Biggest resume mistakes revealed in study

Ready to update that resume? The new format looks neat, the summary zings, the length isn’t painful.

Ready to send? Not quite. According to a new study, many Americans seeking jobs make glaring spelling mistakes on their resumes. That, no doubt, instantly casts the job applicant in a not-so-appealing light. Resume writers also overused the same words over and over again.

The top most overused word on resumes: “responsible.”

The study was done using QR code generator QRFY and scanning millions of updated resumes on Indeed’s Resume Search.

“Responsible” was found to be the most frequently used word, featured in 5.1 million resumes over the past six months. The word appeared 349% more frequently than any other word on the list and was the most-used word on resumes in each individual state.

The second most-common word was “organized,” which was included in nearly 3.9 million resumes.

Closely following in third was “social,” which was in 3.5 million resumes, highlighting the importance of building and leveraging professional networks.

“Trained” placed fourth, being used nearly 3 million times, while “leader” ranked fifth and was found in 2.3 million resumes.

SpellingThe survey also found the 10 most commonly misspelled words and phrases on resumes.

“Professional” was the most commonly misspelled word, which was spelled “profesional” on 38,697 resumes within the past six months, with a number of job seekers forgetting the crucial double “s.”

The second most misspelled word was “organized,” 20,260 resumes adopted the U.K. spelling of the word “organised,” which uses an “s” rather than a “z.”

Following in third, was “enviroment” rather than “environment,” which cropped up in 14,770 resumes, and missed the “n” from the word. In fourth was the misspelling of “management” as “mangement,” which leaves out the letter “a” and was featured in 9,354 resumes, the study found.

Luke Slupesky, director of the Albuquerque branch of recruitment firm Robert Half Talent Solutions, said misspellings on resumes aren’t necessarily the end of the road for job seekers, because it depends on the employer who is looking over the prospect’s qualifications.

Robert Half Talent Solutions, with offices on America’s Parkway in Albuquerque, matches employers and job seekers. Slupesky said the firm works for different companies to find workers. Slupesky said he can make suggestions about resumes, though the firm cannot make changes on their own.

Some resume awkwardness or misspellings do get by. But they can be deal breakers, Slupesky said, because, among other things, it signals the resume writer didn’t take the time to review it.

Also, if it’s down to just a couple finalists for a position, Slupesky said, the resume with the errors would probably get the boot.

But some companies do have zero tolerance for poor spelling, misuse of words and sometimes just blatant poor judgment.

“I’ve seen some companies that just throw them (resumes) out … especially if it was done with ChatGPT,” Slupesky said.

Use of popular AI programs can be spotted. Also, it’s not just AI reading resumes, he said, though resumes are scanned for key words for some employers. Overall, people do read your resume.

Slupesky recommends not just using spell check but getting friends or family to review a resume.

“Do all the things you need to do to put your best foot forward,” he said.

A fresh set of eyes can find things like homonyms, which spell checks won’t catch, like their vs. there, he said.

So, before you send that resume, read, repeat, double-check. Then send.

Overused words

1. Responsible

2. Organized

3. Social

4. Trained

5. Leader

6. Proficient

7. Motivated

8. Exceptional

9. Experienced

10. Friendly

Misspelled words

1. Profesional

2. Organised

3. Enviroment

4. Mangment

5. Recieve

6. Independant

7. Knowlege

8. Confidant

9. Seperate

10. Focussed