Common Mistakes by Freshers: Resume Building

Freshers often face several challenges while building their resumes, primarily due to lack of experience or clarity about what recruiters expect. Here are some common mistakes they tend to make, along with tips to avoid them:

1. Including Irrelevant Information

Mistake: Adding personal details like full address, marital status, or hobbies that have no connection to the job.

Why it's a problem: The recruiters are not interested in all the details, please include relevant details only

Fix: Keep it professional and concise—include name, email, phone number, LinkedIn/GitHub (if applicable), and a brief summary.

2. Generic Career Objective

Mistake: Writing vague or overused statements like:
“To work in a reputed organization where I can utilize my skills and grow professionally.”

Why it's a problem: It doesn’t tell the recruiter what role you're aiming for or what value you bring.

Fix: Write a customized, concise, and role-specific objective.

3. Cluttered and Inconsistent Formatting

Mistake: Using inconsistent fonts, bold/italics randomly, too many colors or graphics, or templates with complex layouts.

Why it's a problem: Many companies use ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) that cannot parse resumes with columns, tables, or excessive formatting.

Fix:

Stick to a clean, single-column format

Use standard fonts like Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman

Keep font size between 10–12 pt

• Ensure uniform spacing and alignment

4. Overloading the Education Section

Mistake: Mentioning every semester's marks, school subjects, or listing school achievements in great detail.

Why it's a problem: It shifts focus away from relevant qualifications and skills.

Fix:
Include only the latest 1–2 qualifications with:

• Degree, University, Location
• Duration
• Percentage/CGPA (if decent)
• Relevant coursework or academic achievements

5. Neglecting Projects or Internships

Mistake: Skipping personal, academic, or internship projects due to lack of formal job experience.

Why it's a problem: Projects reflect initiative, skills, and hands-on experience — especially for freshers.

Fix: Add a Projects section:

• Title + Duration
• Tools/Technologies used
• What problem it solved
• Your specific role
• Outcome/impact

Example:
“Library Management System | Python, MySQL”

Developed a GUI-based desktop application for managing books, issue/return, and fine calculation.

Deployed in college lab for 3-month pilot use.

6. Exaggerating or Faking Skills

Mistake: Claiming to be an "expert" in tools/languages you barely used.

Why it's a problem: Recruiters may test you on what’s written, and dishonesty hurts credibility.

Fix:

Be honest: Use terms like “familiar with,” “basic knowledge of,” or “currently learning”

Rate proficiency only if you're confident

7. Using the Same Resume for Every Job

Mistake: Sending a one-size-fits-all resume to multiple roles.

Why it's a problem: Each job has unique keywords and requirements that your resume must reflect.

Fix:

Tailor your objective, skills, and projects to match the specific job description

Use keywords from the JD (Job Description) to pass ATS scans

8. Missing or Weak Soft Skills Section

Mistake: Focusing only on technical skills, ignoring teamwork, communication, or problem-solving skills.

Why it's a problem: Employers value interpersonal and transferable skills, especially in client-facing or team roles.

Fix:
Include a soft skills subsection:

• Communication
• Time Management
• Adaptability
• Team Collaboration
• Critical Thinking

Also, highlight soft skills through examples in your project or internship descriptions.

9. Grammatical Errors & Spelling Mistakes

Mistake: Typos like "Manger" instead of "Manager", or using inconsistent verb tenses (e.g., “Developing a website and deployed it”).

Why it's a problem: Reflects poor attention to detail and unprofessionalism.

Fix:

Use tools like Grammarly

Read the resume aloud to catch awkward phrases

Ask a mentor/friend to review it before sending

10. Lack of Quantifiable Achievements

Mistake: Vague statements like “Helped organize events” or “Did marketing for college fest.”

Why it's a problem: Doesn’t showcase impact.

Fix: Use metrics where possible.
Example:
“Managed logistics for college fest with 500+ attendees and 30+ volunteers.”

11. Weak or No Action Verbs

Mistake: Using passive or flat verbs: “Was part of team that built…”

Fix: Begin bullets with strong verbs:
Designed, Developed, Analyzed, Led, Researched, Implemented, Optimized, Streamlined

12. Too Long or Too Short

Mistake: A resume that’s either cramped into half a page or stretched unnecessarily to 2+ pages.

Why it's a problem: Recruiters spend 6–10 seconds scanning a resume.

Fix:

• Keep it 1 page (unless you have exceptional projects or certifications)
• Use bullet points, not paragraphs
• Only relevant information — quality over quantity

Bonus <> Mistake: Skipping a Final Review

Mistake: Submitting in haste without checking for errors, missing contact info, or poor formatting in PDF.

Fix:

Save the resume as PDF (unless stated otherwise)

Use standard file name: FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf

Preview final version before uploading/submitting

Ideal ATS Friendly Resume Template:

[Your Full Name]
[Phone Number] | [Professional Email] | [LinkedIn Profile] | [GitHub/Portfolio URL (if any)]
[City, State]

Career Objective

Recent [Your Degree] graduate from [University Name] with strong foundation in [relevant skills]. Seeking to leverage academic knowledge and project experience in [desired job role or field]. Eager to contribute to a dynamic team and grow professionally in a challenging environment.

Education

Bachelor of [Your Stream] — [CGPA or Percentage]
[University Name], [Location]
[Month, Year] – [Month, Year]

Relevant Coursework: [Course 1], [Course 2], [Course 3]

Projects

[Project Title] | [Duration]
Tools/Tech Used: [Tech Stack]

Brief 1-line description of what the project is about

Key feature or problem solved

Result or what you learned

[Second Project Title] | [Duration]
Tools/Tech Used: [Tech Stack]

Description and your specific role

Achievements or outcomes

Internships / Training (if any)

[Company Name] – Intern, Role | [Month, Year – Month, Year]

Task or responsibility 1

Task or responsibility 2

Any quantifiable result (if applicable)

Skills

Programming Languages: [e.g., Java, Python, C++]
Web Technologies: [e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React]
Tools & Platforms: [e.g., Git, VS Code, Postman, Figma]
Soft Skills: [e.g., Communication, Teamwork, Problem Solving]

Achievements & Certifications

[Certification Name] – [Issuing Organization], [Year]

[Award or Recognition] – [Details]

Extra-Curricular / Leadership (Optional)

[Role], [Club/Organization] – [What you did or organized]

[Volunteering or Event Participation]

Declaration (Optional in resumes)

I hereby declare that the information provided above is true to the best of my knowledge.