When it comes to resume tips and tricks, it's important to know which ones you need to avoid

The internet is filled with resume tips and tricks that promise to solve your resume woes. Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes for problematic resumes, and most hiring managers are familiar with those common resume tricks. Worse, relying on those tricks can prevent you from making the best possible impression on employers.

Of course, the key is to know which resume do's and don'ts you need to avoid. In this article, we'll focus on the top resume tips and tricks you should skip if you want to craft a powerful resume that grabs the right kind of attention.

Related reading: 17 Resume Tips to Get Seen and Hired Faster

Distracting graphics

In their haste to incorporate resume templates, too many job seekers choose options that rely on distracting graphics. If your resume design includes bright colors, charts, and other visual elements, chances are that you're going to distract from your core career narrative. The only time you should be considering graphics is when you're applying for a job in graphic design or other visual art fields.

When it comes to resume tips and tricks, relying on graphics can be one of the worst mistakes you can make. Even something as simple as a photograph on your resume can open the door to discrimination – inspiring many employers to reject your candidacy out of hand. And if that's not enough to dissuade you from using those visual elements, consider this: many applicant tracking systems cannot read resumes that rely on elaborate graphic formats. If the ATS can't read your resume, your resume gets rejected and no one at the company will know you've ever applied to the job they have open.

Related reading: How to Make an ATS-Friendly Resume - Tips for ATS 2024

Keyword stuffing

Obviously, keywords are an important component in any successful resume. Including the right keywords can help your resume get past the ATS and capture a human hiring manager's attention. However, excessive use of keywords is always a bad idea. That makes keyword stuffing another of those resume tips and tricks that should be avoided at all costs. Your goal should be to include the most relevant keywords and phrases and use them in a natural, judicious manner.

Related reading: 11 Key Things to Put on Your Resume

Too many pages

When it comes to resume tips and tricks, it's easy to forget about resume length. All too often, job seekers think that they need to detail every aspect of their career history to bolster their candidacy. That emphasis on quantity almost always leads to overly long resumes – and that can be disastrous for your job search efforts.

As a rule, you should almost always focus on limiting your resume to no more than two pages in length. To achieve that goal, you need to emphasize the most relevant skills, experiences, and achievements, tailoring your resume to the specific job you're seeking. That will help you control the length of your resume and show that you understand how your abilities and achievements align with the role's needs.

Related reading: What Are Skills? (With Examples and Tips on How to Improve Them)

Getting too personal

Today's employers are not interested in reading a resume that highlights personal interests, family information, or other non-professional details. That's why no resume expert would ever advise clients to add those tidbits of information to a professional resume. Stick to details about your skills, work history, and measurable achievements. You can share those personal details after you've been hired.

Related reading: 47 Accomplishment Examples for Your Resume: Expert Picks

Other resume tips and tricks you should avoid

In addition to those bad tricks, here are a few other important “don'ts” that you should keep in mind:

  • Avoid making overly-general claims about your abilities – unless you're able to cite clear examples that support those statements.

  • Skip the old-fashioned objective statement and instead opt for a clear resume summary that highlights your value as an employee.

  • Never put references in your resume – they belong in a separate document that you can provide to employers who request them.

  • Do not lie, stretch the truth, or in any way attempt to mislead employers. Stick to honest statements about your skills, experiences, and achievements.

Don't let bad resume tips and tricks ruin your resume

There are a whole host of resume tips and tricks available to today's job seekers – so many, in fact, that it can sometimes be difficult to know which ones you can trust. That's why it's so important to learn how some of these resume tricks can negatively impact your resume. By following the tips in this guide, you can avoid some of the worst resume strategies and improve your odds of connecting with employers.

Does your current resume employ any of these resume tips and tricks? Skip the tricks and consider investing in a professional writer today.

This article was originally written by Rachel Fletcher. It was updated by Ken Chase in November 2024.

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