TalentAlly

How to Write a Resume That Makes You Look More Experienced (Even If You're Not) ❌ Don’t: Undersell what you did. Writing things like “Helped with reports,” “Assisted my manager,” or “Supported projects” makes your role sound minor. You might have done meaningful work — but words like “helped” or “assisted” hide it. Recruiters can’t guess your value if you don’t show it. ✅ Do: Use strong action verbs and show outcomes. Instead of “Helped with reports,” write “Compiled weekly reports to track campaign performance and identify key growth areas.” Even small contributions sound stronger when you highlight their purpose or result. 💡 Why It Works: You’re showing impact — not just activity. Framing your work this way makes you look proactive and capable, even in entry-level roles. ⭐ Tip: If you were part of a team, focus on your part of the result. Write as if you owned a piece of the success, because you did.

❌ Don’t: Use overly designed templates with multiple columns, graphics, or icons. ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) often can’t read creative layouts, which means your resume might lose key information before a recruiter even sees it. What looks polished to you can appear blank or broken to the system — and that’s how strong candidates get filtered out. ✅ Do: Keep your layout clean and text-based. Use clear headings like Experience, Education, and Skills. Save it as a Word or PDF file that preserves formatting. 💡 Why It Works: ATS software scans for keywords, structure, and readability. Simple formatting helps your resume pass the scan so an actual recruiter can read it. ⭐ Tip: Match key phrases from the job description — especially skills, job titles, and tools — but keep them natural. Don’t keyword-stuff; clarity beats clutter.

❌ Don’t just list your GPA or classes. “GPA: 3.5 / Courses: Marketing, Business Communication.” If your GPA isn’t above 3.7, skip it — it won’t help you stand out. Listing only coursework tells employers what you studied, not what you can actually do. Show how your skills made an impact instead. ✅ Better Example: “Developed a marketing plan for a class project that increased engagement by 40% — later used by a local business.” 💡 Why It Works: It connects your academic work to real results and shows you can apply what you learned. ⭐ Tip: Focus on projects, achievements, and impact — not grades. That’s what recruiters remember.

❌ Don’t just list jobs: Too many resumes read like this: “Sales Intern – Assisted customers, managed stock, handled basic tasks.” It’s just a list of duties anyone in the same role could write. There’s no story, no result, and no sign of you. It tells recruiters nothing about how you made a difference or what you learned from the experience. ✅ Tell a story: “Started as a sales intern, improved product display strategy, and helped increase monthly sales by 20%.” 💡 Why It Works: It shows progress and results — it turns duties into achievements. Recruiters remember impact, not descriptions. ⭐ Tip: Each line should answer one simple question: “What changed because I was there?”