Why Most Job Advice Online Can Actually Hurt Your Job Search
Not all resume hacks help you get hired. Learn why some viral job tips do more harm than good and how to spot advice you shouldn't trust.
If you’ve spent any time online while job hunting, you’ve probably seen posts claiming to have “secret” resume tricks. Maybe it’s a weird formatting tip. Maybe it’s a hack that promises to “beat the ATS.” And maybe, like a lot of people, you’ve wondered if trying one of these might actually help.
Not all advice is really advice. Some of it is just noise. Some of it is posted by people who don’t know what they’re talking about (I've seen lots of those on LinkedIn). And some of it is written by folks who make money every time you click or follow their tip, even if it hurts your chances. (I've seen even more of those on LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram…)
Let’s talk about two common types of posts. One is the classic rage-bait post we see every day, the kind that stirs up frustration and sneaks in a monetized tool or affiliate link. The other is a post where someone shared their real experience with the “white text resume hack.” That hack has been floating around for years. We’ve seen plenty of people recommending it, but not many openly admit to actually trying it, and definitely not to it going wrong.
But what they really show is how easy it is to get pulled in by bad advice that feels helpful on the surface.
That Viral “Ethics Don’t Matter” Post Is Selling You Something
It starts with a bold headline: “Yes, you LYING on your resume is 100 percent justified (if you're not stupid with it)”
This kind of post is designed to go viral. The tone is blunt. It taps into frustration. It reads like someone telling you a hard truth that nobody else will say out loud. But when you look more closely, it’s not really about helping job seekers. It’s about attention, anger, and affiliate links. (The URL contains "/?src=jh9," where "src" indicates the source, and "jh9" serves as the identifier for the individual.)
The advice? Lie about employment gaps. Make up skills. Add experience that sounds right. Basically, do whatever it takes to sound like “the unicorn” employers want. But then there’s this quiet line: “I used this tool for auto tailoring.”
That’s where the real motive comes in.
A lot of these posts aren’t just hot takes. They’re marketing. The person behind it likely makes money anytime someone clicks the tool link and signs up. Most of these tools offer referral programs, often paying out 25% or more per sale. So even if a thousand people read the post and only a few convert, that’s still real cash for the person who posted it.
And this tactic works. Why?
1. The Use of "Rage Bait" and Emotional Manipulation
The post is expertly crafted to provoke a strong emotional response. This is the core of the "rage bait" strategy.
Provocative Framing: The title "Yes, you LYING on your resume is 100 percent justified" is intentionally controversial. It immediately challenges a commonly held ethical standard, forcing a reaction from the reader, whether it's agreement, outrage, or simple curiosity.
Justification Through Vilification: The author justifies the unethical advice by painting employers as the initial aggressors ("Employers are the first ones to stretch the truth"). This creates an "us vs. them" narrative, positioning the job seeker as a victim who is entitled to retaliate. It validates the reader's frustrations with the job market.
Empowerment Narrative: The post frames lying not as a moral failure, but as a "seriously easy hack" and a smart way to play "the game." This appeals to a sense of powerlessness that many job seekers feel, offering them a way to take control.
2. The Subtle Integration of an Affiliate Link
The primary goal of the post is not to offer advice but to drive clicks to the tool. The emotional setup makes the sales pitch more effective.
Problem-Solution Selling: The post first builds up the problem (job hunting is unfair, you need to stand out) and then seamlessly introduces the solution: "I used this tool for auto tailoring". The link is presented as a helpful, personal discovery rather than a blatant advertisement.
Plausible Deniability: By embedding the link in a longer, controversial discussion, the author can claim their primary motive is to share advice. The link appears to be a helpful resource supporting their argument, which makes it feel more trustworthy than a direct ad.
High-Engagement Funnel: The controversy generates a high number of upvotes and comments. This pushes the post to the top of the subreddit and potentially other feeds, dramatically increasing the number of people who see it. A fraction of those viewers will be intrigued or desperate enough to click the link, generating revenue for the author.
This method is effective because it targets a specific audience (frustrated job seekers) with a message that validates their negative feelings and offers a simple, powerful solution. By the time the reader gets to the link, they have been emotionally primed to be receptive to a tool that promises to help them "play the game" more effectively. It is a cynical but highly effective marketing strategy that combines emotional manipulation with a subtle sales funnel.
So before trusting advice that sounds bold and rebellious, ask yourself who it’s really helping. If there’s a link, a tool, or a promo code in the mix, there’s usually a reason it went viral and it has nothing to do with your job search success.
That White Text Trick Doesn’t Help You Get Hired. It Gets You Rejected.
Now let’s talk about a different kind of post, the one where someone actually shares what happened when they followed bad advice that seemed like good advice.
A Reddit user recently posted a story titled: “That white text resume ‘hack’ is COMPLETE BS and almost RUINED my chances...”
In the post, they explained how they applied to 17 jobs using a common “ATS trick.” They copied the job description into their resume using tiny white font at the bottom, thinking it would boost their chances of getting past automated filters.
Two days later, a recruiter called and said, “There’s a bunch of random text at the bottom of your resume that doesn’t make sense.”
It turned out the company’s system converted the PDF and made the white text visible. The recruiter could clearly see that the applicant had copy-pasted the entire job ad. No keywords matched. Just keyword stuffing. It was embarrassing. And it damaged their credibility.
The white text resume hack has been floating around for years. In fact, The Washington Post covered it as far back as the early 2000s. Back then, people thought that ATS systems just scanned for keyword presence. So they figured, “If I paste all the right words in white, I’ll look like a perfect match.” What they didn’t realize was that some ATS platforms highlight all matched keywords—no matter the color. Recruiters could see the trick instantly.
And even today, people are still falling for it. Why?
Because it keeps going viral on platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn.
Because someone says it worked “for them.”
Because in a tough job market, job seekers are desperate for anything that feels like an edge.
But here's what most people don’t see:
A lot of influencers pushing this never used it themselves.
They’re sharing someone else’s story.
Or worse, they’re making it up to go viral and farm attention.
Even the newest “evolved” versions of this, like adding AI prompts into your resume so AI picks it up, fall into the same category. These tricks might work in one rare case out of a thousand. But for the rest, they’re either ignored or flagged as suspicious.
And when a recruiter spots something fishy, they don’t reach out. They just move on to the next candidate.
So if you're thinking about trying a trick you saw in a comment thread or a viral video, ask yourself: Would you want to explain this in an interview? Because if it gets noticed, you’ll have to.
These Hacks Spread Because They Sell Hope, Not Results
It’s not hard to understand why so many job seekers fall for these tricks. Job searching is exhausting. The rejection stings. The silence is worse. So when someone says, “Here’s a shortcut that worked for me,” it’s easy to want to believe it.
Honestly, I might fall for a few if I didn't know how recruitment works.
Most of the people sharing these “hacks” didn’t actually use them.
They saw someone else post about it.
They heard a rumor or saw a post/article
Or they figured it would get them clicks, likes, or shares.
That’s how advice like the white text trick keeps getting recycled, because it promises something that feels better than the truth. It gives people a sense of control. It offers hope.
And unfortunately, hope gets attention.
More clicks = more visibility.
More views = more money for creators.
More drama = more shares.
The sad part is that some people will spend hours tweaking their resume with these hacks instead of actually improving the content. They’ll miss chances to write about real accomplishments. They’ll waste time on formatting tricks instead of making a strong case for why they fit the role.
And the people who push this stuff? They don’t care. If their video gets 100,000 views, they win. Even if 99,999 job seekers get nothing out of it.
Skip the Hacks. Do What Actually Gets Interviews.
If resume hacks worked, hiring would be easy. But most recruiters aren’t looking for tricks. They’re looking for clarity. They’re looking for someone who seems like they actually understand the job and can probably do it well.
So instead of trying to game the system, here’s what actually helps:
1. Use resume tools with a purpose, not a gimmick.
There are solid resume tools out there. Ones that help you write clearly, focus on impact, and adjust your resume to match the role, without lying. Tools that improve structure, formatting, or grammar can be useful, and you can even use ChatGPT prompts for job seekers to improve your resume. But anything that promises to “hack the ATS” should raise a red flag.
2. Tailor your resume honestly.
Yes, tailoring your resume is important. But that doesn’t mean copying the job description into your document or keyword stuffing. It means understanding what the role needs and showing how your experience fits that. Be specific. Use real examples.
3. Avoid tricks that make recruiters question your judgment.
Recruiters can usually tell when something’s off. Whether it’s white text, AI-generated fluff, or a too-perfect keyword match, it sets off alarms. And once that trust is broken, it’s hard to get back.
4. Focus on clear writing, not clever shortcuts.
A clean, well-organized resume beats a clever one every time. Simple formatting. Straightforward language. Easy to skim. The goal isn’t to stand out with gimmicks. It’s to make it easy for someone to say, “This person looks like a fit.”
5. Spend time where it matters.
Instead of editing your resume 50 times with hacks, use that time to:
Reach out to real humans and network!
Write thoughtful cover notes.
Prepare for interviews.
Apply to roles where you genuinely meet the core requirements.
That’s the stuff that actually moves the needle. Not invisible fonts. Not secret keywords. Not viral advice that falls apart under a spotlight.
Not All Advice Is Meant to Help You
Some job advice is shared to help. Some is shared to sell. And some is just shared to stir people up and go viral.
The rage-bait post telling you to lie? That wasn’t career guidance. It was a sales pitch wrapped in frustration. The resume hack with white text? That wasn’t a secret weapon. It was a recycled trick that nearly cost someone an opportunity.
These posts go viral because they tap into real emotions: stress, fear, burnout, and the hope that maybe there’s a shortcut to getting noticed. But the truth is, shortcuts like these don’t work. They get exposed. They make recruiters question your credibility. And they waste time you could’ve spent doing something that actually helps.
So next time you see a viral job tip, pause before trying it.
Ask:
Who’s sharing this?
What do they get out of it?
Would I be comfortable explaining this in an interview?
Not all advice is worth following. Especially when your reputation is on the line.
Focus on being clear, honest, and thoughtful in how you present yourself. It won’t get you viral likes, but it might get you a job—and that’s what actually matters.
I would change the title of this newsletter into “Why MOST job advice online IS hurting your job search. The amount of garbage being posted on LinkedIn, resumes and the job search process is astonishing.
Great article! Thank you for this common sense and down to earth advice which really does help job seekers 🙏😊