'The resume had a skills section...only thing listed was "calculator"': 20+ Resume red flags

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Aug 24, 2024 11:00 AM EDT

Here's exactly how not to write your resume! You can look online for any number of how-to's and resume templates. But these recruiters and HR workers gave some surprisingly candid answers when asked about the red flags that give them pause while they're shuffling through resumes. 

Back when I was last job hunting a few years ago, I kept coming across this one strange tip to fill your resume with keywords. The tip advised to write a bunch of strong buzzwords, then put them in the smallest size font and turn them white, all but making them invisible to the recruiters. While this might fool some algorithms, if that recruiter ever highlights the resume with their mouse, surely all the buzzwords would appear anyway, right? Then that HR person or recruiter would be surprised that the candidate is already lying before they got hired. Of course, many just wouldn't notice the tiny writing, so maybe it's not the worst trick in the world. 

A lot of hiring managers in the thread mentioned that they don't like typos, but if the person is still qualified they'll probably get an interview. Others said the exact opposite, with one person likening dumb typos to writing like a third grader. The worst thing to do seems to be lying about your experience or fluffing up your accomplishments when it's easy to prove that you didn't do that. It's a great and often funny read, so check out all of these answers below! 

Up next, this high schooler found a great way to avoid their school's mandatory walking club. 

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  • 01
    XXXXXX www
    via Mina Rad on Unsplash
  • 02
    Recruiters, what are some "red flags" when you are look at a resume. What will NOT give you a call to an interview?
    via u/OaklandAtheists
  • 03
    Doodle_me_Noodle I once reviewed a CV that began with the words: "when I first struggled out of my mothers womb". This is a good example of what not to write.
    via u/Doodle_me_Noodle
  • 04
    satanaintwaitin 'Fluent in European'. Really.
    via u/satanaintwaitin
  • 05
    orangeisthebestcolor Do not submit a joint application with your spouse.
    via u/orangeisthebestcolor
  • 06
    missmend New to the human resources thing, but after reviewing 100+ resumes in the last week, I can say one - thing just use black font. Not green, not blue, not pink, just black.
    via u/missmend
  • 07
    PainMatrix If you're applying to an academic position, having a ton of posters and presentations on your CV, but little to no publications can indicate a lack of follow-through.
    via u/PainMatrix
  • 08
    klt2 The resume is handwritten, in pencil, on notebook, in a plastic cover. Like a book report. (Not a recruiter, but worked for a company that had a problem employee. One day I saw his resume.)
    via u/klt2
  • 09
    kevpoo Not a recruiter but I've been involved in the hiring process for many members (past and present) of my team. If I see a resume where the applicant is obviously skipping around to a lot of different jobs in a short span of time then that's a major
    via u/kevpoo
  • 10
    red flag. It usually takes individuals in my role about a year to become proficient enough to work unassisted. I don't want to waste my time training someone for a few months only to have them bail on us for another job and have to start all over again.
    via u/kevpoo
  • 11
    EDIT: To clarify, I'm referring to skipping around as something like switching companies every 3 to 6 months over the span of 2 or 3 years. Contract labor aside, seeing this on a resume usually warrants some extra scrutiny. There are some cases where it's not a dealbreaker.
    via u/kevpoo
  • 12
    For everyone worried about switching jobs every 1 or 2 years, I wasn't really referring to that. That's not really a big issue. Similarly, you can start working for a company and within a year or two make a lateral move to another department. Your resume might show
    via u/kevpoo
  • 13
    that you worked for 'Company A' for five years, and you held three different positions within Company A during that time. Nothing wrong with that at all, and it happens all the time. Corporations usually like to hire from within first if they can, so if you have
    via u/kevpoo
  • 14
    the ability to improve your overall skill set within that company then go for it. For all of you out of work, man I'm sorry to hear that. It's sad and scary. Don't give up.
    via u/kevpoo
  • 15
    devidual quantify your accomplishments. Having vague things on your resume like, "Contributed to team to accomplish task on time" means nothing to me.
    via u/devidual
  • 16
    Something like, "Created process bringing close day from Day 15 to Day 7 and saved $10K in cost reductions" Now that speaks a LOT more.
    via u/devidual
  • 17
    Celera314 Amazingly this still happens -- if your email address is some silly thing like "cuteblonde332" or whatever, you're out. Seriously, email addresses are free. Get a grownup one.
    via u/Celera314
  • 18
    Since I mostly hire people to do customer service, they have to be able to explain technical information in non- technical terms. If your resume is full of acronyms or jargon that is specific to your previous employer, I'm going to assume that you aren't that good of a
    via u/Celera314
  • 19
    communicator. One recent college grad actually listed the course numbers of classes she had taken, like I'm going to know what she learned in "Math 203."
    via u/Celera314
  • 20
    Daide I once interviewed a guy (with a terrible resume) solely because his email was gamecube_hotdog420 . He showed up late wearing sweatpants. He was pretty much exactly what I imagined he would be.
    via u/Daide
  • 21
    sergesdope Extracurricular activities include "enjoying hookahs and listening to Bob Marley"
    via u/sergesdope
  • 22
    LostSamurai87 I am in recruitment and the following are red flags for me: Cv more than 3 pages long Personal profile more than 2 paragraphs A list of hobbies and interests half a page long
    via u/LostSamurai87
  • 23
    Spelling errors Career history in non- logical order Picture - they aren't needed Writing down every skill in existence to make the recruiter think you are multi talented.
    via u/LostSamurai87
  • 24
    senatorskeletor Verifiable lying. I mean, obviously don't lie on your resume, but if we catch it easily, you look dishonest AND stupid. I've literally seen people put positions on their resume where they claimed, falsely, to have worked with someone on our
    via u/senatorskeletor
  • 25
    name, as in, "oh, do you know X? She and I worked together on that." What was the plan there? Hope we wouldn't notice?
    via u/senatorskeletor
  • 26
    Quisty8616 Save your resume as a PDF, so the job board import feature doesn't accidentally convert your resume to the Chiller font. Or Wingdings. I've seen both with far too much frequency.
    via u/Quisty8616
  • 27
    Starsy Obvious overselling. You were a barista at Starbucks. You took orders and made coffee. Don't tell me you were "in charge of creating an uplifting ordering experience". If you obviously oversell silly things, I'm going to assume you're overselling the more significant things as well.
    via u/Starsy
  • 28
    JeF4y Keep your resume SHORT! 1 page preferred, 2 MAX. Over 2 and it's going into the garbage. I don't have time to read 100 20pg resumes.
    via u/JeF4y
  • 29
    Except for DBA's. For some reason those all have resumes that come in volumes. I just hire the one with the shortest resume & best English.
    via u/JeF4y
  • 30
    senatorskeletor This is going to hurt for some people to read, but whenever I see a for- profit university, I always wonder what could make the applicant make such a poor decision.
    via u/senatorskeletor
  • 31
    It's not that I'd never take them seriously, but to hire them, I'd want to see a pretty compelling argument for why they went.
    via u/senatorskeletor
  • 32
    TTown5754 Once received a resume that had a Skills section, pretty normal right? Only thing listed was "Calculator"
    via u/TTown5754
  • 33
    poofcuppycake Once I had someone list an Anger Management course on their resume under "Accomplishments". Bad choice, dude.
    via u/poofcuppycake
  • 34
    tylerm99 Lack of progression in their career is one. Still an intermediate developer after 15 years? Doesn't show a lot of drive or ambition. Obvious "fluffing" of the responsibilities or achievements. If you can't put a couple legitimate
    via u/tylerm99
  • 35
    accomplishments down them don't make up some bs double speak lines. Don't list your high school as education unless you are just out of high school. If you have a degree I assume you graduated high school. Smart ass style resumes get chucked
    via u/tylerm99
  • 36
    immediately. The sort written like those "viral" Craigslist posts. "SKILLS: I make incredible grilled cheese sandwiches and my Java code is just as tasty." Um, no. Trying to avoid gaps in between jobs by not giving the months in your job history.
    via u/tylerm99
  • 37
    KilrBe3 Or hey recruiters, when you know, someone applies for ENTRY LEVEL, and then get a reply saying I AM NOT QUALIFIED OR MET REQUIREMENTS. When you say "all skills welcomed - training provided entry level" -
    via u/KilrBe3
  • 38
    sportsworker777 Inability to hold a job for more than a year. It's amazing how many resumes I will see that are a single page and still has up to 8 previous jobs on it.
    via u/sportsworker777
  • 39
    Kicksave5 Listing "Google Chrome" and "Internet Explorer" among your technical experience.
    via u/Kicksave5
  • 40
    LoopbackJohn I have sent an entire resume in wingdings before. If the company doesn't have someone fluent in wingdingage it's not a place I want to start my career.
    via u/LoopbackJohn
  • 41
    [deleted] Claiming to have passed the bar, but not actually have done that. We can check because it's public record.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 42
    poofcuppycake Once I had someone list an Anger Management course on their resume under "Accomplishments". Bad choice, dude.
    via u/poofcuppycake
  • 43
    tylerm99 Lack of progression in their career is one. Still an intermediate developer after 15 years? Doesn't show a lot of drive or ambition. Obvious "fluffing" of the responsibilities or achievements. If you can't put a couple legitimate
    via u/tylerm99
  • 44
    accomplishments down them don't make up some bs double speak lines. Don't list your high school as education unless you are just out of high school. If you have a degree I assume you graduated high school. Smart ass style resumes get chucked
    via u/tylerm99
  • 45
    immediately. The sort written like those "viral" Craigslist posts. "SKILLS: I make incredible grilled cheese sandwiches and my Java code is just as tasty." Um, no. Trying to avoid gaps in between jobs by not giving the months in your job history.
    via u/tylerm99
  • 46
    KilrBe3 Or hey recruiters, when you know, someone applies for ENTRY LEVEL, and then get a reply saying I AM NOT QUALIFIED OR MET REQUIREMENTS. When you say "all skills welcomed - training provided entry level" -
    via u/KilrBe3
  • 47
    sportsworker777 Inability to hold a job for more than a year. It's amazing how many resumes I will see that are a single page and still has up to 8 previous jobs on it.
    via u/sportsworker777
  • 48
    Kicksave5 Listing "Google Chrome" and "Internet Explorer" among your technical experience.
    via u/Kicksave5
  • 49
    LoopbackJohn I have sent an entire resume in wingdings before. If the company doesn't have someone fluent in wingdingage it's not a place I want to start my career.
    via u/LoopbackJohn
  • 50
    [deleted] Claiming to have passed the bar, but not actually have done that. We can check because it's public record.
    via u/[deleted]

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