Resume Mistakes That Can Get You Rejected

When crafting a resume, Australian recruitment experts emphasize that less is often more. Natasha Hawker, managing director of a human resources and recruitment service, highlights that while photos might be mandatory in some countries, Australian agencies often discard them. She stresses that clarity should be the top priority, as unprofessional photos and graphics can hinder readability for both AI systems and human recruiters.

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Clarity should be your "first priority" when writing and formatting a CV.

Jon Giorgioski, director of a resume consultancy, echoes this sentiment, advising against photos and graphics. He also points out that attaching supporting documents like transcripts or reference letters is unnecessary unless specifically requested. Gorgioski suggests removing anything that could cause distraction, privacy concerns, bias, or confusion, including personal details such as date of birth, marital status, and full home address.

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Anything that creates distraction, privacy concerns, any bias or confusion probably doesn't belong on a [resume].

Regarding referees, Hawker recommends stating "referees available upon request" instead of listing contact details. This prevents unsolicited calls from individuals who may not be prepared to provide a reference at that moment. Career coach Annique Teycheney agrees, advising this approach unless the job ad explicitly asks for referee information. Applicants can then proactively inform their references when contacted.

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I am a referee for so many people [and] I do not want unsolicited phone calls when I'm not prepared for them.

When using AI to generate resume content, Hawker warns of common pitfalls, such as forgetting to remove AI-generated placeholders like parentheses or square brackets. She urges users to meticulously check and personalize AI-generated text, ensuring they can confidently discuss any included information during an interview. Gorgioski adds that overly generic AI content can be a red flag, failing to reveal a candidate's actual work style. He notes that resumes showing concrete achievements and explaining what happened because of an individual's presence in a role tend to be stronger. Discrepancies between resume and LinkedIn profiles can also deter recruiters.

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Stronger resumes", he adds, "tend to show what happened because you were in [a] role".