RESUME MISTAKES
Stop Losing Jobs Over Your Resume
Fix the critical mistakes that keep hiring managers from seeing your instructional design expertise.
How This Page Helps
Help instructional designers identify and correct resume mistakes that hinder ATS parsing and recruiter interest.
Identify hidden ATS blockers
Learn industry‑specific wording
See before‑and‑after examples
Apply formatting best practices
Boost confidence with 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 StatementMEDIUM
Why it hurts
- Fails to showcase design expertise
- Often ignored by ATS
- Doesn't differentiate you from other candidates
How to fix
- Replace with a concise professional summary
- Highlight key instructional design achievements
- Include measurable outcomes
❌ Before
Objective: Seeking a challenging position where I can utilize my skills.
✓ After
Professional Summary: Instructional Designer with 5+ years creating engaging e‑learning modules for Fortune 500 companies, increasing learner retention by 30%.
ATS Tip
Start with a summary that includes role‑specific keywords like 'instructional design', 'e‑learning', 'curriculum development'.
Detection Rules
Contains the word 'Objective'
Length under 30 words
Lacks industry keywords
Resumly Tip
Swap the objective for a summary that quantifies impact.
Listing Every Software You’ve Ever UsedLOW
Why it hurts
- Dilutes relevance
- Clutters ATS parsing
- Obscures core competencies
How to fix
- Focus on tools directly used in instructional design
- Group similar tools under categories
- Prioritize those mentioned in job ads
❌ Before
Software: PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Photoshop, Illustrator, Camtasia, Articulate Storyline, Captivate, Moodle, Blackboard, SAP, Salesforce, Jira.
✓ After
Tools: Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Camtasia, LMS (Moodle, Blackboard)
ATS Tip
Use exact tool names from the job description to match ATS keywords.
Detection Rules
List longer than 5 items
Includes unrelated software
Resumly Tip
Trim the tools list to the top 5 most relevant platforms.
Unclear Achievement MetricsHIGH
Why it hurts
- Recruiters can’t gauge impact
- ATS may miss numbers
- Reduces credibility
How to fix
- Add specific percentages, timeframes, or numbers
- Use action verbs followed by results
- Align metrics with learning outcomes
❌ Before
Created training modules for new hires.
✓ After
Designed onboarding training for 200+ new hires, cutting time‑to‑productivity by 25%.
ATS Tip
Include quantifiable data (e.g., % increase, number of learners) near the top of bullet points.
Detection Rules
Bullets without numbers or percentages
Generic verbs without results
Resumly Tip
Turn vague statements into data‑driven achievements.
Improper Date FormattingMEDIUM
Why it hurts
- ATS may not parse employment dates
- Creates visual inconsistency
- Confuses hiring managers
How to fix
- Use consistent month‑year format (MMM YYYY)
- Align dates to the right
- Avoid abbreviations like 'Jan‑20'
❌ Before
01/2020 – Current
✓ After
Jan 2020 – Present
ATS Tip
Standardize to 'MMM YYYY' (e.g., Jan 2020).
Detection Rules
Dates contain slashes
Uses 'Current' instead of 'Present'
Resumly Tip
Replace all dates with the MMM YYYY format.
Missing Instructional Design KeywordsHIGH
Why it hurts
- ATS filters out resumes lacking key terms
- Recruiters think you lack core skills
- Reduces relevance to job posting
How to fix
- Incorporate terms like 'ADDIE', 'Bloom's taxonomy', 'learning objectives', 'storyboarding'
- Mirror language from the job description
❌ Before
Developed training materials.
✓ After
Developed ADDIE‑based e‑learning courses, creating storyboards and learning objectives aligned with Bloom's taxonomy.
ATS Tip
Embed at least 3–5 core instructional design terms throughout your resume.
Detection Rules
No mention of ADDIE, storyboard, Bloom
Less than 5 industry keywords
Resumly Tip
Run a keyword scan and insert missing instructional design terms.
Formatting Guidelines
File Types: PDF, DOCX
Sections: Header, Professional Summary, Core Competencies, Experience, Education, Certifications, Portfolio Links
Naming: FirstName_LastName_InstructionalDesigner.pdf
Consistency
Length: One page for early‑career, two pages max for senior roles
Date Format: MMM YYYY
Location Format: City, State (or Country)
Resume Quality Checklist
- Use a professional summary with metrics
- Include ADDIE and other design keywords
- List only relevant tools
- Format dates as MMM YYYY
- Keep resume under 2 pages
- Add a link to your e‑learning portfolio
- Proofread for spelling and grammar
ATS Alignment Guide
Common ATS Systems: Taleo, iCIMS, Greenhouse, Workday, Lever
Keyword Strategy: Add terms like ADDIE, storyboarding, LMS, e‑learning, curriculum development
Heading Format: Use standard headings: Professional Summary, Experience, Education, Skills
Quick Fix Workshop
Paste your current resume text
- Replace objective with summary
- Add quantifiable results
- Standardize date format
- Trim tools list
- Insert instructional design keywords
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