7 Resume Mistakes That ATS Systems Instantly Reject

# 7 Resume Mistakes That ATS Systems Instantly Reject

75% of resumes never make it past ATS screening. Not because candidates lack qualifications, but because of easily avoidable formatting and content mistakes. Here are the exact errors that get resumes rejected—and how to fix them.

## Mistake #1: Using Tables and Text Boxes

### The Problem
ATS systems can't properly read content inside tables or text boxes. Your carefully formatted resume gets scrambled, and critical information disappears.

### What Happens

Your Resume:               What ATS Sees:
┌─────────────┬───────┐    "2019 Engineer"
│ 2019-2023   │ Sr.   │    "Experience missing"
│ Google      │ Eng   │    [Parsing Error]
└─────────────┴───────┘

### The Fix
- Use simple bullet points
- Stick to single-column layout
- No tables, no text boxes, no columns
- List everything vertically

## Mistake #2: Headers and Footers with Important Info

### The Problem
Most ATS systems skip headers and footers entirely. If your contact information or key skills are there, ATS never sees them.

### What Gets Missed
- ❌ Name in header
- ❌ Phone number in footer
- ❌ Email in header
- ❌ LinkedIn URL in footer

### The Fix
Put ALL important information in the main body of your resume:

John Smith
john.smith@email.com | (555) 123-4567
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
[Rest of resume...]

## Mistake #3: Creative Section Names

### The Problem
ATS looks for specific section headings. Get creative with names and ATS can't categorize your information.

### Bad Section Names
- ❌ "Where I've Been" (instead of Work Experience)
- ❌ "My Tech Stack" (instead of Skills)
- ❌ "What I Learned" (instead of Education)
- ❌ "My Superpowers" (instead of Core Competencies)

### Good Section Names
- ✅ Work Experience or Professional Experience
- ✅ Skills or Technical Skills
- ✅ Education
- ✅ Certifications
- ✅ Contact Information

### The Fix
Use standard, boring section names. Save creativity for your achievements, not your headings.

## Mistake #4: Images, Graphics, and Logos

### The Problem
ATS can't read images. Company logos, headshots, skill charts, infographics—all invisible to ATS.

### What Gets Ignored
- ❌ Headshot photo
- ❌ Company logos
- ❌ Skill level graphics (bars/circles)
- ❌ Infographic resumes
- ❌ WordArt
- ❌ Icons

### The Fix
Text only. Everything important must be written text:

❌ Bad:
[📊 Bar chart showing: Excel ████████ 80%]

✅ Good:
"Advanced Excel: VLOOKUP, pivot tables, macros, data analysis"

## Mistake #5: Missing Keywords from Job Description

### The Problem
ATS ranks resumes by keyword matches. No keywords = low score = auto-rejection.

### Example:

Job Description Says:
"Seeking Marketing Manager with SEO experience, Google Analytics proficiency, and content strategy expertise"

Your Resume Says:
"Improved website traffic" (No keywords!)

### The Fix
Use EXACT phrases from the job description:

Before: "Improved website performance"
After: "Improved SEO performance by 150% through data-driven
content strategy using Google Analytics"

### How to Find Keywords:
1. Copy job description
2. Highlight repeated terms
3. Include them naturally in your resume
4. Use SkillStory's Job Match Analyzer to check

## Mistake #6: Acronyms Without Spelling Out

### The Problem
ATS might search for full terms or acronyms, but not both. If you only list "SEO," a search for "Search Engine Optimization" misses you.

### Examples:

❌ Bad:
- SEO
- CRM
- AI/ML
- PMP

✅ Good:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)

### The Fix
Spell it out the first time, then use the acronym:

"Led Search Engine Optimization (SEO) initiatives, improving
organic traffic by 200%. Implemented SEO best practices
across 15 landing pages."

## Mistake #7: Wrong File Format

### The Problem
Submitting in the wrong file format can corrupt your entire resume.

### File Format Issues:

❌ Avoid:
- Scanned PDFs (images, not text)
- Pages (Mac-only format)
- HTML or web formats
- Images (.JPG, .PNG)
- Overly formatted PDFs with embedded fonts

✅ Use:
- Clean PDF (if allowed)
- .DOCX (Word document)
- Plain formatting
- Standard fonts

### How to Check:
1. Open your PDF
2. Try to select text
3. If you can't select it, ATS can't read it
4. Save again as PDF from Word with standard fonts

## Bonus Mistake: No Quantifiable Achievements

### The Problem
ATS gives higher scores to resumes with numbers and metrics.

❌ Low ATS Score:
"Managed team and improved processes"

✅ High ATS Score:
"Managed team of 8 engineers, improving sprint velocity by 40% and reducing bug count by 65%"

### Why It Works:
- Numbers = concrete achievements
- ATS prioritizes resumes with metrics
- Recruiters love data
- Shows real impact

## Quick Fix Checklist

Run through this before submitting ANY resume:

- [ ] Single-column layout (no tables)
- [ ] Contact info in body (not header/footer)
- [ ] Standard section names
- [ ] No images or graphics
- [ ] Keywords from job description included
- [ ] Acronyms spelled out first time
- [ ] Correct file format (PDF or DOCX)
- [ ] Quantified achievements with numbers
- [ ] Standard font (Arial, Calibri, etc.)
- [ ] Tested with ATS scanner

## Test Your Resume Now

Don't guess if your resume has these mistakes. Use our Free ATS Scanner to check:

✅ Formatting compatibility
✅ Keyword optimization
✅ Section structure
✅ Parsing errors
✅ Overall ATS score

Scan Your Resume →

## The Cost of These Mistakes

A single formatting error can:
- Drop your ATS score by 30-40 points
- Make you "invisible" to recruiters
- Cost you interviews at dream companies
- Waste weeks of job hunting

5 minutes of fixing = 75% higher pass rate

## Real Example: Before & After

Before (ATS Score: 32/100):
- Tables for work experience
- Contact info in header
- Section named "My Journey"
- Company logos included
- No keywords
- SEO (not spelled out)

After (ATS Score: 89/100):
- Bullet point list
- Contact info at top of body
- Section named "Professional Experience"
- Text only, no images
- Keywords from job description
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Result: Same candidate, same experience—went from 0 interviews to 12 interviews in 2 weeks.

## What's Next?

1. Scan your current resume with our free ATS scanner
2. Fix any issues identified (takes 5-10 minutes)
3. Test it against a job posting with our Job Match Analyzer
4. Apply confidently knowing ATS will pass your resume through

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