Resume Writing Strategies and Tips

I've reviewed 2,000+ resumes this year. Avoid these mistakes that 90% make. 1. Generic Summaries ❌ "Motivated professional seeking opportunities to leverage my skills..." ✅ "Marketing Director who increased e-commerce revenue 47% through data-driven campaigns and strategic partnerships." 2. Missing Numbers ❌ "Led large team and improved sales." ✅ "Led 15-person sales team to deliver $3.2M in new business, exceeding targets by 28%." 3. Cluttered Formatting ❌ Tiny margins, dense paragraphs, and multiple fonts. ✅ Clean headers, consistent bullet points, and enough white space for easy scanning. 4. Outdated Information ❌ Listing your high school achievements and every job since college. ✅ Your most relevant accomplishments from the past 10-15 years that showcase your career progression. 5. RESPONSIBILITY LISTS ❌ "Responsible for managing client relationships and handling complaints." ✅ "Retained 98% of key accounts and turned 3 dissatisfied clients into top referral sources." 6. ATS-UNFRIENDLY DESIGN ❌ Creative formats with graphics, text boxes, and unique fonts. ✅ Clean, standard formatting with relevant keywords that match the job description. Your resume has 7 seconds to make an impression.  Use these tips to make them count. Share this to help others level up their resume! 📈 And follow me for more advice like this.

I have been writing, reading, and reviewing resumes for nine years. Here are some best practices for 2025: ✅ A resume's job is to get you an interview. It's a marketing document, not a detailed career history. You don't need deep details about all of your tasks and responsibilities for all of your roles. Just stick to the highlights that are relevant to the jobs that interest you. 👏 The keyword here is RELEVANT. If it's relevant to the jobs you're applying for, keep it. If it's not relevant, remove it. 👏 ✅ A resume can be more than one page. Two pages are fine. A recruiter would rather see two pages that have lots of white space, 11-point font, and room for the eye to breathe. This is better than trying to cram everything dense into one page with a 9-point font. ✅ Keep the format simple. Avoid graphics or charts. Keep it all in one column (not two). No fancy fonts, stick to the basics. Keep the sections simple and easy to identify. We just want to make this easy to scan. ✅ City and State, not your full address. Don't list your full address on the resume. This protects your privacy and avoids potential bias. Just list your closest city and state. If you live far from a city, you can say, "[city name] metro area." I also recommend creating an email just for your job search and putting that on your resume to protect your privacy. ✅ Lead with the result. Resume bullet points typically go "Did X to achieve Y which resulted in Z." I flip that: "Got results Z by doing X in order to achieve Y." "I got these results by doing this action in order to achieve this goal." Even better if the "results" have metrics attached: "Reduced production time by 20% in six months by implementing new scheduling software for 50 employees that improved cross-functional collaboration." Why lead with the result? This market is very competitive, and you have to stand out from a sea of applicants. Leading with results, outcomes, and achievements helps you do that. It's the difference between show vs. tell. You can TELL me you're good at something (that's boring and generic), or you can SHOW me by sharing bullet points about your results, metrics, and outcomes (that's specific and intriguing). Plus, numbers and results help illustrate your impact. I'm rooting for you. 👊 ♻ Please repost if you think this advice will help others. ***** Hi, have we met? I'm Emily and I'm on a mission to get the #GreenBannerGang back to work, one actionable step at a time. #jobsearch #jobhunt #jobseekers

Lately, I’ve been receiving more requests to review resumes—from friends who've been impacted by layoffs to job seekers eager to land their next role to students prepping for summer internships or jobs after graduation. I'm fortunate to come across a lot of resumes and enjoy reviewing them, so if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: your resume is your first impression. I know it's an extremely competitive job market, so I hope these quick tips support anyone looking to stand out: ✅ Lead with impact—Start each bullet point with a strong action verb and highlight results, ideally with a % impact - could be improvement in satisfaction scores, time saved, money saved, etc. And if you're leading a lot with "Managed" or "Coordinated," there are likelier stronger verbs to choose. ✅ Keep it clean & brief—Recruiters and hiring managers often skim, so make sure your resume is easy to read, well-structured, and free of fluff. My rule of thumb is if you have less than 8-10 years of work experience, it should fit on one page. And keep the format simple and ensure your personal data is safe: I only need to see your name, phone, email, and LinkedIn profile. Sharing home or mailing addresses isn't necessary and may signal an unwillingness to relocate. ✅ Grammar & consistency matter—A simple typo can cost you credibility! Ensure your formatting, punctuation, and verb tenses are consistent throughout. ✅ Tailor, tailor, tailor—One-size-fits-all resumes? Nope. Customize your resume for each role or company by mirroring keywords from the job description. Here's where AI can help... ✅ Leverage AI tools—Think of Copilot or AI-driven writing tools as your personal editors. They can catch grammar mistakes, improve clarity, and optimize your resume for keyword searches. You can also ask them for suggested learning courses or articles to improve upon skills that may be helpful in jobs you're looking for. ✅ Showcase YOU—Your resume isn’t just about what you’ve done—it’s about what you can bring. Highlight unique skills, projects, or volunteer experiences that set you apart. I often find that the most interesting and insightful interview questions can come from someone reviewing your resume and asking you something at the very bottom of it. For me, I was often asked about teaching dance fitness classes and why that was a passion of mine. If it's on your resume, ensure YOU want to talk about it! And while this post was all around resume/CV tips, I hope you prioritize networking and finding warm introductions through people in companies or with career paths that inspire you. Those connections can help and be an extension of your professional brand! Comment below any other tips or what resonates most ⬇️ #ResumeTips #JobSeekers

Looking to make your resume shine and grab attention? With over a decade of recruitment experience and having reviewed nearly 250,000 resumes while working for industry giants like Amazon, Accenture (Avanade), Cognizant, and various startups through my agency, Proven Patterns, I’ve seen what truly makes a resume stand out. Here are some top tips to help you create a powerful resume that will leave a lasting impression: ☑ Keep It Concise: Aim for 2-3 page resume when possible. Focus on your most relevant experiences and achievements without overwhelming the reader. ☑ Tailor for Each Job: Customize your resume for every position you apply for. Incorporate keywords from the job description and highlight skills and experiences that match the role. If you don't have enough time at least match the resume summary section with the job description. ☑ Showcase Achievements: Use specific numbers and examples to quantify your accomplishments. Instead of saying "improved sales," say "boosted sales by 20% within six months." ☑ Professional Format: Opt for a clean, professional layout with consistent fonts and spacing. Save the flashy graphics for creative fields. ☑ Include a Strong Summary: Start with a compelling summary that highlights your key qualifications and career goals. Make it engaging and tailored to the job you're targeting. ☑ Highlight Skills: Clearly list your core skills and competencies. Be honest and focus on those that are directly relevant to the position. ☑ Proofread Carefully: Ensure your resume is free from typos and grammatical errors. A polished resume reflects attention to detail and professionalism. ☑ Add a Personal Touch: Include a brief section on your interests or volunteer work. This can help convey your personality and values beyond your professional skills. Your resume is your first impression; make it count! 🚀 If you found these tips useful, please repost ♻ and follow me, Kumud Deepali R. for more insights and advice on jobs and career!

I got interviews from companies like Amazon, SAP, Siemens, etc., and everyone talks about resumes with a STAR format and quantifying impact. But what about the resume details that actually make a difference? Based on what’s worked for me, I’m sharing a few overlooked (but practical) tips that can help you. Let’s dive in 👇 1. Use U.S. Letter Size & Thoughtful Formatting: 🧠 Why it matters: Many ATS systems and recruiters in the U.S. are used to U.S. letter format(8.5x11, not A4). A4 may cause layout issues, especially with margins and alignment on different systems. 🎯 How to do it: ▪️ Use 0.9–1.15 line spacing, and margins of 0.5 to 1 inch for a perfect balance. Helps your content breathe without looking bare. ▪️Design psychology: Cramped resumes feel overwhelming; too much white space feels empty. ▪️Some candidates try to trick ATS by adding keywords in white text, invisible to humans. It’s detectable, unethical, and can actually get you blacklisted. 2. Human-First, Then ATS-Friendly 🧠 Why it matters: You’re not interviewing with an algorithm. Recruiters, often not from your domain, are the first to read your resume. 🎯 How to do it: ▪️Use clean formatting, consistent font sizes (10.5–12 pt), and easy-to-skim sections. Make sure your sentences make sense to anyone and not just someone technical. ▪️AI can help refine your wording, but always proofread for clarity and tone. Include context when numbers alone aren’t clear: ❌ “Increased sales by xy%” sounds great but without context, it’s meaningless.  So, add scope + baseline if you can: ✅"Boosted monthly sales by xy% within xy months by introducing a GTM strategy across 2 digital channels." 3. Pass the 6-Second Scan with Story-Driven Bullets 🧠Why it matters: Recruiters skim resumes fast, often under 6 seconds, so your bullet points need to do more than just list tasks. (PS: Studies show recruiters scan resumes in an F-shaped pattern: left to right, top to bottom. The top third of your resume (the “hot zone”) gets the most attention.) 🎯 How to do it: ▪️Start each bullet with the intent or principle behind the action (e.g., “Customer Obsession,” “ETL Pipelines”). ▪️Avoid robotic phrasing like: ❌“Built a dashboard to track engagement metrics.” Instead, make it strategic: ✅Customer Obsession: Launched in-product surveys in Excel to surface user pain points, leading to a 22% increase in feature engagement. Hope this helps!  Please share what worked for you, or if you need a template. #ResumeTips #ProductManagement #JobSearch #CareerAdvice #InternationalStudents #TechCareers #EarlyCareer #LinkedInTips

Last week I shared unfiltered thoughts from hiring on LinkedIn. After 326 resumes, I got 10 tips that might help you get an interview: 1. It was surprising how many really experienced people had terrible resumes. I'm talking VPs and COOs with nothing interesting written down. For less experienced folks, that's an opportunity to stand out. 2. This was a learning for me but including a sentence on what a company does before the bullet points for the role is IMMENSELY helpful. There’s not enough time to look up each company so this gives context for your results. 3. STOP WRITING PARAGRAPHS! Many resumes had a 10 line piece of text to describe their experience for a role. Remember that recruiters and managers SCAN your resume. Scanning a paragraph is tough. Use bullet points. 4. To reiterate, bullet points should be quick and scannable. Two lines max. 5. Don’t forget to add the “so what?” part to every bullet. Built a team? Launched a product? Use numbers to describe impact and/or why that mattered. 6. Saw a bunch of resumes with Areas of Expertise. These included a bunch of buzzwords and soft skills like “Strategic Communication” and “Problem Solving”. Don’t waste valuable real estate with this. Every word should matter on your resume. 7. Summaries can be great – but only saw maybe 2 that were. This should be short (2-3 sentences) and free of buzzwords. When rewriting it think about it like this: if a person only read this summary would they be excited by you? If no, leave it off. 8. Some people tailored to the job description. It is definitely noticeable and helped them stand out. If you REALLY care about the role, I’d do this with AI real quick. Otherwise, just have a few versions of your resume for each role title you might apply to. 9. Formatting is important. Poor formatting makes you look unorganized and will hide even the best written content. Use white space, clear headings, and short packs of text to get your message across. Prentus is free for this btw. 10. There is way more to you than your resume. You are worth more than a piece of paper and will never get your full value across with it. Instead, think of your resume as a movie trailer. How are you going to get people to watch your movie? Focus on highlights, simplicity, and clarity. Feels dumb that there are so many rules and tips around job searching. But that’s just how hiring works in 2024. Use these tips to play (and win) the hiring game.