Nine resume red flags that scare off recruiters

Is your resume working for you, or is it riddled with red flags that will land it in the discard pile?

Career resource platform Resume Genius recently published its list of Worst Resume Red Flags of 2023, in an effort to help job seekers take a second look at their resume writing habits before submitting their applications to companies and inviting recruiters' scrutiny.

"Red flags on a resume aren't a deal breaker — they're more like little warning signs," says Eva Chan, a career expert at Resume Genius. "Job seekers just need to be aware that there are things on a resume that an employer might ask about, should they proceed to move forward with you. So it's just something that you should be prepared to explain."

The number one thing they're on the lookout for? The use of AI to generate resumes and cover letters. Forty-seven percent of college seniors are interested in using ChatGPT or other AI bots to write their resumes or cover letters, and 25% of Gen Z already use an AI bot to help write their résumés or cover letters, according to recent data from HR and recruiting software company iCIMS. But as helpful as it may be, it may cause recruiters to question an applicant's commitment to and interest in a specific position.

Also on the list were some more traditionally worrisome behaviors like lengthy employment gaps and lies and embellishments, but they were joined by less expected contenders such as excessive job hopping and oversharing personal information.

"Employers care about attention to detail and consistency," Chan says. "Be aware of the trends that are going on these days and keep an eye on different keywords that recruiters care about."

Chan expanded on what makes the red flags on Resume Genius' list a concern for recruiters as well as shared some tips and tricks to help applicants avoid them:

"While AI generative tools offer convenience and can be helpful in saving time, they often strip away the individuality that's crucial for a really standout resume. It might point out to employers and recruiters that there's a lack of personal investment, because if I was looking at someone's resume and I realized that it was generated fully by AI, I would think this person is probably sending out a whole bunch — and it's totally fine if they are, but it would kind of spell out to me that maybe this applicant doesn't really care as much about applying to my company. And that would end up being something I would consider and compare when also receiving a resume from someone who actually put a lot of effort into tailoring their resume and cover letter and making it sound like their personality and their individual voice."

"Employment gaps are not as terrible and taboo as they once were, especially with recent tech layoffs and the pandemic. As long as you're able to explain how you've been able to adapt and what you've done with that time would be helpful for employers and recruiters to know. For example, if I see a five-year employment gap with no explanation, I begin to wonder if that applicant has had the time to adapt to using AI tools or if they've caught up to different skills the same way as someone who doesn't have a six or seven years employment gap." 

"Job hopping, like employment gaps, is not as taboo as it used to be. I think it's great for job seekers and it's now being seen in a different light, because we know we're in an uncertain economy. But employers might still see job hopping as a red flag, because it implies that the job applicant may not have the ability to grow roots and adapt with an organization, which could mean that they're not as flexible as the type of candidate they want.

For example, in my experience, someone who has job hopped a lot over the course of two years would make me wonder if this person will get along and collaborate with their colleagues in the future, or if this person is willing to adapt and grow alongside the company. That being said, if the job applicant is able to tie in a common thread about why they've changed jobs so much — maybe they've been freelancing, maybe they were just volunteering, maybe the jobs were seasonal — then that would make more sense to recruiters."

"You want to show what's immediately relevant. I think it's great to have had a lot of experience, but you really want to be strategic with what you're putting on your job application documents, and keep it specific and tailored to the role that you're applying for. If you're really proud of your ice cream server position from high school, or you want to showcase your volunteer experiences back in university, you can always fit that somewhere else or maybe bring it up in the actual job interview."

"This red flag is really there to protect the job seeker from any kind of potential privacy issues or discrimination. We've seen applicants put their passport information, or they've written in their marital status. It's just a lot of details that recruiters really don't need to have and it usually happens with applicants from other countries or cultures.

I would recommend job seekers always research the country or the city that they're applying for just to make sure that they're not putting in a little too much and potentially causing bias. Any additional information that they want to share, they can share in an interview perhaps, or on their social media profiles if they're public."

"If they like you and consider you a potential candidate, recruiters and employers are going to do a deep dive and do their due diligence to make sure that they're not wasting your time and their time. So clean up your social media profiles as much as you can and just make sure that everything is consistent. Be careful not to change things too fast or change all of your resume information for one job opportunity. You are trying to impress employers and recruiters, but it's important to balance being authentic and being accurate and honest about what you can do and what you are passionate about."

"Use all the free tools that you have at your disposal, like online spell check tools. Ask your friends and family for help reviewing your resume before you send it out and maybe talk to a mentor or someone that might be in the field that you're applying for. You can also talk to resume reviewers as well, which would typically cost money, but it's a really important job. You can even use ChatGPT to help out with making sure that your resume is targeted enough for that role. People should take advantage of AI generative tools, just as long as they're careful and only use it as a starting point."

"Make sure that everything lines up in terms of your dates, and the places that you've worked at. Sometimes applicants might send in their resume and cover letter, but they'll forget to update their LinkedIn or they'll maybe forget to update their online portfolio, which has certain projects. Contradictions also make me feel like an applicant is both lacking a little bit of attention to detail and maybe this person might not be really clear on where they want their career to go."

"Poor formatting just makes a resume very hard to read and could cause a recruiter to judge an applicant right away before reading the contents. Even if you're using a resume template, if your details aren't that great or if you're missing sections and you're not leveraging those templates properly, it still shows me that there's a lack of attention to detail."