Job application mistakes to avoid

Wrong file names and formats

Recruiters download dozens of resumes at once. A file named 'Resume_Final_v3.docx' or 'CV.pdf' is impossible to find later and looks unprofessional. Name your file with your full name and the word resume, for example 'Jane_Smith_Resume.pdf'. If you are applying for a specific role, add it: 'Jane_Smith_Resume_ProductManager.pdf'.

Format matters too. PDF is the safest choice in almost every case because it preserves your layout across devices. The exception is when a job posting explicitly asks for a Word document, which some older applicant tracking systems require. Never submit a Pages file, an image, or a Google Docs link unless the employer specifically requests it.

• Use your full name in the file name, no spaces, use underscores
• Save as PDF unless the posting says otherwise
• Check the file opens correctly before you attach it
• Never send a file larger than 5 MB

Dates that do not match your LinkedIn profile

Recruiters cross-reference your resume against your LinkedIn profile as a matter of routine. If your resume says you left a job in March 2024 but your LinkedIn says February 2023, that gap or overlap raises an immediate red flag. It does not matter which version is accurate; the inconsistency looks like you are hiding something.

Before you submit any application, open your LinkedIn profile and compare every employer, every job title, and every date against your resume line by line. Pay particular attention to roles where you were promoted internally, since those are easy to represent differently across documents. Gaps are fine to have; gaps that appear to be concealed are not.

• Match month and year format consistently across all documents
• Check that job titles match exactly, including capitalisation
• If you held two roles at one company, show them as separate entries on both platforms
• Update LinkedIn before you start applying, not after

Generic cover letters and wrong company names

A cover letter that could apply to any company is worse than no cover letter at all. Recruiters can tell within two sentences whether you wrote it for this role or copied it from a template. The most damaging version of this mistake is leaving in a previous company's name, for example 'I am excited to join the team at Acme Corp' when you are applying to a different employer entirely.

A useful structure is three short paragraphs: one sentence on why this specific company, two or three sentences on the most relevant thing you have done, one sentence on what you want to discuss. Keep it under 300 words. Address it to a named person if you can find one; 'Dear Hiring Manager' is acceptable but 'Dear [Name]' is better.

If you are applying to multiple roles in a day, slow down. Read the company name on the posting, then read the company name in your cover letter. Do this every single time.

Applying to roles you are clearly not eligible for

Many applicants ignore eligibility requirements and apply anyway, hoping to get through. This rarely works and wastes time on both sides. Common hard disqualifiers include visa sponsorship requirements, location restrictions, minimum years of experience stated as a requirement rather than a preference, and specific licences or certifications listed as mandatory.

The difference between 'required' and 'preferred' in a job posting is significant. If a posting says 'must have 5 years of experience in X', that is a filter, not a suggestion. If it says 'preferred' or 'nice to have', you can apply with less. Read the full posting, not just the headline and salary.

Break-In Bad's assistant Omar reads the complete job posting, including location, visa requirements, time zone, and seniority level, and scores each role before you apply. Jobs scoring 75 percent or above are auto-applied; those between 45 and 74 percent are flagged for your review; anything below 45 percent is flagged as one to improve your profile for first. This stops you spending credits and time on roles that will reject you at the screening stage.

Typos and inconsistent formatting

A single typo in a resume does not always end an application, but a pattern of them does. Spell-check catches obvious errors but misses homophones, wrong names, and formatting inconsistencies. Read your resume out loud, slowly, from bottom to top. Reading backwards forces you to look at each word individually rather than skimming for meaning.

Formatting inconsistencies are just as damaging as typos. If you bold your job titles in one section, bold them in every section. If you use bullet points that start with action verbs in one role, do the same throughout. Inconsistency suggests the document was assembled from multiple sources without being reviewed as a whole, which is usually true and is exactly what you do not want a recruiter to think.

• Check that font sizes are consistent throughout
• Verify that all bullet points use the same style and indentation
• Confirm that dates are formatted the same way in every entry
• Read the document in print preview before saving the final version

Submitting without reading the instructions

Many job postings include specific instructions that function as a screening test. Common examples include 'include the word pineapple in your subject line', 'answer these three questions in your cover letter', or 'submit your portfolio as a separate attachment'. Applicants who miss these instructions are filtered out immediately, not because they are unqualified but because they did not read carefully.

Before you hit submit, re-read the application instructions from the top. Check whether the employer wants a specific subject line for email applications, whether they want references included upfront, and whether there are any supplemental questions to answer. In the UK and Australia, some public sector roles require a separate statement addressing selection criteria, which is a distinct document from a cover letter. Missing it means automatic rejection.

1. Read the full job posting once for content, once for instructions
2. Note any specific formatting or submission requirements
3. Complete every required field in the application form, even if the information is already on your resume
4. Attach every document the posting requests, in the format requested
5. Confirm the submission went through and save the confirmation