Original data · updated 14 October 2026
Resume statistics: what 198 real resumes get wrong
We looked at every resume scored by the ATS First checker from 21 September 2026 to 14 October 2026: 198 distinct resumes from job seekers who uploaded them to check before applying. Here is what they had in common, measured the same way for every resume.
50%
of resumes have a number in fewer than 1 in 15 bullet points
44%
of resumes lost at least 1 in 10 lines when read by a resume parser
37%
of resumes show fewer than 6 of their listed skills anywhere in their experience
28%
of resumes use at least one cliché such as "results-driven" or "team player"
Median score: 77 out of 100 · 198 resumes · 21 September 2026 to 14 October 2026
How the resumes scored
Scores out of 100 from the ATS First engine, which checks impact, structure, skills, writing and length with the same fixed rules for every resume.
Where resumes lose the most points
Average points lost per resume, by check.
Numbers are the most common gap by far
Half of the resumes had a number (a percentage, an amount, a count, a time frame) in fewer than 1 in 15 bullet points, and 90% quantified fewer than 60% of them. The median resume put a number in about 6% of its bullets. It is also where the most points go: on average a resume lost 4 times as many points here as on the next costliest check.
The fix: For each bullet, ask how much, how many, how often or how fast. If you do not know the exact figure, a fair estimate ("about 40 orders a day") is better than none. See 150+ examples written with numbers →
Nearly half lose content before a human reads them
44% of resumes lost at least 1 in 10 of their lines when a parser structured them into roles, bullets and skills, and 11% lost a quarter or more. The usual causes are two-column layouts, tables, text boxes, and headers or footers that hold real content. The median resume kept 91% of its lines.
The fix: Use a single-column layout with standard section headings, keep contact details in the body rather than the page header, and avoid tables and text boxes. Single-column, ATS-friendly templates →
Skills are listed, not proven
37% of resumes listed skills but showed fewer than 6 of them anywhere in their work experience. A skill that only appears in a list is a claim; recruiters and keyword matching both give more weight to a skill that appears in a result.
The fix: Take your five most important skills and make sure each one appears in at least one bullet, attached to an outcome. Where to put resume keywords →
Roles are either thin or padded
66% of resumes had at least one role with fewer than 3 or more than 6 bullet points. Too few undersells a job; too many buries the best result under routine duties.
The fix: Give recent roles 3 to 6 bullets, ordered by impact, and older roles 2 or 3. Check your own resume for all of these →
All findings
| Share of resumes that… | % |
|---|---|
| have a number in fewer than 1 in 15 bullet points | 50% |
| put a number in fewer than 60% of their bullet points | 90% |
| lost at least 1 in 10 lines when read by a resume parser | 44% |
| lost at least a quarter of their lines to the parser | 11% |
| have a role with fewer than 3 or more than 6 bullet points | 66% |
| start fewer than 90% of bullets with an action verb | 46% |
| show fewer than 6 of their listed skills anywhere in their experience | 37% |
| are too short or too long for their years of experience | 34% |
| have a role with no dates, or mix date formats | 30% |
| list fewer than 5 or more than 30 skills | 29% |
| use at least one cliché such as "results-driven" or "team player" | 28% |
| use "responsible for" or a similar weak phrase | 17% |
| are missing an experience, education or skills section the parser could find | 16% |
| are missing an email, phone number, or location/LinkedIn | 16% |
| repeat the same bullet point word for word | 8% |
Download: resume-statistics.csv
Methodology and limits
- Sample. Every resume scored by the ATS First checker from 21 September 2026 to 14 October 2026, counted once (the latest check of each distinct file). Accounts with more than 10 checks in the period are excluded, which removes our own testing and heavy re-uploads. Only resumes the AI parser structured are included; a small number that fell back to the simpler heuristic parser are left out.
- Measures. Each figure is one of the engine’s fixed checks, applied identically to every resume. “Has a number” means a digit in the bullet; a resume where the parser found no bullet points counts as having none. “Lines lost” is the share of the resume’s lines (of three words or more) that did not make it into the structured roles, bullets, skills and education. “Action verb” means the bullet opens with a verb. Clichés and weak phrases come from fixed lists (for example “results-driven”, “team player”, “responsible for”). The full rules are described on how our ATS checker works.
- Precision. Some percentages are derived from rounded rule scores, so treat them as accurate to within a few points.
- Who is in it. People who chose to check a resume on ATS First before applying. That is not a random sample of all job seekers, and we do not record where they live. People who already use a checker may write better resumes than average, so the typical resume may do worse than this.
- Privacy. The study reads only the scores the checker records (no resume text, names or contact details) and publishes only aggregate percentages. See our privacy policy.
- Updates. We refresh these numbers as more resumes are scored; the date at the top shows the current edition.
Use these numbers
Free to quote, chart and republish under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page. Suggested citation:
ATS First (2026). Resume statistics: what 198 real resumes get wrong. https://atsfirst.com/resume-statistics
Journalists and researchers: for a breakdown not shown here, email support@atsfirst.com.
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