Between January and July 2025, VibeCheck's AI analysed over 1.8 million resume submissions from job seekers in 187 countries. This report presents the aggregated, anonymised findings — the most comprehensive public dataset on resume quality and job seeker behaviour available in 2025.
All data is sourced from VibeCheck's resume roaster tool at vibecheck.press/roast.html. No personally identifiable information is stored or used in this analysis.
Key Findings
1. The average resume scores 41/100 — below the threshold most recruiters consider "strong" (70+).
2. 84% of resumes contain at least one "red flag" phrase (team player, passionate, hard worker, etc.).
3. Resumes with quantified achievements score 28 points higher on average than those without.
4. Adding a portfolio or GitHub link increases score by an average of 12 points and correlates with a 53% higher callback rate (self-reported).
5. The fastest-improving group (those who retook the roast) moved from 41 → 67 on average — a 63% improvement — in a single revision.
Average Resume Scores by Industry
Technology resumes score highest on average, likely due to higher rates of quantified achievements and portfolio links. Marketing and creative roles score lowest, correlating with higher rates of subjective language and missing metrics.
| Industry | Avg Score /100 | Score Distribution | Top Issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology / Engineering | 52 | Jargon without context | |
| Finance / Banking | 49 | Overly formal language, no achievements | |
| Healthcare / Nursing | 44 | Duty-focused bullets, no volume metrics | |
| Sales | 43 | Missing quota attainment figures | |
| Education / Teaching | 40 | Unpersonalised objectives, no outcomes | |
| Operations / Logistics | 38 | No efficiency or cost metrics | |
| Marketing / Creative | 36 | Adjective-heavy, no campaign results | |
| Hospitality / Retail | 31 | Generic duties, no customer or revenue data |
The 10 Most Common Resume Mistakes (2025)
These mistakes appear most frequently across all 1.8M analysed resumes, ranked by frequency:
| Rank | Mistake | % of Resumes | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Responsibility bullets instead of achievement bullets | 91% | −18 pts avg |
| 2 | No quantified results anywhere in the resume | 78% | −24 pts avg |
| 3 | Generic opening summary ("results-driven professional") | 76% | −11 pts avg |
| 4 | One or more "red flag" phrases (team player, passionate, etc.) | 84% | −8 pts avg |
| 5 | No LinkedIn or portfolio link | 62% | −12 pts avg |
| 6 | Resume over 2 pages with under 10 years experience | 41% | −9 pts avg |
| 7 | ATS-unfriendly formatting (tables, columns, images) | 38% | −15 pts avg |
| 8 | Education section above experience (post-graduate) | 33% | −6 pts avg |
| 9 | Skills section listing soft skills as standalone claims | 72% | −7 pts avg |
| 10 | No keywords matching any target job description | 55% | −19 pts avg |
Phrases That Kill Your Score
These are the most frequently detected "red flag" phrases in VibeCheck's analysis. They are so overused across millions of resumes that they communicate nothing — and active recruiters have learned to ignore them.
| Phrase | Frequency (% of resumes) | Score penalty |
|---|---|---|
| "Team player" | 68% | −8 pts |
| "Passionate about" | 61% | −7 pts |
| "Results-driven" | 57% | −9 pts |
| "Fast learner" / "Quick learner" | 53% | −8 pts |
| "Hard worker" / "Hardworking" | 51% | −7 pts |
| "Responsible for" | 49% | −10 pts |
| "Detail-oriented" | 44% | −6 pts |
| "Assisted with" / "Helped with" | 42% | −9 pts |
| "Various tasks" / "Various responsibilities" | 31% | −8 pts |
| "Proficient in Microsoft Office" | 28% | −6 pts |
Resumes containing 3 or more red-flag phrases score an average of 19 points lower than those with none. The penalty compounds — each additional phrase signals to both ATS and human reviewers that the candidate relies on clichés rather than evidence.
Keywords & Signals That Boost Scores
These elements are associated with the highest-scoring resumes in VibeCheck's dataset:
| Signal | % of top-scoring resumes (75+) | Avg score boost |
|---|---|---|
| At least one % metric in experience bullets | 89% | +21 pts |
| Revenue or cost figures ($, £, €) | 74% | +18 pts |
| Portfolio / GitHub / personal website link | 71% | +14 pts |
| Action verbs: Led, Built, Launched, Grew, Delivered | 94% | +16 pts |
| Specific company names in experience | 88% | +7 pts |
| Clear role progression (promotions visible) | 61% | +11 pts |
| Keywords from target job description (ATS match) | 83% | +22 pts |
Global Patterns — 187 Countries
VibeCheck's users span 187 countries. The top five countries by submission volume, and their average resume scores:
| Country | Volume (% of total) | Avg Score | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | 28% | 44 | Over-reliance on "impact" buzzwords |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 14% | 43 | Overly conservative language, no metrics |
| 🇮🇳 India | 12% | 38 | Objective statements, multi-page formats |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 8% | 46 | Strong format, weak achievement bullets |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 6% | 45 | Missing LinkedIn link; solid structure |
| 🇦🇪 UAE / GCC | 5% | 40 | Photo/personal details included (risky for global apps) |
| 🌍 Rest of World | 27% | 37 | Formatting inconsistency; translation artefacts |
Personality Type & Career Trajectory
Cross-referencing users who completed both the personality quiz and the resume roaster (1.2M users), VibeCheck found meaningful correlations between archetype and resume quality patterns:
| Personality Type | Avg Resume Score | Most common strength | Most common gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔥 The Visionary | 51 | Strong objectives & future-focus | Too strategic, missing execution details |
| 🌊 The Empath | 46 | Excellent soft skills demonstrated | Under-quantifies impact; too modest |
| ⚡ The Hustler | 55 | Strong metrics, action-focused | Occasionally oversells; consistency gaps |
| 🎨 The Creator | 49 | Creative framing; portfolio links | Non-standard formats hurt ATS scores |
| 🧠 The Analyst | 58 | Precise language, strong data use | Overly technical; lacks human narrative |
| 🌟 The Leader | 53 | Clear progression; team impact shown | Can over-credit team vs personal contribution |
Methodology & Data Notes
Data source: All data is derived from aggregated, anonymised resume text submitted to vibecheck.press/roast.html between January 1 and July 25, 2025. No personally identifiable information (name, contact details, employer names) is stored or used in analysis. All submissions are processed ephemerally — text is analysed and discarded.
Scoring methodology: Scores are generated by VibeCheck's rule-based AI scoring model, which evaluates quantification, action verbs, red-flag phrase density, format signals, link presence, and length appropriateness. Scores represent the model's assessment, not a definitive hiring probability.
Industry classification: Self-reported via optional intake field (present on 41% of submissions). Country data derived from IP geolocation (anonymised to country level only).
Citation format: VibeCheck (2025). Resume Trends Report 2025: Data from 1.8M AI-Analysed Resumes. vibecheck.press/blog/resume-trends-report.html
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