What are some resume screening red flags and deal breakers that you look for?

When screening resumes, common red flags include unexplained employment gaps, lack of relevant experience, frequent job-hopping, and poor formatting or spelling errors. Other deal breakers are inconsistent job titles, vague responsibilities, or resumes that are overly generic, lacking customization for the specific role. Using Pitch N Hire’s ATS screening feature, recruiters can efficiently identify these red flags through AI-powered resume analysis, ensuring only the most qualified candidates are shortlisted. This feature streamlines the process by automatically filtering out unqualified applicants, saving time and improving the quality of candidates considered for the position.

Significant employment gaps without adequate explanation may indicate unreliability or lack of commitment. Inconsistent job titles or frequent job changes could signal instability or difficulty in adapting to new environments. Spelling or grammatical errors reflect poor attention to detail and communication skills. Lack of relevant skills or experience for the position suggests potential incompetence or misalignment. Exaggerated or misleading information undermines trust and integrity. Negative or unprofessional language in the resume may indicate poor attitude or interpersonal skills. Unexplained discrepancies between resume and LinkedIn profile raise credibility concerns.

The first for me is cv should look presetable at the first glance. The alignment the font, the color, the style , the aligment, the flow of information, the appropriate size. Then the use of language gives an idea as how the presenter wants to put forward his her views Upto date information should be available. The experience the qualification plays a big role in shortlisting the cv..does it match with the JD. Is there any gap in work these are critical things to be evaloted to become boss

Once, while reviewing resumes at work, I came across one that lacked proper formatting, and contained grammatical errors, typos, and subpar content. Consequently, my interest waned. This scenario is likely familiar to many recruiters. Your resume serves as the initial impression even before direct contact. Why settle for mediocrity when you can showcase your best self? My advice to candidates is simple: strive for excellence. Include all necessary details and demonstrate your dedication. By doing so, you make it easier for recruiters to determine if they wish to engage in further conversation.

Put your resume through a grammar or editor check. They point out spelling and grammatical errors. Have someone else read your resume out loud. Hearing and seeing can help reveal the quality of your resume.

Start with your present role, month/year, name of the company, then your title. List the gaps and reason along with every role you've held; especially working multiple jobs during the same time frame. This shows honesty, transparency and your work character. COVID was a challenging time for employment. Most recruiters have heard most every reason for why there's a gap so share it.

Finding a suitable format for the job you're targeting is simple. Compare different options available online. As Gen Z individuals, we excel in utilizing technology to our advantage. Utilize tools like AI to optimize your resume for success. Ensure clarity and comprehension by explaining your qualifications thoroughly. Use Calibri font, favored by top professionals, for a clean and professional appearance. Keep it simple and easy to understand while ensuring it stands out as the best representation of yourself.

When I assess resumes, discrepancies and unexplained employment gaps stand out as significant concerns. If a candidate's job history, titles, or responsibilities don't match their online profiles or references, it raises doubts about their honesty and reliability. Additionally, long or frequent employment breaks suggest issues with commitment or motivation, unless a valid reason like health problems, educational pursuits, or personal matters is provided. Without proper explanations, these inconsistencies can lead me to consider them a deal breaker, questioning their suitability for the position.

Gaps does not mean a red flag. There are multiple valid reasons why a professional may have a gap in their work history such as due to medical, childbirth, family, etc. If candidate is hiding or is not able to give right explanation for gap than that is a big Red flag. Job hopping also talks about the inconsistencies of the person.

A resume screening deal breaker for me is when a candidate's resume includes irrelevant or outdated information that doesn't align with the job requirements or industry standards. If their skills, certifications, or achievements are no longer in demand or unrelated to the role, it suggests they're out of touch with current trends and best practices. Inclusion of unrelated personal details, hobbies, or references signals a lack of focus and professionalism. It's crucial that a resume is tailored to the job and company's needs, and these discrepancies can lead to rejection in my evaluation.

In my daily review of numerous resumes, I've noticed certain candidates include irrelevant or outdated information, such as personal document details and passport IDs. This is unnecessary. As recruiters, our focus lies on key sections like education background, professional history, summary, skills, achievements, and contact details. Including unnecessary personal details won't aid in securing a job. Let's prioritize what truly matters for the job at hand and refrain from including extraneous information.

It's incredibly important for your resume to be up to date. It does absolutely no good to apply for a role with a resume that ends in 2015. What have you been doing lately? What experiences have you gained, what have you done to better yourself and expand your expertise? Including things like hobbies may seem like they're a good ice breaker but in reality just take up space on a resume. It's awesome that you have hobbies that you enjoy outside of work but it's not relevant to determining if you have the skills necessary to do the job. Save that valuable real estate on your resume for something more relevant.

When screening resumes, one of the things we look at is irrelevant or outdated information. This includes qualifications, experiences, or skills that are not pertinent to the role or are no longer relevant in the current industry landscape. For instance, if a candidate lists skills or certifications that are obsolete or unrelated to the job requirements, it raises concerns about their suitability and awareness. Additionally, outdated job experiences or educational qualifications may indicate a lack of recent engagement or professional development. Filtering out such information helps streamline the screening process and ensures that candidates meet the current needs of the position.

When applying for a job, it's essential to refrain from including overstatements or exaggerations that don't accurately represent you. While it may seem straightforward, misrepresenting yourself can have serious consequences. Consider this scenario, if you secure the job based on false information, you won't be able to meet the employer's expectations or contribute effectively. This not only damages the trust the employer has placed in you but also hinders your own professional growth. It's important to acknowledge your strengths and areas for improvement honestly. Only by accepting your capabilities can you work on developing them and truly excel in your role.

Be careful of using AI to write your resume. Companies want to hear who 'you' in your resume. It will make you stand out and it will be consistent with your language and speaking skills in the interviews.

A significant red flag during resume screening is when candidates tend to embellish or overstate their skills, accomplishments, or job responsibilities. This tendency can suggest issues like dishonesty, insecurity, or unrealistic expectations. For instance, if a candidate boasts of achievements that seem too good to be true, employs vague or inflated language, or takes undue credit for team efforts, it prompts questions about their credibility, integrity, and actual competence. To address this concern, it's crucial to validate candidates' claims with solid evidence such as quantifiable results, metrics, or testimonials, ensuring a more accurate assessment of their qualifications.

For me, overstatements or exaggerations stand out as significant red flags. These embellishments can distort the candidate's actual qualifications and experience, undermining trust and credibility. Whether it's inflating job titles, responsibilities, or achievements, exaggerations can mislead recruiters and lead to hiring decisions based on false premises.

A critical resume screening factor for me is the quality of formatting and design. A poorly formatted resume can be a deal breaker, as it hampers readability and understanding. It may suggest a lack of creativity, organization, or technical skills. Whether it's too long, too short, cluttered, or bland, such issues can obscure important information and hinder the candidate's presentation. Inappropriate fonts, colors, images, or layouts can make the resume appear unprofessional and inconsistent.

Don't underestimate putting a current picture of yourself on your resume. It will catch the attention of recruiters and brings a sense of connection beyond the words on your resume. Having the pictures be the same or similar to your picture on LinkedIn or other social media places helps show your 'brand'. Most all Word platforms have free resume templates to help you get a solid footing on how to set up your resume; use them.

Adding formatting blocks, or boxes are good. Separate your employment history from your education with a line, center the name, email address and phone number at the top. Always align the titles and dates of previous jobs, don't let the dates move down to another line.

When candidates applies for irrelevant job that does not meet your skill and experience that is red flag for mismatch of skills. This gives a feeling to TA person about that candidate is not reading the JD and applying for any reasons.

If the job lists a specific type of experience, don't even apply for the job. If your resume and history shows that you have no experience in that specific type, then employers will not look at your resume.

Don't mass apply to numerous roles. If you do, keep track of the company you applied and the role. When the recruiter reaches out and hears from a candidate, "what role is this for?", it can reveal a candidate is mass applying and also not truly invested with true interest.

Title jumps are an eyebrow raiser. Graduate (2 mins ago) --> Head of XYZ. This needs to be backed by evidence of impact. What are the metrics? How did you get there?

Companies need to play their part in processing applicants in a timely manner. A candidate following all the advise are doing research on the company, industry changes, reviews of the company, etc but when the company does not reach out for a phone screen for 1-2+ months cannot expect the candidate to be prepared to speak about the role. I took a job years ago, but the time between my applying and them calling it was 3 months. They had changed names in that time period and did not identify themselves. I had no idea who they were and had to fake my way through the screen. It was frustrating as a candidate that the company did not have the same respect and attention to detail that companies expect of candidates. This is a two way-street.

Is a resume presenting a laundry list of past responsibilities and work? And presenting a candidate as somebody who is qualified to do the job at hand? Or is the resume providing a clear understanding of the kinds of problems this candidate can solve and, most importantly, the kind of value and impact they will bring by solving these problems. This approach is a great way to separate those who are simply qualified by checking enough of your boxes from those who can come in to strategically think and actively problem-solve to make your organization better.

Is this candidate trying to check as many boxes as possible for you or are they trying to showcase how much value they can bring by solving your most pressing problems? Many in charge of the hiring process tend to look at what a candidate's features are: skills, industries, length of employment, but don't tend to prioritize potential benefits. Including how they have increased profits, reduced costs, improved productivity, or reduced risks. I would challenge decision-makers to look at their candidates not as professionals trying to bring a grab bag of skills but to look for proven expertise in solving problems, eliminating issues, addressing missed opportunities, and removing pain points that have tangible business value and human impact.