TL;DR: Not all job search advice is equal. S-tier moves: mentioning you’re interviewing at other companies, and applying when you meet 75% of the qualifications. F-tier: putting graduation dates on your resume, and racing to apply within three days of posting. In between: relevant certifications help, perfect ATS scores are overrated, and never use Comic Sans.

My friend Jonathan Javier and I stood in the middle of Times Square and ranked every job search hack people argue about S-tier down to F-tier. Same format gamers use to rank characters, applied to your career.

Some of these will make you uncomfortable. Especially the ones about bias. Good the uncomfortable ones are usually the most important. Let’s get into it.

Which job search hacks are F-tier?

Putting your graduation date on your resume: F-tier. This one surprises people, but the reasoning is simple it opens the door to ageism before anyone’s even read your experience. Your graduation year tells a hiring manager how old you are, not how good you are. Leave it off and let your work speak.

Racing to apply within three days of a posting: F-tier. Everyone tells you to apply fast. But speed isn’t the game relationships are. A rushed application into the void loses to a warm introduction every time. Instead of panic-applying, invest that energy in networking your way to the hiring manager. The referral beats the timestamp.

F-tier means the same thing in every tier list: actively working against you. These two feel productive. They’re not.

What are the S-tier job search moves?

Mentioning you’re interviewing at other companies: S-tier. Nothing changes a hiring dynamic like demand. When a company knows other companies want you, you stop being an applicant and start being an opportunity they might lose. You don’t need to bluff just be honest that you’re in process elsewhere. Scarcity is real leverage.

Applying when you meet 75% of the qualifications: S-tier. This one matters most for underrepresented candidates, because the data is clear on who self-selects out. If you wait until you check every box, you’ll watch less-qualified people take the roles you wanted. Seventy-five percent and genuine enthusiasm beats 100% on paper with no spark.

Mentioning you’re interviewing at other companies is S tier. Say it with me. Then go do it.

Are certifications and ATS scores worth obsessing over?

Relevant certifications: A-tier. The key word is relevant. A certification that maps directly to the role you’re targeting signals initiative and baseline competence. A random alphabet soup of credentials just looks like you’re collecting badges. One sharp, relevant cert beats five vague ones.

Chasing a perfect ATS score: B-tier. Applicant tracking systems are real, and you shouldn’t ignore them use clean formatting and mirror the job description’s language where it’s honest. But B-tier, not S-tier, because there’s a trap here: over-optimizing for the machine. I’ve seen resumes so keyword-stuffed they read like robot poetry. The ATS gets you past the filter. A human still has to want to hire you. Write for the human.

What about the hacks nobody wants to talk about?

Let’s go there, because the tier list did.

Using an ethno-neutral name: A-tier for effectiveness and that’s the problem. It works, and it shouldn’t have to. The fact that a name change moves the needle is an indictment of the hiring process, not a tip to celebrate. I include it because pretending bias doesn’t exist helps no one, especially not firsts with names that carry their heritage. Know the game, and know it’s rigged in places.

Stretching the truth on your resume: C-tier. Not the instant win people think it is. Embellishment might get you the interview, but it collapses under any real scrutiny and in a world of backchannel references, it will get scrutinized. The upside is small. The downside is your reputation.

Comic Sans on your resume: D-tier. This should go without saying, but the comments say otherwise. Your font is the suit your resume wears to the interview. Dress it like you mean it.

Key takeaways

• F-tier: graduation dates on your resume (invites ageism) and panic-applying within three days (network instead).

• S-tier: mentioning you’re interviewing elsewhere (signals demand) and applying at 75% of qualifications (especially if you tend to self-select out).

• A-tier: relevant certifications one sharp credential beats five vague ones.

• B-tier: ATS optimization necessary, but don’t write robot poetry. A human still decides.

• Know the bias in the system (like the name effect) without celebrating it and keep Comic Sans far away from your resume.

FAQ

Should I remove my graduation date from my resume?

Yes. Your graduation year reveals your age without telling anyone about your ability, opening the door to age bias before your experience gets a fair read. Leave it off.

Is it bad to apply to a job after the first few days?

No rushing to apply within three days is overrated. A thoughtful application plus a networking effort toward the hiring team beats a panicked early submission every time.

Do recruiters care about certifications?

They care about relevant ones. A certification directly tied to the role signals initiative and competence. Unrelated credentials don’t move the needle focus on the one that maps to where you’re headed.

Should I apply if I only meet 75% of the requirements?

Absolutely. Waiting until you match every bullet means watching the role go to someone less qualified who applied anyway. Seventy-five percent plus genuine enthusiasm is a strong application.

Keep going

• Resume hacks ranked: the full tier list breakdown the deeper cut: bullet banks, the STAR method, resume fonts, and how often to DM a recruiter.

• How to set up your LinkedIn so recruiters find you your resume gets you past the filter; your LinkedIn is what makes recruiters come to you.

Want more no-fluff career advice? Follow @careercolin on Instagram I break down one career idea at a time, built for firsts.

Colin Rocker is a Forbes 30 Under 30 creator, LinkedIn Top Voice, and founder of For The Firsts, NYC’s monthly meetup for first-generation professionals.