How to Fix a Resume That Isn’t Getting Shortlisted?

Written By JobsBob Editor Team
Updated 20 December 2025

Don't panic if you are not receiving interview calls. You are not alone in this; many job seekers face the same challenge in most cases. The issue is not a lack of intelligence, but it can have some small mistakes in the resume itself.

In today’s fast and dynamic hiring process, recruiters spend only a few seconds reviewing each CV, considering structure, clarity, and, more importantly than ever. Moreover, many candidates assume that they are being rejected due to a lack of experience, but the actual reason is a poorly structured application. Lengthy sentences, bad fonts, and unclear details can also make your resume ignored by most recruiters. Now, the question arises, “How to fix such issues to improve the chances of getting shortlisted.

In this article, we focused on helping you with the best solutions to these issues. You will explore some powerful, practical resume shortlisting tips so that the recruiters can actually pay attention to your resume. With the help of this blog, you will be able to make a clean, well-structured, and highly professional curriculum vitae that will instantly grab attention and set you apart from the crowd.

How Practical Resume Tips Can Help You Get Shortlisted

The right resume formatting tips can make a remarkable impact on the overall appearance of your resume. With the help of these tips, you will be able to align your resume with what recruiters actually look for today.

Identify & Fix Common Resume Mistakes

A key step in learning how to fix a resume is identifying errors first. These include unclear headings, spelling mistakes, repeated points, and weak formatting. Many candidates make the same common resume mistakes without noticing them. When recruiters see these, they move to the next resume. Removing these mistakes increases your chances of getting shortlisted. Many people also use old, outdated resume formats from friends or online sources. But doing so leads to outdated layouts. Updating it with basic guidance keeps the resume fresh.

Improve the Layout for Better Readability

A strong and well-structured resume creates a powerful first impression and makes it easier for recruiters to understand your abilities and skills at a single glance. Use of simple designs, clean fonts, proper font sizes, and clearly spaced sections reflects a good and understandable resume formatting. Clear headings such as Summary, Education, Skills, and Experience guide recruiters through your resume and prevent confusion. It’s also important to keep each section balanced, neither too long nor too short, as it helps reduce readability issues. When your resume looks neat, structured, and easy to understand, recruiters are more likely to trust your profile and move it forward.

Keep Your Resume Clean & Concise

Many resumes get rejected because they contain lengthy explanations that recruiters don’t have time to read. Recruiters prefer short, clear, and result-oriented statements that quickly highlight strengths and weaknesses. When learning how to fix a resume, you must focus on rewriting content in a simple and direct tone. Keeping your lines concise and using strong action words makes your resume easier to understand and more impactful.

Cut Out Unnecessary Words

Remove or eliminate the words that do not add value to your resume. Freshers, in particular, should follow clear resume guidelines and avoid filling their resumes with unnecessary stories or explanations. Writing in a short, confident manner creates a stronger impact. Eliminating these common resume mistakes helps deliver a clear and effective message to recruiters.

Review Your Resume Like a Recruiter

Always review your resume from a recruiter’s perspective. Check for gaps, unclear statements, and formatting issues that could raise questions. Following the resume shortlisting tips can help you identify and fix these issues early. Ultimately, increase your chances of making a strong impression before recruiters judge you negatively.

Make Your Resume ATS-Friendly

Making your resume ATS-friendly is essential in today’s hiring process. An ATS-friendly resume ensures your skills and experience are recognised by the software. This prevents automatic rejection of your resume and increases your chances of reaching a human recruiter. To accomplish this, you need to focus on clear formatting, relevant information, and a simple design to make your resume both machine- and human-readable.

Highlight Skills Instead of Experience

Display your talents, projects, and credentials to demonstrate your expertise. Following resume suggestions for recent grads may help you feel more confident about yourself. It also helps you avoid common resume mistakes, such as providing unnecessary material.

Our Insightful Thoughts

If you also want to make a highly impactful resume, then you just have to ensure that your resume follows all the above pointers and guidelines. Whether you are a fresher or an experienced candidate, identifying these common issues and fixing them can make your resume noticeable and impressive to many recruiters. So, what are you waiting for? Implement these tips on your CV or resume and get one step closer to your dream job.