TL;DR: I ranked 10 common resume hacks on an S-to-F tier list. S-tier: keep a bullet bank of achievements, use clean readable fonts, and DM a recruiter once. A-tier: tailor your resume to the job description. F-tier: listing your graduation date and adding a photo to your resume.

Not all resume advice is worth your time. Some of it actively hurts you.

I sat down with my friend Jonathan Javier and ranked the most common job-search hacks on a tier list, S down to F. Here’s where each one landed and why.

What is a bullet bank, and why is it S-tier?

A bullet bank is a running document of everything you’ve accomplished at work: projects you shipped, numbers you moved, problems you solved. Every win, written down, ready to go.

This is the single highest-leverage habit on the list. Most people sit down to write a resume and stare at a blank page trying to remember what they did two years ago. With a bullet bank, you never start from zero. You pull the right achievements for the right job, drop them in, and you’re done in an hour instead of a weekend.

Start yours today. Open a doc. Write down five wins from your current or last role, with numbers attached. Update it every Friday. Future you will be grateful.

Should you tailor your resume to each job description?

Yes. This landed at A-tier not S-tier, but close.

Tailoring means mirroring the language of the job posting: the skills, the tools, the outcomes the hiring manager actually cares about. You’re not rewriting your whole resume. You’re reordering bullets, swapping in relevant keywords, and cutting what doesn’t apply.

The reason it matters: recruiters skim. Applicant tracking systems scan. A resume that speaks the posting’s language gets read. A generic one gets skipped. Thirty minutes of tailoring per application beats blasting the same PDF to 200 companies.

Is the STAR method actually good for interviews?

The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is B-tier. It works but it’s obvious when you overuse it.

Here’s the thing: interviewers have heard STAR answers a thousand times. If every answer sounds like a formula, you sound like everyone else. Use the structure in your head to stay organized, but tell the story like a human. The best interview answers feel like a conversation, not a template.

Your bullet bank does double duty here it’s your source material for interview stories, not just resume lines.

What font should your resume use?

Clean fonts are S-tier. Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri anything a human and a machine can read without squinting.

This one surprises people because it feels too basic to matter. It matters. A resume that hurts to read doesn’t get read. Fancy fonts, tiny text, and creative layouts break in applicant tracking systems and annoy recruiters. Boring is a feature here.

Should you DM a recruiter on LinkedIn?

Yes once. That’s S-tier.

One thoughtful message to a recruiter at a company you’re targeting is one of the highest-ROI moves in a job search. Reference the role, say why you’re a fit in two sentences, and ask a real question. Recruiters are people. A good DM puts a face to the application.

But here’s the tier breakdown that matters:

• One DM: S-tier. Confident and professional.

• Two to three follow-ups: B-tier. Acceptable if spaced out and polite.

• More than three: F-tier. You’re not persistent anymore. You’re spam.

What resume mistakes should you avoid?

A few common “hacks” landed at the bottom of the list for good reason:

• Graduation date: F-tier. It invites age bias and adds nothing to your candidacy. Your degree matters. The year doesn’t.

• Photo on your resume: below F. It’s a waste of ink and opens the door to appearance bias. (Note: some commenters pointed out that photos and dates are expected in parts of Europe and Asia know your market.)

• Lying on your resume: D-tier. Just don’t. The short-term gain isn’t worth the career-ending risk when it comes out.

• Resume summaries: C to D-tier. Most read as buzzword soup “results-driven self-starter passionate about synergy.” Skip the summary and let your bullets do the talking.

• Gender-neutral names: C-tier. Some people do this to dodge bias. I won’t tell you what to do with your own name just don’t misrepresent yourself.

Key takeaways

• Keep a bullet bank of achievements and update it weekly it’s S-tier for a reason.

• Tailor your resume to each job description instead of mass-applying with one generic version.

• Use the STAR method as a mental structure, not a script you recite word for word.

• Stick to clean, readable fonts so both recruiters and tracking systems can parse your resume.

• DM a recruiter once with a thoughtful note; never more than three times.

• Drop the graduation date, the photo, and the buzzword summary.

FAQ

What is a bullet bank for resumes?

A bullet bank is a personal document where you record your work achievements projects, results, and numbers as they happen. When it’s time to apply for jobs, you pull the most relevant bullets into your resume instead of trying to remember everything from scratch.

Should I put my graduation date on my resume?

No. It adds no value to your candidacy and can invite age bias. List your degree and school; leave the year off unless a specific application requires it.

Is it okay to message a recruiter on LinkedIn?

Yes, one well-written message is one of the best things you can do in a job search. Keep it short, reference the specific role, and ask a genuine question. Follow up once or twice at most more than three messages crosses into spam.

Does the STAR method still work in interviews?

It works as an organizing framework, but don’t recite it like a formula. Interviewers can tell when every answer follows the same template. Use it to structure your thinking, then tell the story naturally.

Keep going

Related: the article on setting up your LinkedIn profile so recruiters actually find you your resume gets you in the door, but your LinkedIn is what gets you discovered.

Getting fired or laid off? There’s no shame in it. Read the article on how to handle getting fired with professionalism because how you exit matters as much as how you apply.

Want more no-fluff career advice built for firsts? Follow @careercolin on Instagram.

Colin Rocker is a Forbes 30 Under 30 creator, LinkedIn Top Voice, and founder of For The Firsts, NYC’s fastest-growing young professional community. He helps first-generation professionals navigate nonlinear careers.