RESUME MISTAKES
Turn Your Historical Expertise into a Winning Resume
Avoid the pitfalls that keep hiring committees from seeing your scholarly value
How This Page Helps
Help historians identify and correct resume mistakes that prevent them from securing research, teaching, or curatorial roles.
Spot language that sounds too academic for recruiters
Learn how to quantify research impact
Showcase transferable skills for museum and heritage work
Align your resume with ATS keywords used in academia
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances
Each mistake includes why it hurts, how to fix it, and before/after examples
Overly Academic JargonHIGH
Why it hurts
- Hiring managers may not understand specialized terminology
- ATS may not recognize niche phrases
- Makes the resume feel inaccessible
How to fix
- Replace discipline‑specific terms with plain‑language equivalents
- Use action verbs that are ATS‑friendly
- Add a brief lay‑person explanation for complex projects
❌ Before
Conducted a diachronic analysis of epigraphic corpora utilizing palaeographic stratigraphy.
✓ After
Analyzed ancient inscriptions over time using modern dating techniques to uncover historical trends.
ATS Tip
Include keywords like "research analysis," "historical interpretation," and "primary source evaluation."
Detection Rules
Contains words longer than 12 characters
Uses Latin or Greek terms without translation
Resumly Tip
Our parser flags jargon and suggests plain‑language alternatives.
Missing Quantifiable AchievementsMEDIUM
Why it hurts
- Recruiters can’t gauge impact
- ATS looks for numbers and results
- Your contributions appear vague
How to fix
- Add metrics such as publications, grant amounts, or visitor numbers
- Show percentage improvements in research efficiency
- Mention awards and citations
❌ Before
Published articles on medieval trade routes.
✓ After
Published 5 peer‑reviewed articles on medieval trade routes, cited 120 times, and secured a $30,000 research grant.
ATS Tip
Use numbers (e.g., "5 articles," "120 citations") to trigger ATS scoring.
Detection Rules
No digits present in bullet points
Bullets start with generic verbs only
Resumly Tip
Our tool highlights bullet points lacking numbers and suggests where to add metrics.
Chronological Gaps Not ExplainedHIGH
Why it hurts
- Employers assume inactivity or career instability
- ATS may penalize unexplained employment gaps
- Gaps can raise red flags during interviews
How to fix
- Add a brief “Research Sabbatical” or “Independent Scholar” entry
- Explain volunteer work, consulting, or coursework during gaps
- Use years only (e.g., 2018–2020) to keep format clean
❌ Before
2015‑2017 – No entry
✓ After
2015‑2017 – Independent Scholar (conducted archival research for a forthcoming monograph)
ATS Tip
Label gaps with a functional title and include relevant keywords like "research" and "analysis."
Detection Rules
Date range with no accompanying description
Standalone year ranges
Resumly Tip
Our gap detector flags empty date ranges and offers phrasing suggestions.
Unclear Career ObjectiveLOW
Why it hurts
- Doesn’t tell the employer what role you’re targeting
- ATS may misclassify your resume
- Leaves recruiters guessing your fit
How to fix
- Write a concise 2‑sentence headline that states desired position and key value proposition
- Incorporate target‑role keywords
- Align the objective with the rest of the resume content
❌ Before
Objective: To obtain a position where I can use my skills.
✓ After
Objective: Seeking a Curator of Historical Collections role where my 8 years of archival research and exhibition design drive public engagement and scholarly collaboration.
ATS Tip
Include the exact job title (e.g., "Curator of Historical Collections") and core skills.
Detection Rules
Objective section longer than 30 words
Lacks specific job title
Resumly Tip
Our objective optimizer rewrites vague statements into targeted headlines.
Formatting Guidelines
File Types: PDF, DOCX
Sections: Contact Information, Professional Summary, Key Skills, Experience, Education, Publications & Presentations, Grants & Awards, Professional Affiliations
Naming: FirstName_LastName_Historian_Resume.pdf
Consistency
Length: 1‑2 pages for early‑career historians; up to 3 pages for senior scholars
Date Format: MM/YYYY
Location Format: City, State (or Country)
Resume Quality Checklist
- Use a clean, sans‑serif font (10‑12 pt)
- Include a professional email and LinkedIn URL
- Tailor keywords to the specific job posting
- Quantify research impact wherever possible
- Proofread for spelling of historical terms
- Save as PDF with searchable text
ATS Alignment Guide
Common ATS Systems: iCIMS, Workday, Taleo, Greenhouse
Keyword Strategy: research analysis, archival management, exhibition design, grant writing, primary source evaluation
Heading Format: Use standard headings like "Experience" and "Publications" to ensure ATS parses correctly
Quick Fix Workshop
Paste your current resume bullet or summary line below
- Replace jargon with plain language
- Add a measurable outcome
- Insert relevant ATS keyword
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