Mistake #1: Using a One-Size-Fits-All Resume
Obvious, I know, but hear me out. When you’re sending out hundreds (or even tens) of job applications, it’s easy to fall into a pattern. We aren’t saying give each one a significant overhaul, but order can really matter. You’ll emphasize different skills, abilities, use different language, and even switch formats depending on role. Creative entry roles will emphasize strong formatting, where managers will focus less on the aesthetics and more on showcasing how they’ve driven past performance with their teams. You should plan to spend at least five, but no more than 30, minutes tailoring your resume to the job.
Look at it this way. You can spend your time applying to more jobs that won’t get back to you, or you can spend your time applying to fewer jobs better. Employers want to know you care about this job, not just any job. When your resume is generic, it reads as lazy or, worse, unqualified.
Fix It
Tailor your resume to match each job description. Use keywords from the posting and adjust your bullet points to highlight the experience that matters most for that role.
Need a little help knowing what to include? Our quick guides include additional helpful tips for customizing your resume for different industries and roles.
Mistake #2: Burying Your Best Stuff
A recruiter will spend 6–8 seconds skimming your resume. That means you need to front-load the most relevant, impressive details. And that’s if it even makes it past the applicant tracking system. But one issue at a time…
Many Gen Z applicants start with long objectives or a list of high school achievements. After all, we assume people will read our whole resume because we took the time to write it and we know our story is awesome. When was the last time you skimmed something though? Maybe even this article?
We know, and we aren’t offended. It’s just the reality of the world today. So work within the constraints of the world today and position the most relevant items (those that correspond to the industry and information on the job post) right up top.
Fix It
Lead with your most impressive accomplishments following what’s common for the industry. Use action verbs, measurable outcomes, and show what you’ve done, not just what you’ve been responsible for.
For example:
“Organized three on-campus events with 200+ attendees, increasing club membership by 40%.” Even better, get the exact number of attendees. It’s a reusable statistic, so time spent on precision shows that you have attention to detail (rather than just listing “attention to detail” as a characteristic in a bulleted list).
Learn how to write magnetic bullet points in Ryze Further, our advanced guide for job seekers ready to level up.
Mistake #3: Prioritizing Design Over Clarity
You want your resume to look fresh, modern, and well-designed. But many Gen Z job seekers go overboard—using bright colors to the point that it overpowers and detracts, quirky fonts in the name of authenticity and fun, and complicated layouts that confuse applicant tracking systems (which screen resumes for keywords before anyone in the company even has a chance to see them).
Worse, if a human does review it, they might not know where to look first or think it unbefitting for the company and unprofessional. This is where we recommend being yourself, but within reasonable limits. You want to show your uniqueness, but too unique and it scares people.
Fix It
Stick with a clean, professional layout. Use consistent formatting, standard fonts (Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman), and clear section headers. If you are not sure where to start, Ryze Forward and Ryze Beyond both provide usable templates for different industries.
Mistake #4: Listing Responsibilities over Results
If your resume is just a list of tasks: for example, “Managed cash register,” “Answered phones,” “Filed paperwork,” you’re missing a huge opportunity! We alluded to this earlier, but you need to tell a powerful story. Every section of a resume is important because resumes by their very nature area short. While it’s generally acceptable today to use two pages, even for someone seeking their first job, it can be very difficult to condense everything relevant down to just those two pages. And if you’re more conventional and go with one page, the amount of fine-tuning you have to do to fit everything in in just the right way can get downright ridiculous.
So for every bullet you list, keep it short but keep it meaningful and make sure it connects. Think through what the company you’re applying to wants. Do they want to know that as a salesperson you served clients to the best of your ability, or do they want to know that you met with an average of 15 clients daily with an average conversion rate of 60%? That’s insanely high, we know, but imagine if you reached that level and didn’t say it! Again, the advice I received was, “show that you did something while you were there.” The way you do that is by telling a compelling (but short) story, and about the things the employer wants in an employee for the specific position you’re seeking.
Employers care about what you accomplished, not just what you were assigned.
Fix It
Turn each bullet into a mini story of impact. What happened because you did that task? Did sales go up? Was customer satisfaction higher? Did you save time, money, or headaches?
Example before:
“Worked social media account for student group”
Example after:
“Created Instagram content that boosted engagement 3x and helped grow our student group to 250+ members”
Mistake #5: Leaving Out the Online You
Whether you realize it or not, recruiters Google you. If your resume makes you look professional but your online presence says otherwise – or says nothing at all – you’re leaving opportunities on the table.
Fix It
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is clean, complete, and consistent with your resume. Bonus points if it includes a professional photo and short description of who you are and what you are looking for. You really understood the assignment if you have recommendations, skill endorsements, and people engaging with your posts.
Want to go the extra mile? Include a personal website or portfolio link. Even a simple page with your resume and a few highlights can make you appear significantly different (in a good way) than your peers.
You’re Not Invisible. You’re Just Missing the Right Tools.
Landing your first job can feel overwhelming, but you are not powerless. Every resume you submit is a chance to sharpen your message and show the world what you bring to the table.
And hey, if you feel like you’d like a little extra help in getting there, Ryze is here to help.
Our quick guides are a great place to start:
- Ryze Up, shows you how to build a resume and cover letter that demand attention.
- Ryze Further gives you deeper strategies and ready-to-use resources to get hired faster.
- And if you are ready to go all in, Ryze Beyond includes self-assessments, expert advice, and advanced tips to launch your career with confidence.
But we believe in providing some help for free too, because we all could use a bit of a lift now and then. If that’s where you’re at, for whatever reason, you can download your free preview of our Applying and Interviewing series just by visiting us www.ryze-guides.com and following the pop-up prompt.
Beyond that, our coaching can help you take your job search to the next level, give you assurance that things are going to work out, and help you hone the tools to find that success.
Let’s Ryze!
