10 Mistakes That Get Your Resume Rejected by ATS (and How to Fix Them)
Why 75% of Resumes Are Rejected Before Being Read
You spent hours perfecting your resume, you're a great fit for the role, and yet… silence. That silence probably isn't about your qualifications — it's about how your resume is processed by ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems).
These automated screening tools reject 3 out of 4 resumes before a recruiter ever sees them. The good news? The mistakes that cause these rejections are often easy to fix. If you're not familiar with how an ATS works, start with our complete ATS resume guide.
Here are the 10 fatal mistakes — and how to avoid them.
The 10 Fatal Mistakes (and Their Solutions)
1. Submitting a Scanned PDF or Image
The problem: A PDF created from a scan (or a photo of your resume) contains no extractable text. The ATS sees nothing but a blank image.
How to detect it: Open your PDF, press Ctrl+A (select all) then Ctrl+C (copy). Paste into a text editor. If nothing appears or the text is garbled, your PDF is a scan.
The fix: Recreate your resume in Word or Google Docs and export it as a text-based PDF.
2. Using Tables and Columns
The problem: ATS systems read content left to right, line by line. A two-column resume mixes information: your job title ends up next to a skill from the adjacent column.
The fix: Use a single-column layout. Avoid Canva or Word templates that use invisible tables to create columns.
3. Missing Keywords from the Job Posting
The problem: The posting asks for "React development" and your resume mentions "building web interfaces." To you, it's the same thing. To the ATS, they're two different skills.
The fix: Mirror the exact terms from the job posting in your resume. FitMyCV automatically identifies missing keywords by comparing your resume to the listing.
4. Using Non-Standard Section Headers
The problem: ATS systems look for specific headings to identify each section of your resume.
| Bad | Good |
|---|---|
| My Journey | Work Experience |
| What I Can Do | Skills |
| My Studies | Education |
| About Me | Professional Summary |
| My Strengths | Core Competencies |
The fix: Use conventional headings. Creativity belongs in the content, not the section titles.
5. Including Charts and Skill Bars
The problem: These visual elements are popular on "modern" templates, but here's what the ATS actually sees:
| Visual element | What you see | What the ATS sees |
|---|---|---|
| Python skill bar 4/5 | A bar filled to 80% | Nothing |
| Excel chart | A colorful pie chart | Nothing |
| Phone icon | 📱 followed by number | An unknown character |
| Skill stars | ★★★★☆ | Nothing |
The fix: Replace every visual element with text: "Python — Advanced," "Excel — Pivot tables, VBA macros."
6. Placing Contact Info in Headers or Footers
The problem: Most ATS systems ignore the content of Word headers and footers. Your name, email, and phone number become invisible.
The fix: Place all contact information in the body of the document, at the top of the first page.
7. Sending the Same Resume for Every Application
The problem: A generic resume gets a low matching score on every posting. Candidates who tailor their resume have 60% higher chances of landing an interview.
The fix: At minimum, customize your skills section and professional summary for each job. AI can automate this tailoring process, and you can verify your compatibility score before each submission.
8. Keyword Stuffing
The problem: Repeating "project management" 15 times or hiding keywords in white text on a white background. Modern ATS systems detect these tactics and penalize the resume. Some recruiters even set up alerts for suspicious resumes.
The fix: Each keyword should appear 2-3 times maximum, in different contexts (skills section + experience descriptions).
9. Using Internal Abbreviations or Jargon
The problem: "Project Phoenix" or "Initiative Delta" mean nothing to an ATS — or to an external recruiter, for that matter.
The fix: Use universal terms: "CRM migration to Salesforce (Project Phoenix) — 500 users, $250K budget." The code name can stay, but the technical keywords must be explicit.
10. Omitting a Dedicated Skills Section
The problem: The "Skills" section is the primary matching source for most ATS systems. Without it, the system must extract skills from the free text of your experience descriptions — with a much lower detection rate.
The fix: Create a clear "Skills" section positioned after your professional summary. Group your skills by category (Technical, Industry, Tools, Languages).
Quick Checklist Before Submitting
Before each application, verify these 10 points:
- ✅ My PDF is a text-based file (Ctrl+A → Ctrl+C test)
- ✅ My resume uses a single column with no tables
- ✅ Keywords from the job posting appear in my resume
- ✅ My section headings are standard
- ✅ No charts, skill bars, or icons
- ✅ My contact info is in the document body
- ✅ My resume is tailored to this specific posting
- ✅ No keyword appears more than 3 times
- ✅ No unexplained abbreviations or internal jargon
- ✅ A dedicated skills section is present
For more on technical formatting, see our guide on how to format an ATS-compatible resume.
Fix These Mistakes in Minutes
You don't need to start over. Most of these mistakes can be fixed in under 30 minutes. And to make sure your resume is ready, FitMyCV analyzes it against the job posting and tells you exactly what's blocking it.