What not to put on a resume in 2025?
Asked by: Lane Weissnat | Last update: February 12, 2026Score: 4.6/5 (57 votes)
In 2025, avoid putting fluff like objectives, salary history, or generic skills (MS Word) on your resume; focus on quantifiable achievements with action verbs, tailor it for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) using keywords, skip personal details (age, marital status), and eliminate errors like typos and dense text blocks to ensure readability and pass modern screening.
What not to include in a resume in 2025?
Resume Red Flags 2025: What NOT to Include for a Strong, Professional Job Application
- Inappropriate Email Addresses. ...
- Excessive Personal Information. ...
- Outdated or Irrelevant Experience. ...
- Salary Expectations or History. ...
- Paragraphs Instead of Bullet Points. ...
- References or "References Available Upon Request"
Is 2025 a bad year for jobs?
Yes, the job market in late 2025 and early 2026 is widely considered challenging, characterized by the weakest job growth since the pandemic, increased competition (high applications for few interviews), layoffs in some sectors (manufacturing, tech), and high qualification demands for entry-level roles, despite low overall unemployment rates. While some sectors like healthcare show growth, overall hiring slowed significantly, making it tough for many job seekers, notes sources from late 2025 and January 2026.
How should your resume look in 2025?
For 2025, the best resume format is a clean, minimalist, reverse-chronological layout, focusing on quantifiable achievements using action verbs and keywords from the job description, optimized for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) with standard fonts and ample white space, typically fitting on one page unless you have extensive relevant experience. Ditch graphic-heavy designs for most industries, emphasize results (e.g., "Increased sales by 20%"), and tailor it to the specific role for maximum impact.
What are the three F's in a resume?
Having less than ten seconds to prove qualifications for a position enforces the idea that the focus point of drafting a resume, should be to stick to the Three Fs of Resume Writing: Function, Form, and e(F)fectiveness.
Want A New Job In 2025/2026? 10 Resume Tips + Trends You NEED To Know
What are the 5 P's of a resume?
The "5 Ps of a Resume" aren't a single, universally agreed-upon list but often refer to key principles for standing out, such as Positioning, Personal Branding, Presentation, Persistence, and Proofreading/Precision, focusing on clearly showing who you are, what problems you solve, and how you're a valuable asset, all while ensuring your application is flawless and targeted. It's about being strategic and making an immediate, positive impact with your application materials.
What are the 3 C's of a resume?
The 3 Cs of a resume typically refer to Clear, Concise, and Clean/Consistent, emphasizing that your resume must be easy to read, to the point, well-formatted, and free of errors to quickly show employers your qualifications for a specific job. A slightly different interpretation focuses on the candidate's qualities: Competence, Commitment, and Character/Chemistry, highlighting your ability to do the job, dedication, and fit with the company culture.
What are 2025 resume buzzwords to avoid?
For 2025 resumes, avoid overused, vague buzzwords like "results-driven," "team player," "strategic thinker," and "hardworking," replacing them with quantifiable achievements and specific actions, as recruiters and ATS favor concrete results over generic traits, so ditch "proven track record" and "excellent communication" for actual project outcomes. Focus on showing, not telling, by detailing how you achieved success (e.g., "Led team of 5 to boost sales by 20%") instead of just listing qualities like "dynamic" or "innovative".
What are red flags on resumes?
Resume red flags are warning signs like typos, unexplained gaps, job-hopping, lack of quantifiable achievements, generic content, poor formatting, and irrelevant info, signaling to recruiters potential issues with professionalism, fit, or stability, while red flags include spelling errors, unexplained gaps, job-hopping, lack of quantifiable achievements, poor formatting, irrelevant info, and unprofessional emails. To avoid them, tailor your resume, focus on impact with metrics, keep it concise, and proofread meticulously.
How far back should a 2025 resume go?
Most resumes only need to cover the past 10–15 years. If a role dates back to 2004 and doesn't directly relate to the job you're targeting, it's probably doing more harm than good. Highlight the roles that are most recent and most relevant to where you're headed.
Is 2025 a difficult year?
The Pain of Transition: Why 2025 Feels So Difficult
The difficulty lies in the clash between old and new ideas and energies. The Piscean structures - religious institutions, political systems, corporate hierarchies - are being challenged by the Aquarian call for transparency, cooperation, and decentralisation.
What jobs will boom in 2025?
Best career options in 2025
- Project Manager. ...
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineer. ...
- Data Scientist. ...
- Machine Learning Engineer. ...
- Blockchain Developer. ...
- Full Stack Software Developer. ...
- Product Manager. ...
- Marketing Manager.
What is no longer needed on a resume?
There's no need to include personal information on a resume such as your social security number, marital status, nationality, sexual orientation, or spiritual beliefs. In fact, it is illegal for employers to ask for these personal details.
What are the top 5 resume mistakes?
The top 5 resume mistakes include generic, untailored content (not matching the job), focusing on duties instead of quantifiable achievements, poor formatting/hard-to-read layouts that confuse Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), spelling/grammar errors, and irrelevant information/excessive length, all of which prevent recruiters from seeing your value. Avoiding these makes your resume stand out by showing specific impact and being easily scannable by both humans and software.
What is the 7 second rule in resume?
The "7-second resume rule" means recruiters scan resumes in about 7 seconds to decide if a candidate is a potential fit, looking for key info like skills, keywords, and achievements, often through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) first. To pass this quick test, your resume needs clear formatting, a strong summary, quantifiable achievements with action verbs, relevant keywords, and to be tailored for the specific job, making it easy to spot your value quickly.
What is the 3 month rule in a job?
The "3-month rule" in a job refers to the common probationary period where both employer and employee assess fit, acting as a trial to see if the role and person align before full commitment, often involving learning goals (like a 30-60-90 day plan) and performance reviews, allowing either party to end employment more easily, notes Talent Management Institute (TMI), Frontline Source Group, Indeed.com, and Talent Management Institute (TMI). It's a crucial time for onboarding, understanding expectations, and demonstrating capability, setting the foundation for future growth, says Talent Management Institute (TMI), inTulsa Talent, and Talent Management Institute (TMI).
What are 5 things employers cannot ask about in an interview?
Below, we outline some of the questions you cannot legally ask during a job interview and what to ask instead.
- Questions About Marital Status. ...
- Questions About Pregnancy or Family Plans. ...
- Questions About Age. ...
- Questions About Religion. ...
- Questions About Disabilities. ...
- Questions About Criminal History.
What color makes you stand out in an interview?
Some people feel like they have instant power and boldness when they wear black as well as appear more confident. Blue is a great color to wear to an interview. It simply portrays confidence and demonstrates to the interviewer that you are confident in what you do.
How do resumes look in 2025?
For 2025, the best resume format is a clean, minimalist, reverse-chronological layout, focusing on quantifiable achievements using action verbs and keywords from the job description, optimized for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) with standard fonts and ample white space, typically fitting on one page unless you have extensive relevant experience. Ditch graphic-heavy designs for most industries, emphasize results (e.g., "Increased sales by 20%"), and tailor it to the specific role for maximum impact.
What are the 5 golden rules of resume writing?
The core principles of resume writing involve being Clear, Concise, Consistent, Customized (Tailored), and focusing on Accomplishments, using strong action verbs, incorporating keywords, and ensuring perfect proofreading to present a professional, readable, and honest summary of your qualifications that matches the employer's needs.
Which word should never appear in a resume?
First-person pronouns (“I,” “me,” “my”) Resume writing skips these for clarity and space. Start bullets with action verbs instead.
What are the top 5 skills for a resume?
The top 5 skills for a resume consistently include Communication, Problem-Solving/Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration, Adaptability/Flexibility, and Leadership/Work Ethic, blending essential soft skills with the ability to learn new things, all crucial for any role, though you should also add relevant hard skills for your industry.
What do recruiters look for in a resume?
Recruiters typically look at resumes in this order: Name and contact info (can I reach this person?) Current/most recent role (are they doing something relevant?) Job titles & career trajectory (does the path make sense?)
What are 5 things that should be included on a resume?
Several components go into an effective and well-rounded resume, but with few exceptions, all resumes should include a contact section, objective or summary, experience, education and skills sections.