RESUME MISTAKES
Turn Your Trading Experience into a Winning Resume
Identify and fix the most common trader resume mistakes to catch recruiters' eyes and beat ATS.
How This Page Helps
Help traders craft a high‑impact resume that showcases performance, analytical skills, and compliance expertise while passing ATS filters.
Spot hidden errors that cost interview calls
Learn how to quantify trading results
Align your resume with top trading firm ATS
Use industry‑specific language without jargon overload
Apply proven formatting for clarity and impact
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances
Each mistake includes why it hurts, how to fix it, and before/after examples
Vague Objective StatementMEDIUM
Why it hurts
- Provides no value to hiring managers
- Gets filtered by ATS for lack of keywords
How to fix
- Replace with a concise professional summary highlighting years of trading, asset classes, and key achievements
- Incorporate target role keywords
❌ Before
Objective: Seeking a challenging position in finance.
✓ After
Professional Summary: 5+ years trading equities and derivatives, generating $12M net profit, specializing in algorithmic strategies and risk management.
ATS Tip
Include role‑specific terms like 'equities trader', 'algorithmic trading', 'risk management'.
Detection Rules
Contains line starting with 'Objective:'
Less than 30 characters after colon
Resumly Tip
Swap objective for a results‑focused summary.
Missing Quantifiable PerformanceHIGH
Why it hurts
- Hiring managers need hard numbers to assess impact
- ATS may miss keywords without metrics
How to fix
- Add specific profit/loss figures, % returns, assets under management
- Use bullet points with numbers
❌ Before
Managed a portfolio of stocks.
✓ After
Managed a $25M equity portfolio, achieving 18% annual return, outperforming benchmark by 5%.
ATS Tip
Start bullet with action verb and include numbers.
Detection Rules
Bullet points lacking digits
No $ or % symbols
Resumly Tip
Quantify every achievement with concrete figures.
Overuse of Jargon Without ContextLOW
Why it hurts
- Confuses recruiters outside niche
- ATS may not recognize obscure acronyms
How to fix
- Explain acronyms on first use, focus on outcomes
- Balance technical terms with plain language
❌ Before
Executed HFT strategies using FIX and co-location.
✓ After
Implemented high‑frequency trading (HFT) strategies via FIX protocol and co‑located servers, reducing latency by 2 ms and increasing trade execution efficiency.
ATS Tip
Spell out acronyms before using them.
Detection Rules
Contains acronyms without parentheses
Resumly Tip
Define each acronym the first time it appears.
Unclear Date and Location FormattingMEDIUM
Why it hurts
- ATS may misinterpret dates, causing timeline gaps
- Recruiters struggle to see career progression
How to fix
- Use consistent MM/YYYY format, list city and state
- Align dates to the right
❌ Before
Jan 2018 – 2020 London
✓ After
Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 London, UK
ATS Tip
Standardize dates to MM/YYYY for ATS parsing.
Detection Rules
Date lines not matching MM/YYYY pattern
Resumly Tip
Keep dates uniform across all entries.
Omitting Compliance & Regulatory ExperienceHIGH
Why it hurts
- Trading roles require knowledge of regulations
- Missing keywords reduces ATS relevance
How to fix
- Add bullet points about KYC, AML, SEC reporting
- Include certifications like Series 7
❌ Before
Traded equities for proprietary firm.
✓ After
Traded equities for proprietary firm, ensuring compliance with SEC, FINRA, and AML regulations; maintained KYC documentation for 200+ clients.
ATS Tip
Include regulatory terms such as 'SEC', 'FINRA', 'AML'.
Detection Rules
No mention of compliance keywords
Resumly Tip
Highlight any regulatory or compliance responsibilities.
Formatting Guidelines
File Types: PDF, DOCX
Sections: Header, Professional Summary, Core Competencies, Professional Experience, Education, Certifications, Technical Skills
Naming: FirstName LastName – Trader Resume
Consistency
Length: 1‑2 pages (max 2 pages for experienced traders)
Date Format: MM/YYYY
Location Format: City, State/Country
Resume Quality Checklist
- Use a professional summary with quantifiable results
- List core competencies with keywords
- Show performance metrics for each role
- Include compliance and risk management experience
- Standardize dates and locations
- Proofread for spelling and grammar
- Save as PDF with searchable text
ATS Alignment Guide
Common ATS Systems: iCIMS, Greenhouse, Lever, Workday
Keyword Strategy: Equities, Derivatives, Algorithmic Trading, Risk Management, SEC, FINRA, Bloomberg Terminal, Python
Heading Format: Use standard headings like 'Professional Experience' and 'Core Competencies' to ensure ATS parsing.
Quick Fix Workshop
Paste your current trader resume text
- Convert objective to summary
- Add missing numbers
- Standardize date format
- Define acronyms
- Insert compliance bullet points
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