The Most Serious Resume Red Flags to Watch Out For When Writing a Resume

No one sets out to write a bad resume that won’t land them a job. Everyone thinks that they are doing their best, but what if your best isn’t getting you an interview? Well, odds are that you have some red flags on your resume that recruiters are concerned about.

It might not even be something you’re aware of. Maybe you have been sending out a resume with numerous red flags that you totally missed. Well, this is why you’re reading this article.

We will start at the top and discuss what exactly a resume red flag is and then cover some of the more serious ones to watch out for.

This way you’ll have a resume that stands a better chance of getting you an interview and hopefully land you a job.

What Do I Mean By “Red Flag”?

A red flag is basically anything on your resume that makes the recruiter think twice about contacting you. If a hiring manager sees anything that gives them pause, that’s a red flag. A red flag can be a formatting mistake, a serious grammar issue, or something more to do with the content of the resume.

Are All Resume Red Flags Alike?

Not all red flags are alike. In fact, some are not serious enough to cost you an interview. The problem is that for the inexperienced job seeker, there is little way to tell what is a red flag that can cost them the interview or the job and what is a minor red flag that a H.R. person might not even catch.

Because of this, it’s a good idea to review the major red flags as well as some of the minor ones. The minor ones include problems with tense and formatting that does not look super professional.

The best way to avoid any problems is to try and eliminate all red flags. You never know what the recruiter considers a serious red flag vs a minor one. So, I group most of them in the category of not fit for a resume.

The Most Serious Resume Red Flags: In No Particular Order

• Bad Grammer and Misspelled Words

The first red flat to fix is any bad grammar or misspelled words. These are obvious signs of an uneducated person or a sloppy person. If you can’t be bothered to spell words correctly on your resume, you’re not going to get a recruiter to contact you.

Bad grammar is just as bad, perhaps even worse. It indicates that you cannot write a proper sentence. People with poor grammar are never going to be considered for professional roles. If you are applying for a professional role and your resume has poor grammar, you won’t make it past the front door.

• Poor Formatting and Silly Photos

It is a major red flag if you see a resume that isn’t properly formatted. There are so many free and cheap resume templates out there that there is really no excuse for it.

Most people who have access to Word can make up a fast resume using one of the free templates. There are also websites such as Canva where you can make a resume easily.

For professionals who are very serious about crafting a resume, there are even resume writing services. However, if you do choose to use one of them you should make sure to proof your finished product. Never send out a resume that you did not have final say on.

Also, it should go without saying that you should not add silly photos to your resume. It doesn’t matter if you think that it’s cute, the recruiter won’t. Even if you are in a creative field, leave the silly photos off of your resume.

The only type of photo that belongs on a resume (sometimes) is your photo. As a rule, you shouldn’t even have your photo on your resume. The only type of people who might want to have a photo on their resume are sales professionals or models.

• Large Gaps in Your Resume

There shouldn’t be large gaps in your resume. If there are, then you need to know how to address it. A large career gap is a red flag for employers. It suggests that you did not work for an extended time.

For most employers, someone who doesn’t work for a long period of time is a major concern. While there might be many reasons, some of them legitimate, why a person has not worked for months or years, employers are reluctant to interview people with career gaps.

If you do have a significant career gap on your resume—something more than a year is a major red flag—then you need to be prepared to discuss it. It’s not enough to simply hope that it won’t be discussed. The problem is that it will stand out, so it needs to be addressed.

Things such as maternity leave or caring for a immediate family member are all legitimate reasons why a person would have a carer gap.

If you have a significant career gap, it needs to be addressed. You should never have an open section of years between jobs without any explanation.

• Copy and Paste Job Descriptions

A red flag that many people aren’t aware of is an obvious copy and paste for your job description. If you can’t be bothered to describe what you did at your prior workplace, then why would an employer want to hire you?

It is especially egregious within the professional work environment. Certain job markets such as nursing, medical personnel, and manual labor roles can get away with copy pasting details. However, if you are applying for a job that requires a professional attitude and responsibilities, then you can’t copy and paste job details. That shows a lack of intellect and ability.

At a bare minimum you should be rewriting your job description.

• Too Much Personal Information

Don’t add to much personal information to your resume because that will be an immediate red flag. No one who is hiring an employee cares about their personal life. They care about whether or not you can do the job that they are hiring for.

People tend to think that they can add as much personal information as they want without consequences. But that’s not the truth. In fact, if you overshare you will be seen as a liability in the corporate workplace. It’s not seen as a normal type of behavior.

You can list things such as charity work, but beyond that it’s best to leave off your personal hobbies and other personal information. It makes you look juvenile.

• Unprofessional Subjects (gambling)

It’s a big red flag to list certain subjects on your resume. If you list things such as gambling, which includes poker and fantasy sports, then most recruiters will turn you down.

Certain topics such as gambling, video games, and sports betting come off terribly to most professionals.

There are always exceptions to the rule, but in general you want to avoid listing work on a resume that deals with gambling. It just looks bad to list gambling or video games on a resume.

As a recruiter who has worked with hundreds of clients, the universal reaction to seeing gambling (poker or blackjack) on a resume is that the person is immature at best and a gambling addict in the worse instances. While there are some people who were professional poker players or sports bettors, the majority of employers will look at gambling as a major red flag.

• Multiple Job Changes

If you’re switching jobs a lot, it’s a major red flag. Even if you have good reasons for it, employers will be put off seeing multiple jobs in a few years.

While there is always a reason, most recruiters tend to err on the side of caution and not work with people who are unable or unwilling to stay at a job for a length of time.

The exception is in the medical field, particularly nursing, where people move jobs and employers are so desperate to hire staff that they take whoever is a licensed medical worker.

However, if you’re in the professional corporate workspace, it looks bad if you switch jobs every year. It certainly raises a red flag if you move jobs every few months. In that case, it would be almost impossible to explain to a recruiter or hiring manager why you were so eager to quit a job again and again.

The problem is that many people do have to leave jobs due to lay offs and other problems. These instances do befall people. Especially with many businesses shutting down and closing up

• Listing A Bad Social Media Profile

The final red flag that you need to be aware of is having a bad social media presence. If you have a risqué social media presence, then it’s best to make it private when you start interviewing.

Also, it’s not wise to ever link to your social media on your resume unless you are working in marketing or public relations where it’s considered part of the job.

The only sort of social media presence that should be on your resume is a link to your LinkedIn profile. This is the one online platform that is designed for professionals.

There have been instances of people losing jobs due to their social media presence, so recognize that recruiters and hiring teams are going to review your Instagram and Facebook before considering you for a role.