Resumes

Resumes

A resume is not just a record of your employment history, it’s a strategic marketing document. Its job is to quickly persuade the right people that you’re a great fit for a specific role. A resume doesn't get you the job, but it CAN land you an interview if your skills and experience are a good fit, and you make it easy for employers to see that.

Every word, layout choice, and bullet point should be intentional, showcasing your value and potential impact.

Share Your Strengths

Think of your resume as a promotional snapshot of your professional brand. It should highlight your strengths, convey your unique value, and align with the needs of the roles you're targeting, not simply list job duties.

  • Focus on impactful results, not duties and responsibilities.
  • Emphasize the value you created, problems you solved, and goals you met.
  • Position yourself as a solution to the employer’s challenges.

Know Your Audiences

Your resume must appeal to multiple decision-makers and systems:

  • Recruiters quickly scan for relevant skills and titles.
  • Hiring managers want clear evidence that you can deliver results.
  • Networking contacts may forward your resume to others, so clarity matters.
  • Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) filter based on keyword relevance.

Your resume needs to be visually scannable for humans and keyword-optimized for ATS software.

Put the Most Important Info at the Top

The top half of page one is prime real estate. Use it to deliver the key facts that sell you:

  • Start with a strong headline or title that reflects the role you’re targeting and your value proposition.
  • Follow with a brief summary and core skills section.
  • Include your most recent and relevant experience next.

If the top doesn’t grab attention in 6–10 seconds, the rest won’t get read.

Make Your Bullet Points Work Hard

Your storytelling skills begin with your resume (and will be even more important to your interviewing). Each bullet should tell a mini success story. Start with a strong action verb, use specific keywords from the job description, quantify results when possible, and mention the impact on the organization when possible. 3-5 bullet points per job, with more for your most recent jobs. Ensure you have a bullet point related to every skill in your Skills section. 

Examples:

  • Increased customer retention by 18% by redesigning onboarding process, leading to higher profitability.
  • Led a cross-functional team of 6 to launch a mobile app, generating 50K+ downloads in 3 months.
  • Reduced reporting time by 40% by automating monthly analytics workflow.

Customize Every Resume

One-size-fits-all resumes don’t work. Tailor your content to the role by:

  • Matching keywords and phrases from the job post.
  • Reordering bullet points to highlight the most relevant achievements.
  • Adjusting your headline or summary to align with the company’s language and focus.

See the AI Prompts at the bottom of this page for clear instructions and cut-and-paste prompts!

Format It Like a Pro

Content is king, but appearance matters too. Make a strong, professional impression by using simple but impactful formatting that is optimized for both humans to visually scan it, and for Applicant Tracking Systems to process the relevant keywords easily: 

  • YES: Bold, italics, some color; headings with all caps, borders, and shading; clean modern fonts; hyperlinked email and LinkedIn URL; white space.
  • NO: Underlining (looks like links), complicated tables, text boxes, images, 2-column formats, skill meters, headshots, templates. 

 

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Tools and Resources to Help You

Skill Builder Workshop

  • Resumes 101: Optimize your resume section by section and format it like a pro. Also includes how to incorporate storytelling.

Tools

AI Prompts

Resume Examples to Download

  • Hybrid:  If you have a non-linear career or are making a significant career pivot.
  • Chronological: For more linear careers, this format is preferred by recruiters and works well with ATS.
  • Executive Level: For Director-level and above positions when you have stellar accomplishments to highlight.
  • New Grad: Highlight your Education, Projects, and Experience.
  • Networking One-Pager or Open to Work document: Use this type of document when networking - a resume is for job apps.

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