Key Experience to Include on a Resume

People love to think that the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is out here scanning resumes and auto-rejecting candidates based on keywords, but that’s actually one of the biggest myths on the internet. It’s a recruiter (yes- a real human!) reviewing resumes and making the decision to move someone forward or not. So when I am reviewing a resume, this is what I look for: 1️⃣ Relevant Experience – Does this person have experience that aligns with the role? If not, do they have transferable skills that make sense for the transition? 2️⃣ Industry Experience – Have they worked in our industry before, or in a similar space? While not always required, industry knowledge can be a huge plus. 3️⃣ Work History & Companies – Where have they worked before? Are there recognizable companies, or companies in our sector? Does their work history show growth and progression? How much experience do they have? 4️⃣ Value Add – What else could they bring to the team beyond the core job description? Leadership experience, process improvement expertise, niche skills—anything that adds extra value. 5️⃣ Overall Impact – What is the actual impact they had in their previous roles and could they handle the responsibilities of this role? Numbers, results, and achievements help paint a clearer picture of what they have done and could do if we hire them. 6️⃣ Basic Requirements – Of course, I’m also checking the non-negotiables like do they meet the minimum qualifications, certifications, or education and specific hard skills needed for the role? Remember, it’s a recruiter making these calls, not some robot filtering you out. By learning to look at a resume like a recruiter, you’ll be able to optimize your resume in a way that better stands out in a crowded candidate pool. #resumetips #recruitertips #jobsearchstrategy

Hiring managers will not connect the dots for you. If you leave it up to the hiring manager, they will not make the connection between your experience and their needs. Your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile must spell it out for them. - Clearly. - Simply. - Quickly. Here's how to do that. 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 and note the key hard skills and experience the company values. I recommend that you identify at least 3 major needs the employer has that this position will address. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 3 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 that align with the needs you’ve identified and demonstrate an example of how you’ve met them in the past. Use the CAR format to make it easy for employers to see how you’ve solved similar problems. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞: What problem did you face? 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: What steps did you take to address it? 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭: What was the outcome? 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 3 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 at the top of your resume. I recommend a Signature Accomplishments section separate from the other content, perhaps set off in a shaded border. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬. If you're looking to switch industries or roles, identify the skills that are transferable. List these prominently and provide context for how they can be applied in the new role. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲-𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬. It’s so important, especially if you’re switching industries, that you make sure your resume isn’t full of jargon from the industry you’re leaving. Use the language of the industry you’re trying to transition into. I also strongly recommend that you choose 3 high-priority keywords and place these at the top of your resume right underneath your target job title. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟. Add metrics to quantify your results. Even if you’re not responsible for revenue generation, you can add in how much, how many, size, time, or comparison to work in numbers. 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲’𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. Explicitly draw lines between your experience and the company’s needs. State specifically what they need and how you have relevant experience doing that. Give an example. This leaves no room for doubt that you are a fit for the role. How do you connect the dots? #resumes #Careers #LinkedInTopVoices

She started landing interviews. - Not because she rewrote her CV (resume) a hundred times. - Not because she applied to every job she saw. - Not because she had perfect experience. She landed interviews because she knew her SSIP. Most people don’t realize that a resume isn’t just a document. → It’s a positioning tool. Here’s how SSIP changes the game: 1. STORY – Make them care. Your resume isn’t a job description. It’s a story of how you solve problems. → What’s the common thread in your career? → How do all your roles connect to where you’re going? → Why should a hiring manager be excited about you? A resume with a clear story stands out. 2. SKILLS – Show what makes you valuable. Hiring isn’t about what you did, it’s about how you think and solve problems. Instead of listing skills, demonstrate them. → Led a 10-person team through a major system overhaul → Increased efficiency by 30%, saving $500K annually → Negotiated vendor contracts, cutting costs by 20% Data = proof. Proof = interviews. 3. IMPACT – Prove your results. Employers don’t just hire for experience. They hire for impact. Your resume should answer: → What problems did you solve? → What results did you create? → Why did your work matter? If your resume only says what you did, but not why it mattered, it’s missing the piece that gets recruiters to say “I need to talk to this person.” 4. POSITIONING – Align yourself with what they need. The biggest mistake? Writing your resume for your past, not your future. → If you’re pivoting, your resume needs to highlight transferable skills. → If you’re aiming for leadership, your resume needs to reflect strategic thinking. Don’t just describe your last role—position yourself for your next one. When she understood SSIP, everything changed. → More interviews. Faster responses. Better opportunities. This is exactly what I teach in my Resume Masterclass. Want me to show you how to apply SSIP to your resume? Message “SSIP” in the comments, and I’ll invite you in! #resume #CV #storytelling

Over the last few months, I've been on the hiring committee for three bioinformatics positions; in the past two years, too many to count. The job market is insanely competitive right now, as evidenced by the number of qualified candidates I have recently reviewed, and I hate that I often can't provide individual feedback to all candidates. So, I thought I'd gather some insights for those still on their search and share them in a few posts. 📌 Post #1: Resumes and CVs ✅ Keep it concise. Bullet points over paragraphs. Hiring managers scan for relevant information—make it easy to find. ✅ Be specific. Instead of "Performed bioinformatics analysis," say "Developed a Nextflow pipeline for bulk RNA-seq analysis on AWS, improving runtime efficiency by 40%." This helps me understand what you did and how you did it. ✅ Don't mislead about where you've worked. If you were a contractor at NASA, don’t say you worked for NASA—list the contracting company and indicate you were on a contract at NASA. Federal government experience differs from contracting experience. ✅ List only what you know. If your skills section includes every bioinformatics tool ever invented, I assume you actually know none of them. ✅ Explicitly include required qualifications. If the job listing states that Nextflow experience is required, make sure it’s clearly mentioned—I shouldn’t have to follow up to ask if you have that experience. ✅ Know the position you're applying for. If it's a developer role, highlight software development, management languages, and programming skills. If it's an analyst role, focus on biological insights, statistical models, and visualization tools. ✅ Keep it readable. I don’t mind multi-page resumes/CVs, but when reviewing 150+ resumes for a single position, I want to find key details quickly. Use bolding, italics, underlining, and alignment strategically. 💡 Final Thought: A well-structured resume makes all the difference. Let me know what other tips you might have for fellow job-seekers!