News & Trending Jobs & Career News

9 Pieces of Horrible Resume Advice You Can Safely Ignore

Beware of these resume myths that could sabotage your chances of success.

Manager showing worker's job performance in office.
Updated May 28, 2024
Fact checked

We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies.

It may be a good time to update your resume if you haven’t done it lately.

Perhaps you need to add extra job titles, or you want to refresh descriptions. Or maybe you’re trying to make extra money by landing a new job.

But there’s some advice you may have heard about writing or updating your resume that’s probably best to ignore. Here are a few to cut from your list.

Get paid up to $225 a month while watching viral videos

Instead of sitting around watching viral videos on YouTube, you could be getting paid actual cash taking surveys for InboxDollars instead.

It's simple. You sign up here and confirm your email. Then you watch videos and take surveys. Then you earn cash (yes, actual cash … not "points"). Log in during your spare time and see how you can earn up to an extra $225 every month.

BONUS: Free $5 when you sign up, confirm your email and phone.

Sign up and start getting paid today

Keep it to one page

Kateryna/Adobe cheerful male manager interviewing female candidate at work while holding cv

You may have been told to limit your resume to a single page, but you don’t have to.

Sure, it’s a good idea to try and be brief, but you should also ensure you cover everything you need to to get noticed by recruiters or employers.

Include information like your experience and education and any certifications you may have earned.

Hide any employment gaps

Seventyfour/Adobe male and female recruiters talking to male candidate while pointing at resume

The past few years were difficult for many workers who were laid off or had a gap in their employment history.

Remember that gaps aren’t as much of an issue as they used to be, and employers are more interested in what you did when you were working.

So boost your experience and talents you’ve used when you were in an office as a sign that you understand current and future issues in your field, and be honest on the dates of your employment.

Use fancy fonts and colors to get attention

djrandco/Adobe male and female interns sitting in office lounge laughing while looking at their notes

It used to be that you would send a paper version of your resume to a potential employer, so using specific types of paper and fancy fonts could help get you noticed.

But most resumes sent on a computer could lose that fancy look in translation on the other end when a possible employer opens it.

You also don’t want to have issues with your unique fonts not translating correctly and ending up as random symbols that can’t be read on the other end.

Resolve $10,000 or more of your debt

Credit card debt is suffocating. It constantly weighs on your mind and controls every choice you make. You can end up emotionally and even physically drained from it. And even though you make regular payments, it feels like you can never make any progress because of the interest.

National Debt Relief could help you resolve your credit card debt with an affordable plan that works for you. Just tell them your situation, then find out your debt relief options.1

How to get National Debt Relief to help you resolve your debt: Sign up for a free debt assessment here. (Do not skip this step!) By signing up for a free assessment, National Debt Relief can assist you in settling your debt, but only if you schedule the assessment.

Try it

List every job

AnnaStills/Adobe african american businessman sitting at office reviewing resumes at table with laptop

Your resume should go back about 10 years and not be a complete round-up of every single job you’ve ever done, particularly if you’ve had a long career in the industry.

Make sure to focus on recent work you’ve done instead of digging back into the archives. And only include information you think will be relevant to each potential employer.

Describe your job responsibilities in detail

deagreez/Adobe cheerful woman sitting attable making notes while looking at laptop screen

Employers will understand your job responsibilities for specific titles, so you don’t have to write “Wrote emails” and “Scheduled meetings” if that is something that would be expected of your particular position.

Instead, focus on details that are specific to you and represent your success. Include data such as how much revenue you earned from the company as a salesperson or how big your budget was for a specific project.

Remember to focus on what you brought to those positions rather than just listing generic job responsibilities.

Stuff it with keywords

Pixel-Shot/Adobe hr manager inspecting candidate resume at wooden table using magnifying glass

Adding common keywords to your resume is a great idea. It can help you hit certain automated searches to get your resume to a human being and focus your descriptions to make them relevant to your field.

But remember that those keywords must make sense for your position and fit well into your resume. You could have your resume tossed if you force keywords into it without any thought about how it flows.

Just stick to the facts

Quality Stock Arts/Adobe business woman talking to senior boss confidently while sitting in meeting room at office

There are definitely things you need to do to make sure your resume looks professional. For example, it’s important to include a professional-looking email address. And you want to use professional language when discussing your experience and education.

But you also want to make it engaging to the potential employers reading it. Try to use action verbs, which are verbs that can give your resume a bit more of a punch. Think “instructed” instead of “talked to” or “collaborated” instead of “worked with.”

These little changes can make you sound more interesting and make your potential employer more engaged with your resume.

Create a standard resume

Mariia Korneeva/Adobe manager holding different candidates resume in hand deciding which person to choose

It can be frustrating to repeatedly send out the same resume, and you think a one-size-fits-all resume is the way to go. But it may be time to switch things up if you want to get noticed for specific positions.

Instead of sending one “perfect” resume everywhere that covers everyone, you’ll want to create a few different versions customized for specific roles or positions.

So develop different resumes tailored to various job openings or build yourself some flexibility depending on if you’re applying for a job for a major corporation or a small company.

Just send it out

deagreez/Adobe businessman sitting in office in front of laptop and resume posing for picture

Slow down before you press the send button and give your resume a good look.

Pay attention to grammar and spelling, and look for inconsistencies, like periods at the end of some bullet points and not others.

Having someone else you trust to read over your resume before sending it is also a good idea. An extra set of eyes is always helpful.

Earn cash back on everyday purchases with this rare account

Want to earn cash back on your everyday purchases without using a credit card? With the Discover®️ Cashback Debit Checking account (member FDIC), you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month!2

With no credit check to apply and no monthly fees to worry about, you can earn nearly passive income on purchases you’re making anyway — up to an extra $360 a year!

This rare checking account has other great perks too, like access to your paycheck up to 2 days early with Early Pay, no minimum deposit or monthly balance requirements, over 60K fee-free ATMs, and the ability to add cash to your account at Walmart stores nationwide.

Don’t leave money on the table — it only takes minutes to apply and it won’t impact your credit score.

Apply for a Discover Cashback Checking account today

Bottom line

Andrey Popov/Adobe businessman with golden bars

Now is a good time to update your resume if you’re considering changing jobs to move beyond living paycheck to paycheck or because you want a better position.

But be smart and strategic about how you update it and what you add to it.

But make sure you also stick with the fundamentals when it comes to grammar and spelling, as well as professional language, to sell yourself to your next employer.