The 5 Red Flags Killing Your Job Applications: Free Resume Checklist

The 5 Red Flags Killing Your Job Applications is a free checklist of five common résumé mistakes that make qualified candidates harder to find and harder to read — with a 2-minute self-scoring checklist and a 20-minute fix plan.

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The Five Red Flags

1. Generic or creative job titles that recruiters can’t match to the roles they’re searching for
2. A skills section missing critical keywords from the job posting
3. Inconsistent date formatting that makes your timeline hard to read
4. Graphics, tables, or complex formatting that can come through garbled when a parser extracts the text
5. Achievement bullets without measurable results

For each one, the checklist explains the problem, the fix, and a before-and-after example.

What’s Inside

• A clear explanation of each red flag, with “avoid” and “use this” examples
• A 2-minute self-scoring checklist
• What your score means, from “you’re close” to “starting fresh will be faster”
• A step-by-step 20-minute action plan

Why These Five Matter

Applicant tracking systems and recruiter searches rely on your résumé being read correctly and stating your qualifications in terms that match the job. These five issues are among the most common reasons a qualified candidate gets overlooked. The ATS Resume Guide explains how these systems read a résumé, and the free resume assessment gives you a quick score in two minutes.

Download the Free Checklist
Free · Instant download · No card required

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the red flags checklist free?

Yes. It's a free PDF delivered instantly to your inbox, with no card required.

How long does it take to use?

The self-scoring checklist takes about two minutes, and the fix plan is designed to take about 20 minutes.

Does this guarantee my resume will pass an ATS?

No tool can guarantee that. The checklist covers common formatting and wording problems that make qualified candidates harder to find and read, so you can fix the most likely issues first.