--- title: "Study: Avoid These Common Resume Mistakes" id: "19438" type: "post" slug: "study-avoid-these-common-resume-mistakes" published_at: "2013-09-16T15:04:35+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-15T21:08:09+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/09/16/study-avoid-these-common-resume-mistakes/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/09/16/study-avoid-these-common-resume-mistakes.md" excerpt: "Time to dust off your CV? CareerBuilder surveyed almost 2,000 HR professionals to determine some of the most common missteps people make in their résumés." taxonomy_category: - "Career Development" taxonomy_post_tag: - "advice" - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "job application" - "New to Associations" - "NextGen" - "resume tips" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Employee (Non-Manager)" taxonomy_persona: - "Early Career" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Study: Avoid These Common Resume Mistakes For many job candidates, a well-crafted résumé is the ticket to an interview. And while [some believe résumés are irrelevant (opens in a new tab)](http://www.fastcompany.com/3016784/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/death-to-the-resume-how-to-go-paperless-and-score-jobs-soc) in the age of social media, Yahoo recently reported that it receives 12,000 of them a week, [according to CBS News (opens in a new tab)](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57602597/marissa-mayer-yahoo-users-up-20-percent-12000-job-applicants-a-week/) . So what should you include (or not include) in your résumé? According to a [new study by CareerBuilder (opens in a new tab)](http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=9%2f11%2f2013&siteid=cbpr&sc_cmp1=cb_pr780_&id=pr780&ed=12%2f31%2f2013) , you may want to resist the urge to include music videos, photos of yourself, and references to jail time. Those were just some of the most “outrageous” résumé mistakes that the roughly 2,000 surveyed hiring managers reported. Additional “outrageous” mistakes included: - Simply writing one line: “Hire me, I’m awesome.” - Including photos spanning from childhood to adulthood - Writing the résumé in Klingon (a language from *Star Trek*) When asked about common mistakes people make in their résumés, roughly 60 percent of respondents said typos, while about 35 percent reported generic résumés that were not personalized to the position and résumés that did not include a list of skills. Other common mistakes included: - Copying a large amount of wording from the job posting - Having an inappropriate email address - Using decorative paper What about length? The appropriate page count depends on an applicant’s level of experience, the survey found. About two-thirds of hiring managers said new college grads should stick to a single page; for seasoned professionals, more than three-quarters of those surveyed said a résumé should be at least two pages long. While 41 percent of workers age 45 and older said they include their first job on their résumés, a majority of hiring managers said they only want to see work experience, primarily within the last 10 years, that is relevant to the job at hand. Roughly a quarter of hiring managers will not open résumés sent in the mail and prefer that applicants send digital copies. Have any good résumé writing tips? Let us know in the comments. [Katie Bascuas](https://associationsnow.com/author/katie-bascuas/) Katie Bascuas is a former associate editor at Associations Now in Washington, DC. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/katie-bascuas/) Tags: [#advice](https://associationsnow.com/tag/advice/) [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#job application](https://associationsnow.com/tag/job-application/) [#New to Associations](https://associationsnow.com/tag/new-to-associations/) [#NextGen](https://associationsnow.com/tag/nextgen/) [#resume tips](https://associationsnow.com/tag/resume-tips/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoASAE’s The ExchangeApril 24, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/04/24/asaes-the-exchange/) - [ArticleHow Associations Can Assist Young ProfessionalsJune 12, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/12/how-associations-can-assist-young-professionals/) - [VideoAllison Isch, PMP Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/allison-isch-pmp-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoIntroducing the ASAE Future Leaders Professional Development ScholarshipJune 14, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/06/14/introducing-the-asae-future-leaders-professional-development-scholarship/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2013%2F09%2F16%2Fstudy-avoid-these-common-resume-mistakes%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !