System filters.
THE FIX: Mirror job description keywords and use standard headings.
❌ Bad: "Where I've Worked" (instead of "Experience")
✅ Good: "WORK EXPERIENCE" + keywords like "Project Management" if listed in job ad
5. Poor Formatting Choices
THE PROBLEM: Creative fonts/tables may break in ATS or distract recruiters.
THE FIX: Stick to:
- Standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, 10-12pt)
- Clear section headers
- 1-inch margins
- Black text on white background
6. Including Irrelevant Information
THE PROBLEM: High school details or hobbies clutter your CV after 2+ years of experience.
THE FIX: Remove unless:
- You're a recent graduate (keep university)
- Hobbies demonstrate job-relevant skills
❌ Bad: "2008-2012: Cashier at Movie Theater" (for a senior software engineer role)
✅ Good: "Open-source contributor to Python libraries (GitHub link)" for dev roles
7. Using Passive Language
THE PROBLEM: Weak verbs make your contributions seem insignificant.
THE FIX: Start bullets with action verbs:
Power Verbs:
- Led | Increased | Optimized | Transformed
- Implemented | Spearheaded | Reduced | Developed
❌ Bad: "Was responsible for helping with team projects"
✅ Good: "Led cross-functional team that delivered 3 SaaS features 2 weeks ahead of deadline"
8. Wrong Length for Career Stage
THE PROBLEM: Either too sparse (1-page with 10 years experience) or too long (3 pages for new grads).
THE FIX:
- Entry-level: 1 page max
- Mid-career: 1-2 pages
- Executives: 2 pages max
9. No Quantifiable Results
THE PROBLEM: Vague claims like "improved productivity" carry no weight.
THE FIX: Add numbers, percentages, and timeframes:
❌ Bad: "Helped grow company sales"
✅ Good: "Drove $250K in new sales (37% increase) through targeted LinkedIn outreach campaign"
10. Unprofessional Contact Info
THE PROBLEM: Silly email addresses or outdated phone numbers.
THE FIX:
- Email: firstname.lastname@gmail.com (not partygirl92@yahoo.com)
- Phone: Current number with professional voicemail
- LinkedIn: Custom URL (linkedin.com/in/yourname)
Pre-Submission CV Checklist
- Spellchecked with Grammarly + human review
- All dates and job titles accurate?
- At least 3 quantified achievements?
- File name: "FirstName_LastName_CV.pdf"
- ATS test: Does it parse correctly in Jobscan?
Need professional help? Try our CV review service with former recruiters.
