9 job application mistakes students and recent graduates make

The biggest thing we see from recent grads is applying to a job the same way they’d submit a class assignment: complete the required fields, attach the resume, hit submit, and wait. Hiring at most companies isn’t a test you pass by being technically correct, it’s a filtering process where the people moving forward are usually the ones who did something to be memorable before the resume screen even happened.

The concrete version of that is reaching out to someone at the company before applying, not asking for a referral, just a 15-minute conversation about what the team is working on. We track application-to-interview rates across a lot of companies, and candidates who come in with any prior touchpoint convert at roughly 3-4x the rate of cold applicants with equivalent credentials. Most recent grads won’t do this because it feels presumptuous. The ones who get hired faster figured out it’s just how the process actually works.

Applying without positioning is a huge mistake to make as students and new graduates. Most resumes are basically identical, containing very generic skills with little differentiating information about experiences, results or proof that the applicant has ever actually done work.

Evidence of ownership, rather than a long laundry list of technologies, will catch the attention of employers. Candidates who provide examples of completed projects, provide explanations for their thought processes in how they completed those projects, and demonstrate how they have solved problems each time, will always be more successful than candidates who simply provide a list of technologies used for those projects.

Another area of concern is applying in substantial amounts without understanding the role or company to which you are applying. Recruiters will be able to identify a copy/paste application immediately.

The current market demands that instead of applying in volume, you should have more quality applications submitted. This type of focused submission along with solid evidence of your ability to be successful will always outperform an application with less evidence of your success and in a larger volume than the other company.

For recent graduates and college students, I have seen that some of them do not mention their projects or the tools they’ve learned. They only mention their major subjects and when they completed it, with a brief summary of the kind of role they’re looking for. It is very important that these candidates highlight all technical skills and tools they practiced on, anything they worked on during year-end projects, and if there are any self-taught skills. This will give the employers a closer insight into the candidate’s potential and skillset.

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is failing to proofread their resume or application before submitting it. Recruiters and hiring managers consistently notice spelling and grammatical errors, which can reflect poorly on a candidate. Overlooking these details may show a lack of attention to detail and professionalism. In some cases, we have even encountered applicants including typos in their contact information, making it difficult for employers to reach them due to incorrect email addresses or phone numbers. To avoid this, have a colleague review your resume or application to double check your work.

The biggest mistake is the resume that lists every internship, club, and class project at the same level of importance. Treating a 2-week shadowing program the same way you treat 6 months of part-time work tells me you can’t sort what matters. I’d rather see 3 things explained well than 11 things in the same font size.

There’s a deeper issue I’m still working out. The application stage has become so automated on both sides that real signal is hard to send. I don’t know if any single tweak fixes that for you.

A recurring mistake we regularly see on CVs from early applicants is missing information – dates of work or study, results (either pending or achieved), and tangible results of activity. These are simple tweaks that can make a huge difference to a recruiter being able to quickly connect an applicant with an employer and an employer fully understanding an applicant’s current position and experience.

Another major mistake is sending your application blindly without adapting it according to the particular position you are applying for. There are many candidates who apply for a variety of jobs using generic CVs and covering letters that do not explain how their abilities match those required by the position.

On the contrary, what makes a candidate more successful is showing their ability to align themselves with the job through their projects and understanding of the position.

One of the biggest mistakes students and recent graduates make is trying too hard to match what they think hiring systems want to see instead of communicating clear value and direction.

A lot of early career candidates over-optimize for keywords, formatting, and “perfect” applications, but end up removing the very things that make them memorable. Hiring systems today already process huge volumes of similar profiles. When candidates flatten their experience too much, they become harder to distinguish.

The strongest applicants are usually not the ones trying to appear perfect. They are the ones who communicate clear intent, curiosity, adaptability, and evidence of real initiative, even if their experience is still limited.

I often see people trying to present themselves as perfect candidates rather than being true to themselves. Many candidates believe they need to meet every requirement listed in the job description and therefore, disguise gaps in their experience which ultimately leads to them being perceived as generic.

In the hospitality industry, hiring managers are not looking at resumes for absolute perfection, rather they want to see evidence of your ability to work under pressure, your teamwork skills, and your ability to turn up at work prepared to work. Interestingly, a candidate that says “I don’t have experience in this precise role, but here is how I have handled situations like that,” is far more persuasive than if they had stated just the opposite.

If there was one thing I would absolutely say to all candidates is stop tailor making your resume for the job description and instead demonstrate your thought process or working style. That’s what ultimately gets you the offer.