This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Ryan Machado
A dev resume isn't just a list - it's a context + impact sales doc.
After reviewing more than 25 developer resumes (mobile, backend, fullstack, career changers, etc.), the same 3 mistakes kept showing up.
1. Talking tasks, not impact
The most common error: the whole resume is written like this:
- "Development and maintenance of applications..."
- "Worked on bug fixes and new features..."
- "Responsible for system X..."
That says nothing about:
- the size of the problem,
- how hard what you did was,
- the impact on the product or business.
Recruiters read this all day. It turns into noise.
Fix: turn each bullet into technical action + what + how + metric/scale
2. Layout that kills ATS and readability
Another classic: a beautiful resume full of columns, icons, colors, emojis, and creative UX...
and completely indigestible for someone who needs to read fast (or for an ATS).
Lots of people fell into these:
- Multi-column layout, heavy sidebar, icon, emoji in dates, cluttered header
- Inconsistent dates and sections ("Aug 24", "08/2024", "2024 - present")
- Important sections missing or weak: Projects, poorly separated Skills, giant text blocks
Fix: One column only
Links
3. Stack misaligned with experience (or too shallow)
Saw this a lot:
- giant skills list (Java 8 years, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Flutter, React...) without showing it once in roles
- technologies only in the "Skills" section, zero proof in experience or projects
- missing basic dev keywords: Git, testing, CI/CD, REST API, cloud, even for people who clearly use them daily
- career in infra/support or teaching, but resume saying "full-stack dev" without a real project/product described
Fix: Only list tech you can defend in an interview and tie each one to a role or project.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Ryan Machado
Ryan Machado | Sciencx (2025-11-30T17:06:46+00:00) 3 mistakes that are killing your dev resume. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/11/30/3-mistakes-that-are-killing-your-dev-resume/
Please log in to upload a file.
There are no updates yet.
Click the Upload button above to add an update.