Over Half of Job Candidates Still Make This Resume Mistake. Are You One of Them?

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Monster.

In 2026, resumes are doing more work than ever and receiving less confidence in return.

As hiring grows more automated, competitive, and opaque, job seekers are reshaping how they present themselves on paper. Resumes are getting longer, customization is happening faster, and anxiety about applicant tracking systems (ATS) is growing.

Yet despite all this effort, most job seekers don’t believe their resumes are read closely, or sometimes at all.

Compared to earlier years when resumes were optimized primarily for human readers, 2026 reveals a shift toward risk management. Candidates aren’t just trying to stand out; they’re trying to survive the screening process.

This shift isn’t about laziness or disengagement; it’s about efficiency, uncertainty, and adapting to unclear expectations.

To capture this moment, Monster developed the 2026 State of Resumes Report, examining how job seekers build, customize, and perceive resumes in today’s labor market.

The findings reveal a workforce that understands resumes still matter but isn’t convinced the system behind them is working in their favor.

Key Findings From the 2026 State of Resumes Report

• The one-page resume is no longer the default: 49% of job seekers now use resumes longer than one page, including 30% whose resumes are two pages or more.
• Outdated resume elements persist: 57% still list a full street address, and 49% include “References available upon request,” while only 18% include a LinkedIn URL.
• Customization is fast but shallow: 68% spend less than 30 minutes tailoring a resume for each application.
• ATS anxiety is widespread: 77% worry their resume is filtered out before reaching a human reviewer.
• Confidence in resume review is low: Only 6% believe resumes are read thoroughly.
• Adoption of newer resume features remains limited: Just 12% include a portfolio and 10% include pronouns.

Together, these findings suggest resumes are evolving quickly, but guidance has not kept pace.

Resume Length in 2026: More Pages, More Pressure

The traditional one-page rule no longer reflects how candidates approach resumes today.

Only 35% of job seekers submit a one-page resume, while the majority now exceed that length:

• 2 pages: 21%
• 1.5 pages: 19%
• More than 2 pages: 9%
• Less than 1 page: 16%

In total, 40% of candidates submit resumes between 1.5 and 2 pages, signaling a new normal.

This shift reflects longer career timelines, skills-based hiring, and the pressure to demonstrate value quickly. Job seekers are packing more information into resumes, not necessarily because they want to, but because they feel they have to. More experience, more keywords, more chances to pass automated filters.

What Job Seekers Include (and What Lingers From the Past)

Most candidates include the essentials employers expect:

• Email — 85%
• Phone number — 82%
• Skills section — 77%
• Summary or profile — 62%
• Certifications — 58%

However, outdated or unnecessary elements remain widespread:

• Full street address — 57%
• City and state only — 50%
• “References available upon request” — 49%

At the same time, newer resume elements that can strengthen digital visibility and context remain underused:

• LinkedIn URL — 18%
• Portfolio or personal website — 12%
• Pronouns — 10%

This contrast reveals hesitation. Job seekers are holding onto familiar conventions while cautiously approaching newer signals. This comes from being unsure what helps, what hurts, and what recruiters expect in 2026.

Resume Customization: Optimized for Speed, Not Depth

Customization is widely recommended, but the data shows it’s happening quickly.

• Under 15 minutes: 36%
• 15–29 minutes: 32%
• 30–59 minutes: 24%
• 60–119 minutes: 5%
• 120+ minutes: 3%

More than two-thirds of job seekers spend less than 30 minutes tailoring each resume.

This speed reflects reality: high application volume, lengthy job postings, and a belief that ATS optimization matters more than fine-tuned storytelling. Rather than deep rewrites, customization often means keyword swaps, reordered skills, or small summary edits.

Efficiency has become the priority, not perfection.

ATS Anxiety Drives Resume Strategy

Concern about applicant tracking systems remains one of the most powerful forces shaping resumes in 2026.

• Moderately concerned — 24%
• Slightly concerned — 22%
• Very concerned — 17%
• Extremely concerned — 14%
• Not concerned at all — 23%

While levels vary, 77% of job seekers express some concern that their resume will be filtered out before a human ever sees it.

This anxiety explains much of what the data reveals: longer resumes, templated formats, keyword-heavy sections, and fast customization cycles. Candidates are writing for software first, and hoping people come later.

Few Job Seekers Believe Resumes Are Read Closely

Perhaps the most telling insight in the report is how job seekers perceive recruiter behavior.

When asked how much of a resume recruiters actually read:

• A quick skim (26–50%): 43%
• Only the top section (11–25%): 20%
• Mostly ATS; minimal human review (0–10%): 16%
• Most of the resume (51–75%): 15%
• Read thoroughly (76–100%): 6%

Job seekers overwhelmingly believe resumes receive limited attention. This belief reinforces rapid application strategies and reduces motivation to refine details, especially deeper in the document.

New Resume Features Remain the Exception

Despite years of advice encouraging modernization, adoption of newer resume elements remains limited:

• Portfolio links — 12%
• Pronouns — 10%
• Professional photos — 15%
• Salary expectations — 14%

These features may not be appropriate for every role or industry, but their low adoption suggests uncertainty rather than resistance. Job seekers are cautious about standing out in ways that might introduce risk.

What the 2026 Resume Data Ultimately Shows

The 2026 State of Resumes Report reveals a job seeker mindset shaped by pressure and pragmatism.

Candidates believe resumes matter, but they don’t fully trust the system evaluating them. They’re investing effort, but doing so efficiently. They’re adapting to ATS, recruiter skims, and unclear expectations without consistent guidance.

Resumes are longer. Customization is faster. Anxiety is widespread. Confidence is low.

As hiring continues to evolve, the most effective resumes in 2026 won’t just follow old rules or chase algorithms. They’ll strike a balance between clarity and optimization, while communicating value quickly, credibly, and confidently to both machines and humans.

Methodology

This report is based on a survey of 1,001 U.S. job seekers conducted Dec. 16, 2025, using Pollfish.

Respondents represented a broad mix of working-age adults across four generations: 31% Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964), 28% Gen X (born 1965–1980), 25% Millennials (born 1981–1996), and 17% Gen Z (born 1997 or later).

Participants also self-identified their gender, with 50% identifying as male, 49% as female, and 1% as non-binary.

The survey gathered insights into resume formatting habits, tailoring behaviors, ATS concerns, and perceptions of hiring manager review practices.