What are the most common mistakes people make when tailoring a resume?

The most damaging mistake is sending a resume that still mentions the previous employer or role. Others include changing facts, over-tailoring and introducing errors in a rush.

Common mistakes:

• Wrong company name or job title left in the summary or objective.
• Job titles or dates changed to fit the posting.
• Skills added that the person does not have.
• Long phrases copied straight from the job description.
• The summary changed but the bullets left untouched, so the resume does not support it.
• New typos introduced during quick edits.
• Losing track of which version went to which employer.

How to avoid them:

• Avoid naming the employer you are applying to in your resume; it is rarely needed.
• Work from a master resume so facts stay consistent.
• Do a final check of the top third of page one before every send.
• Save each sent version with the posting.

A careful five-minute review prevents almost all of these.