Resume red flags recruiters look for

Inconsistent or suspicious employment dates

Date formatting that changes mid-resume is one of the first things a recruiter notices. If you write 'Jan 2021 – Mar 2023' for one role and '2023 – 2024' for the next, the vague range looks like you are hiding a short tenure or a gap. Use one format throughout: either 'Month Year – Month Year' or 'MM/YYYY – MM/YYYY', and apply it to every position.

Overlapping dates are another common problem. If two jobs appear to run at the same time and you have not labelled one as a contract or part-time role, a recruiter will assume a data entry error or, worse, fabrication. Add a brief parenthetical such as '(part-time, concurrent)' to remove the ambiguity.

Unexplained gaps of three months or more will be noticed. A gap is not automatically disqualifying, but leaving it blank is. Add a one-line entry for the period: 'Career break – caregiving' or 'Independent consulting' with the date range. Honesty here is far less damaging than silence.

• Pick one date format and use it on every line
• Label overlapping roles as part-time, contract or concurrent
• Account for gaps of three months or more with a brief entry
• Avoid year-only ranges unless every role uses them

Vague bullet points that say nothing

Bullets like 'Responsible for managing projects' or 'Assisted with marketing efforts' appear on thousands of resumes. They tell a recruiter nothing about scope, impact or skill level. Every bullet should answer two questions: what did you do, and what was the result?

A weak bullet becomes strong when you add a number, a timeframe or a named outcome. 'Managed projects' becomes 'Led three concurrent software rollouts for a 200-person team, delivering each on schedule and under budget.' If you do not have an exact figure, use a range or a qualifier: 'reduced onboarding time by roughly 30 percent' is more credible than a made-up precise number.

Watch for filler verbs that pad without adding meaning: 'helped', 'assisted', 'supported', 'worked on'. Replace them with the verb that describes what you actually did: 'built', 'negotiated', 'audited', 'trained', 'closed'.

• Start every bullet with a strong action verb
• Include at least one number, percentage or named outcome per bullet
• Cut 'responsible for' and 'assisted with' entirely
• Aim for two lines maximum per bullet; one is often better

Job titles that do not match the market

Internal titles sometimes mean nothing outside your former employer. 'Customer Happiness Ninja' or 'Growth Hacker' will not match the keywords an applicant tracking system is scanning for, and they can read as unprofessional to a recruiter who sees hundreds of resumes a week.

You are allowed to translate an internal title to its market equivalent, provided the duties genuinely match. If your employer called you a 'People Operations Specialist' but the role was standard HR generalist work, listing 'HR Generalist (internally titled People Operations Specialist)' is accurate and searchable. Do not inflate: 'Director' when you had no reports and no budget authority is a red flag that surfaces in reference checks.

Skills sections that are just a keyword dump

A skills section that lists forty tools in alphabetical order tells a recruiter nothing about proficiency. Listing 'Python' alongside 'Microsoft Word' as if they carry equal weight undermines both. Group skills by category and, where it matters, indicate level: 'Python (advanced)', 'SQL (intermediate)'.

Listing a skill you cannot speak to in an interview is a serious risk. Recruiters in technical fields often do a five-minute phone screen specifically to verify the skills on the page. If you have not used a tool in three or more years, either remove it or add a note like '(familiar, not recent)'. A shorter, honest skills section is stronger than a long one that invites questions you cannot answer.

• Group skills by category: languages, platforms, methodologies
• Indicate proficiency level for technical skills
• Remove tools you have not used in three or more years
• Keep the section to fifteen items or fewer unless the role demands more

Formatting and length problems

A resume that is three pages long for under ten years of experience signals poor editing judgment. In the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, one page is standard for under five years of experience; two pages is acceptable for five to fifteen years; three pages is rarely justified unless you are in academia or a field that requires a full publication list.

Inconsistent fonts, random bolding and misaligned bullet points make a resume look rushed. Recruiters associate sloppy formatting with sloppy work. Use one font family, one size for body text (10 to 12 point), and one size for headings. Export as a PDF unless the job posting specifically asks for a Word file, because PDF preserves your layout across every device.

Contact information errors are surprisingly common and immediately fatal. A phone number with a missing digit or an email address that bounces means the recruiter cannot reach you even if they want to. Check every character before you submit.

• One page for under five years of experience, two for five to fifteen
• One font family, consistent sizing throughout
• Export as PDF unless the posting requests Word
• Verify phone number and email address on every version

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