RESUME MISTAKES
Stop Losing Procurement Jobs to Resume Mistakes
Identify and correct the most common errors that keep hiring managers from seeing your value.
How This Page Helps
Help procurement specialists create error‑free, ATS‑optimized resumes that showcase strategic sourcing expertise.
Spot hidden formatting issues
Learn why vague metrics hurt
Fix missing procurement‑specific keywords
Align your resume with top ATS
Boost interview callbacks
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances
Each mistake includes why it hurts, how to fix it, and before/after examples
Generic Objective StatementMEDIUM
Why it hurts
- Doesn't convey procurement focus
- Gets filtered by ATS
- Wastes recruiter time
How to fix
- Replace with a concise professional summary
- Highlight years of sourcing experience
- Include key procurement achievements
❌ Before
Objective: Seeking a challenging position where I can utilize my skills.
✓ After
Professional Summary: Procurement Specialist with 7+ years delivering $30M cost savings through strategic sourcing and supplier negotiations.
ATS Tip
Start with a keyword‑rich summary; avoid the word 'objective'.
Detection Rules
Contains the word 'objective'
Length under 50 words
Lacks procurement keywords
Resumly Tip
Our AI flags generic objectives and suggests a data‑driven summary.
Missing Quantifiable ResultsHIGH
Why it hurts
- Hard to gauge impact
- ATS may miss numbers
- Recruiters prefer metrics
How to fix
- Add % or $ figures to each achievement
- Show cost reductions, savings, contract values
- Use action verbs with results
❌ Before
Managed supplier relationships and negotiated contracts.
✓ After
Managed a portfolio of 45 suppliers, negotiating contracts that reduced spend by 12% ($1.8M) annually.
ATS Tip
Include numbers early in bullet points for ATS parsing.
Detection Rules
Bullet points lack digits
No currency symbols
No percentages
Resumly Tip
Resumly scans for missing metrics and suggests where to insert numbers.
Improper Date FormattingLOW
Why it hurts
- ATS may not recognize employment dates
- Creates timeline gaps
- Looks unprofessional
How to fix
- Use consistent MM/YYYY format
- Align dates to the right
- Avoid words like 'Present' without month
❌ Before
June 2018 – Present
✓ After
06/2018 – Present
ATS Tip
MM/YYYY is universally recognized by ATS.
Detection Rules
Date contains month name
Inconsistent separators
Resumly Tip
Our formatter standardizes dates to MM/YYYY.
Overly Technical Jargon Without ContextMEDIUM
Why it hurts
- Non‑procurement recruiters may not understand
- ATS may not match keywords
- Reduces readability
How to fix
- Explain terms briefly
- Tie jargon to outcomes
- Balance technical and business language
❌ Before
Implemented e‑procurement platform SAP Ariba for RFx processes.
✓ After
Implemented SAP Ariba e‑procurement platform, streamlining RFx processes and cutting cycle time by 30%.
ATS Tip
Include both the tool name and the result.
Detection Rules
Bullet contains software name without result
Length > 20 words without metrics
Resumly Tip
We highlight jargon and suggest outcome‑focused rewrites.
Unclear Location InformationLOW
Why it hurts
- ATS may filter by location
- Recruiters need city/state
- Remote work status unclear
How to fix
- List city, state, and remote indicator
- Place location on same line as job title
- Use standard abbreviations
❌ Before
Procurement Analyst, XYZ Corp
✓ After
Procurement Analyst – New York, NY (Remote) – XYZ Corp
ATS Tip
Standard city/state format improves geo‑search.
Detection Rules
Location missing city/state
No parentheses for remote
Resumly Tip
Our parser adds missing location details.
Formatting Guidelines
File Types: PDF, DOCX
Sections: Header, Professional Summary, Core Competencies, Professional Experience, Education, Certifications, Technical Skills
Naming: FirstName_LastName_ProcurementSpecialist
Consistency
Length: One to two pages (max 2)
Date Format: MM/YYYY
Location Format: City, State (Remote optional)
Resume Quality Checklist
- Use a keyword‑rich professional summary
- Quantify every achievement
- Maintain consistent MM/YYYY dates
- Include core procurement competencies
- Proofread for spelling and grammar
- Save as PDF with searchable text
ATS Alignment Guide
Common ATS Systems: iCIMS, Workday, Greenhouse, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle Taleo
Keyword Strategy: Strategic sourcing, cost reduction, supplier negotiation, contract management, e‑procurement, RFx, spend analysis
Heading Format: Use standard headings like Professional Summary, Core Competencies, Professional Experience
Quick Fix Workshop
Paste your current resume text or upload a file
- Convert generic summary to data‑driven summary
- Add missing metrics
- Standardize dates
- Insert procurement‑specific keywords
- Optimize headings for ATS
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