I've spent years reviewing resumes — both as a hiring manager and as a career coach — and the same mistakes keep showing up. Most of them come down to one thing: not putting in the effort to customize. Let me share what I keep seeing so you can avoid them.
Submitting the exact same resume for every job without tailoring it is probably the biggest one. Companies use applicant tracking systems to screen resumes before a human ever lays eyes on them. If your resume doesn't include the right keywords, it won't make it through. My approach: I copy the entire job description into a Word doc, highlight the key terms — especially under "Description," "Requirements," and "What You'll Do" — and make sure those words are woven into my resume. It's not gaming the system, it's speaking the system's language.
Applying through LinkedIn without reaching out to anyone on the inside is another missed opportunity. If you can find even one person at that company — a friend, a friend of a friend, an alum — do it. If not, message the HR person or hiring manager directly. Acknowledge the role you're applying for, show genuine interest in the company, and ask politely if they'd have a moment to glance at your resume. Worst case, they ignore you. Best case, your resume goes to the top of the pile.
Keep your resume tight. Ditch the objective statement, the summary, the volunteer section, the hobbies — unless you're padding it out because you don't have much experience yet. Hiring managers are realistic: they care about relevant hard skills and work experience. Get to the point quickly. Give recent and relevant roles more bullet points, and keep older or less relevant ones to three or under. And please don't shrink your font to 10pt or smaller trying to cram everything in — HR eyes are tired, and a hard-to-read resume often gets set aside.
© 2026 Rachel Hong · Accelerator Consulting