RESUME MISTAKES
Stop Losing Deals Because of a Weak Resume
Identify and correct the critical mistakes that keep Business Development Managers from getting noticed.
How This Page Helps
This page helps Business Development Managers pinpoint resume pitfalls, understand their impact, and apply actionable fixes to improve ATS compatibility and recruiter appeal.
Learn the top 5 resume errors
See before-and-after examples
Get ATS optimization tips
Access a downloadable quick‑fix workshop
Use a ready‑to‑use checklist
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances
Each mistake includes why it hurts, how to fix it, and before/after examples
Generic Objective StatementHIGH
Why it hurts
- Fails to convey value proposition
- Gets filtered by ATS keywords
- Looks unfocused to hiring managers
How to fix
- Replace with a concise summary highlighting revenue growth achievements
- Incorporate industry-specific keywords
- Quantify results in the first 3 lines
❌ Before
Objective: Seeking a challenging position in sales.
✓ After
Summary: Business Development Manager with 8+ years driving $30M annual revenue growth in SaaS, forging strategic partnerships and expanding market share by 25%.
ATS Tip
Lead with a keyword‑rich summary, not a vague objective.
Detection Rules
Contains the word 'objective'
Less than 30 words
No metrics or keywords
Resumly Tip
Swap the objective for a results‑focused summary to capture attention instantly.
Listing Responsibilities Instead of AchievementsHIGH
Why it hurts
- Provides no evidence of impact
- Makes resume look like a job description
- Reduces recruiter interest
How to fix
- Convert each bullet to a result‑oriented statement
- Start with strong action verbs
- Include quantifiable outcomes
❌ Before
Responsible for managing client accounts and negotiating contracts.
✓ After
Negotiated 45 contracts, increasing average deal size by 18% and generating $4.2M in new revenue.
ATS Tip
Use achievement language with numbers to match performance keywords.
Detection Rules
Bullets start with 'responsible for' or 'managed'
Lack of numbers or percentages
Resumly Tip
Turn duties into measurable wins to demonstrate ROI.
Unclear Career Progression TimelineMEDIUM
Why it hurts
- Confuses recruiters about growth
- ATS may misinterpret dates
- Appears as employment gaps
How to fix
- List positions chronologically with clear dates
- Show promotions within same company
- Use consistent date format (MMM YYYY)
❌ Before
Business Development – XYZ Corp – 2018-2022
✓ After
Business Development Manager, XYZ Corp – Jan 2020 to Present (Promoted from BD Associate, Jan 2018–Dec 2019)
ATS Tip
Consistent date formatting improves parsing.
Detection Rules
Missing month in dates
Single line for multiple roles
Resumly Tip
Break down each role with start/end months to highlight upward trajectory.
Overloading with Jargon and AcronymsLOW
Why it hurts
- ATS may not recognize obscure acronyms
- Hiring managers may be confused
- Reduces readability
How to fix
- Spell out acronyms on first use
- Use plain language
- Include industry‑standard terms
❌ Before
Managed CRM, ERP, and B2B SaaS pipelines.
✓ After
Managed Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, driving B2B SaaS pipeline growth.
ATS Tip
Include both full term and acronym for keyword coverage.
Detection Rules
Contains unexplained acronyms
More than 3 industry-specific abbreviations
Resumly Tip
Define each acronym once, then you can use the short form.
Missing Metrics in Sales ImpactHIGH
Why it hurts
- Fails to prove ability to generate revenue
- ATS often looks for numbers
- Leaves recruiter guessing
How to fix
- Add revenue, % growth, deal size, quota attainment
- Use specific figures
- Show year‑over‑year improvements
❌ Before
Improved client acquisition.
✓ After
Boosted client acquisition by 32%, adding $2.5M ARR within 12 months.
ATS Tip
Numbers are high‑impact keywords for sales roles.
Detection Rules
No digits in bullet points
Generic verbs without results
Resumly Tip
Quantify every achievement to make impact undeniable.
Formatting Guidelines
File Types: PDF, DOCX
Sections: Header, Professional Summary, Core Competencies, Professional Experience, Education, Certifications, Awards
Naming: FirstName_LastName_BDM.pdf
Consistency
Length: One page for early‑career, two pages max for senior managers
Date Format: MMM YYYY
Location Format: City, State (or Country)
Resume Quality Checklist
- Use a keyword‑rich professional summary
- Show quantifiable achievements for each role
- Standardize dates to MMM YYYY
- Define all acronyms on first use
- Include core competencies as bullet list
- Limit resume to 1‑2 pages
- Save as PDF with proper naming convention
- Proofread for spelling and grammar
ATS Alignment Guide
Common ATS Systems: Lever, Greenhouse, iCIMS, Workday, SmartRecruiters
Keyword Strategy: Include terms like 'pipeline development', 'strategic partnerships', 'revenue growth', 'quota attainment', 'SaaS', 'B2B sales'
Heading Format: Use standard headings such as 'Professional Experience' and 'Core Competencies' to ensure ATS parses sections correctly.
Quick Fix Workshop
Paste your current resume text
- Replace objective with summary
- Convert duties to achievements
- Add quantifiable metrics
- Standardize dates
- Define acronyms
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