What I Learned From Fixing 100+ Resumes

Your resume isn’t just a document—it’s your personal marketing tool. After reviewing 100+ resumes, I’ve seen the same mistakes over and over. Here’s how to fix them and stand out in today’s job market.

I first learned about resumes in high school from my mother.

She was constantly on the job hunt, juggling applications and interviews with a stack of printed resumes that seemed to multiply around our old home printer. When she finally landed her next opportunity, it always seemed effortless—but her resume was a huge part of that.

Watching her made me obsessed with resumes. I wanted to know why some worked and others didn’t. Some people tweak their resume once a year. Me? I’m updating mine monthly.

After working with hundreds of clients, I’ve realized: most people are getting resumes all wrong. Here’s what I’ve learned.

1. Most People Have No Idea How to Write a Resume

A smooth 75% of job seekers come to me with resumes that are amateurish at best. They try, but they give up on what a polished, professional resume should look like.

Your resume is NOT just a list of jobs—it’s a marketing tool that sells your skills, your potential, and your ability to contribute. If a recruiter or hiring manager can’t immediately see your value, your resume isn’t doing its job.

2. People Focus Too Much on Job Duties, Not Achievements

Most resumes I see are just task lists. They tell me what someone did, but not what they accomplished. For each job, include at least 2 unique achievements that showcase what you improved, created, or led.

🛑 Wrong: “Managed social media accounts for a global brand.”

✅ Better: “Grew social media engagement by 60% in 6 months through targeted content strategy.”

3. Bad Formatting is a Silent Job Killer

I’ve seen it all—rainbow-colored resumes, Comic Sans, chaotic margins.

Your resume’s formatting signals how you handle professional documents on the job. Messy formatting = red flag for employers.

Here are a few tips:

✔ Use a clean, modern font (no script or funky stylized fonts).

✔ Keep margins even & consistent.

✔ Ditch the colors unless you work in a creative field.

4. Most People Undersell Themselves

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked with brilliant, highly skilled professionals who completely downplay their achievements.

People assume:

🚨 “I don’t have anything impressive to say.”

🚨 “I was just doing my job.”

But when we actually talk through their career story, they realize they have so much more to highlight.

Start a “brag folder”— yup, there's nothing wrong with bragging on yourself. Screenshot your wins, emails from bosses, and performance metrics. Practice telling your career story in networking conversations.

5. Resumes Need to Be More “Present-Day”

Resumes shouldn’t feel stuck in 1999. Your resume should include links. Hiring managers should be able to click to see your work, portfolio, LinkedIn, or featured projects.

One of my favorite things I saw? A resume where the candidate included logos of the companies they worked for (Nike, eBay). It was subtle but powerful.

6. Metrics Matter—But They Have to Be Real

Numbers make your resume more persuasive, but I’ve seen people completely make up stats to sound more impressive. Hiring managers can tell. Get into the habit of keeping track of your wins (especially if you work in social media, where metrics change constantly). Opt to use real data. You should be able to tell the story behind the numbers.

Remember, your resume is an evolving document. It isn't meant to be written once and forgotten. Your skills, experiences, and achievements change and grow—so should your resume. Whether you’re actively job searching or not, make it a habit to refresh it regularly.

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