Tips For Engineering Resume Writing

Not every career path is linear. Some of the best journeys have detours. Career gaps aren't flaws either. They are often chapters of resilience. Here’s how some of my clients have addressed career gaps with employers: [Save these] 1. Layoff "My position was eliminated during a company restructuring. Since then, I've worked as a sales consultant, helping a tech startup exceed their quarterly targets by 30%. I'm excited to bring these fresh insights and results-driven approach to your sales team." 2. Termination “I knew soon after I started that the job wasn’t as described, but since I committed to the company, I wanted to give it my best effort. In the end, my skills of X, Y, and Z weren’t being utilized effectively to bring value to the business. We amicably separated which gave me time to find the right job where I can bring the most value based on business need.” 3. Parental Leave "I took an 18-month parental leave to care for my newborn. During this time, I contributed to open-source projects and learned new programming languages. I'm now eager to apply these enhanced skills to help develop innovative software solutions." 4. Caregiving "I took time off to manage my father's complex medical care. This experience honed my skills in stakeholder communication and resource allocation under tight constraints. I also earned my Agile certification. I'm now ready to apply these enhanced skills to lead high-stakes projects in your organization." 5. Medical Leave: "I took a year off to address a health condition. I'm now fully recovered and used this time to earn my CFA certification. I'm excited to apply both my previous experience and these new skills to optimize financial strategies." 6. Travelling the World "I took a planned one-year sabbatical to gain international experience. I worked with NGOs in Southeast Asia on employee development programs. This enhanced my cross-cultural communication skills and understanding of global workforce dynamics, which I believe will be valuable in this multinational HR role." Key Strategies: - Be concise. Don’t linger on the explanation - Be specific about skills gained during the gap - Quantify achievements where possible - Connect experiences to the potential job role In my experience, a resume gap can be a sign of strength. Don’t let it hold you back. If this resonates, reshare to your network ♻ And follow me for more posts like this.

This ENTRY LEVEL resume got interviews at Palantir Technologies, Amazon, Microsoft, Google & here are the reasons why: 1. Strategic Information Hierarchy: - Education is rightly placed at the top (May 2024 graduation). - Clear, bolded section headers (EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, PROJECTS, ACHIEVEMENTS, TECHNICAL SKILLS) guide the reader's eye. - Consistent date and location formatting on the right margin keeps it tidy and easy to scan. (MAKE IT EASY FOR RECRUITERS!) 2. Quantifiable Achievements Everywhere: - "achieving a 23% reduction in latency" (Amazon) - "reduce API load by 30%" (Amazon) - "HackWashu Hackathon 1st Place" - Metrics demonstrate the impact of their work. 3. Action Oriented & Tech Specific Descriptions: - Starts bullet points with strong verbs: "Optimized," "Implemented," "Directed," "Spearheaded," "Engineered," "Developed." - Specific technologies (Spring MVC, ElasticSearch, DynamoDB, ASP.NET MVC, React Native, C++, Python, GPT) are embedded WITHIN their bullet points. 4. Clear Progression & Diverse Skill Application: - Internship experiences show solid software development fundamentals in different environments (Amazon, U.S. Bank). - Projects demonstrate versatility across different domains: full-stack mobile app development (FitnessPal), systems programming (CLI Replication), algorithmic trading (WUSIF Algo Trading), and AI application (Hackathon). - Shows growth through application of diverse skills and technologies in practical settings. I've been lucky enough to have mentors who have shared their resumes with me and I want to do the same for others. Find what VERIFIED resumes landed people interviews at Google, Meta, Microsoft: https://bit.ly/3HKbsOO Not every resume should look like this. I’m sharing it because this is what’s actually working in today’s job market. For me, I never had anyone share their resumes that got interviews at companies. It was always a black box. And if this post helps even one person get a foot in the door, then I’ll keep sharing.

7 Ways To Quantify Your Value On Your Resume: Want better results from your resume? You need to include measurable metrics. Here are 7 ways to do that (that anyone from any background can use): 1. Time How long did it take you to achieve something? Was that faster that usual or ahead of the timeline? If so, by how much? Ex: Reduced order fulfillment time by 50% YoY by implementing new tracking software 2. Scope What was the measurable scope of the project you worked on? How many people did you manage on this project? How many people use the product you work on? What was the budget for this project? Ex: Partnered with 3 cross-functional teams to ship new product feature to 17,500+ users 3. Efficiency Were you able to save budget? Save people time? Improve outcomes? Ex: Developed new ticket routing automation, increasing first-response efficiency by 45% and reducing customer wait time by 30%. 4. Productivity Were you able to reduce the hours invested in something? Did you squeeze more results out of the same timeframe? Ex: Overhauled financial modeling templates, improving productivity by 30% and enabling 20% more analyses per quarter 5. Revenue How much money did you generate for the business? How does that compare to the past? Ex: Spearheaded pipeline development for new SaaS feature generating $1.7M in new business within 6 months of launch 6. Comparison How did your results compare to the past? Did you do things faster? Better? Can you quantify and compare that to previous work? Ex: Implemented new scheduling philosophy, saving manager 3.5 hours of meetings per week (compared to last quarter) 7. What If None Of These Apply? If you're still not sure? Ask yourself two things: 1. What other teams / people leverage my work? 2 . Which of those teams / people have numbers tied to their roles Go find those people and ask them! For example, let's say you're a designer who made a brand new pitch deck for the sales team. Go talk to the sales team and: - Ask how many deals they've closed with your deck vs. the previous deck - Survey them and ask them to rate your deck compared to the previous deck You can always find a quantifiable way to measure your value if you're willing to get creative.

I’ve reviewed 2000+ resumes for AI/ML roles in the last 5 years. Here are 7 tips to make your resume stand out: 🔸 Tip 1: Showcase End-to-End Project Work Describe projects where you took an idea from concept to deployment. Outline the problem, data collection, model development, validation, and deployment. Demonstrate your ability to handle the entire lifecycle of an AI/ML project. 🔸 Tip 2: Quantify Your Contributions with Real-World Impact Use concrete metrics to quantify your achievements, such as 'Reduced customer churn by 20% through predictive modeling' or 'Increased sales by 15% with a recommendation system'. Real-world impact is more compelling than theoretical knowledge. 🔸 Tip 3: Highlight Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams Showcase your ability to work with data engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders. Mention specific instances where you collaborated to deliver impactful AI/ML solutions. 🔸 Tip 4: Emphasize Deployment Experience Highlight your experience with deploying models into production environments using tools like Docker, Kubernetes, or cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, and Azure. Include specific examples and the impact they had. 🔸 Tip 5: Include Open Source Contributions If you’ve contributed to open-source AI/ML projects, list these contributions. Mention any significant pull requests, issues resolved, or your role in major projects. This demonstrates your commitment and expertise. 🔸 Tip 6: Focus on Recent Technologies Mention your proficiency with LLMs, reinforcement learning, or other generative AI technologies. Highlight any recent work or projects involving these technologies. 🔸 Tip 7: Keep Up with Industry Trends Stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in AI/ML. Mention any relevant courses or technologies you have learned and always keep that tab up-to date. This shows your dedication to continuous learning and staying current in the field. #ai #career #resume

"Can you explain this gap in your resume?" Career gaps are NOT a character flaw. In fact, quite the opposite. A career gap can indicate someone who is: ✅ Clear on their priorities ✅ Confident enough to make tough choices ✅ Mature and responsible When my youngest was 3, he had severe asthma (Level 4) which meant that he was hospitalized nearly weekly. My life was a series of doctor's appointments, caring for my older child, and working a full-time job that required travel. I was beyond fortunate that my direct supervisor and my employer told me to do whatever was needed to care for him. Without that grace, I surely would have had to quit my job and it would have been the right decision. As a result, I learned how to: ↳ Set boundaries and manage my time better ↳ Work strategically and efficiently ↳ Delegate and train others But not everyone has that luxury. I recently worked with a client who left a job to care for her aging mother. I discovered that when she got a question about the gap, she was trying to hide it. She's not alone. Most people make these critical mistakes when addressing resume gaps: ❌ Apologizing excessively ❌ Providing too many personal details ❌ Sounding defensive or unprepared ❌ Focusing on the gap instead of their value ❌ Making up elaborate explanations Here's how successful candidates handle gaps with confidence: 1️⃣ Own your story without apology ↳ Be matter-of-fact about what happened 💡Why? Confidence signals that you view your path as valid and valuable. 2️⃣ Focus on growth during the gap ↳ Highlight skills developed, relevant volunteer work, courses, or projects 💡Why? Employers see that you're proactive and committed to growth. 3️⃣ Redirect to your strengths ↳ Quickly pivot to why you're perfect for this role 💡Why? The interview is about your fit, not your past. 4️⃣ Prepare a concise explanation ↳ Practice a response that feels natural with only relevant details 💡Why? Being prepared eliminates anxiety and helps you respond thoughtfully. 5️⃣ Address it proactively when appropriate ↳ Bringing it up first allows you to own the story Gaps happen because of parenting decisions, health issues, caregiving responsibilities, layoffs, career pivots, and countless other valid reasons. What matters most is not the gap itself but how you've grown from it and why you're the right person for the job NOW. ♻️ Repost to help others navigate their job search with confidence 🔔 Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more career and job search advice 📌DM me if you'd like to discuss your personal situation or get support

Despite what you may have heard about sticking to one page, there's no hard-and-fast rule for how long your resume should be. Let me break down the pros and cons to help you make the right choice for you. 𝐏𝐫𝐨: 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 Single-page resumes make you summarize your points concisely. You'll be less tempted to add fluff. Hiring managers appreciate candidates who can pitch their skills succinctly rather than waste their time.This is ideal for entry-level job seekers and recent graduates. 𝐂𝐨𝐧: 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐃𝐨 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 For executives and mid-level professionals, a one-page resume simply won't showcase your achievements effectively. Your years of experience and accomplishments are worth sharing with hiring managers. Don't fear that second page! Research shows recruiters were 2.3 times more likely to hire someone with a two-page resume (and 2.9 times more likely for managerial roles). 𝐒𝐨, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞? If you're a recent graduate or seeking entry-level roles, one page is typically sufficient. Employers expect minimal experience and will appreciate conciseness. When competing for higher-level roles, hiring managers expect longer resumes. Two pages give you space to clearly express your skills, accomplishments, and experience without cutting essential details. For executives with extensive accomplishments, publications, or specialized training, a three-page resume may be best. Use that third page strategically for publications, education, and awards. Here are 5 general guidelines to help you maximize every inch of resume space: 1. Ditch the Filler Cut fluff or "resume speak" from your resume. Instead, incorporate keywords from the job description to show how you match their requirements. 2. Skip the Technical Jargon Employers are more impressed by concise, powerful statements than technical, complex words. Aim for simple, substantial, memorable statements. 3. Strengthen Your Case with Supporting Details Replace long-winded sentences with action verbs and specific achievements. Add impressive stats or even visual elements that provide proof without distracting. 4. Use a Readable Font Make sure your font isn't so small that it's hard to read. Hard to read = won't be read. Also, don't go with too large of a font, it can give the impression of being more junior level. Not the impression executives want to make. 5. Keep It Relevant & Interesting Each statement should explain why your skills and experience make you the ONLY ONE for the job. Tailor your resume to the specific position rather than telling your entire work history. Need help with formatting? Here's a resume template perfect for executives and mid-career professionals: https://lnkd.in/euFAH39f Save it now for your next resume update. #careers

I recently talked to a client with a 3 years employment gap. They were afraid no employer would take them seriously. This fear is real, and I get it. But here’s what I’ve seen time and again: It’s not the gap that matters. It’s how you explain it and what you’ve done with your time. Life happens, and hiring managers understand that. What they’re looking for is growth, accountability, and initiative. This is what I encouraged them to do: 1️⃣ Acknowledge the gap. Own it with confidence. For example: “I took time off to [reason], and during that time, I [productive activity or growth].” 2️⃣ Show the value. Did you upskill, take online courses, freelance, volunteer, or work on personal projects? Highlight how these experiences make you a stronger candidate. 3️⃣ Be strategic and concise. You don’t need to overshare. Keep the focus on how you’re prepared for the role you’re applying for. 4️⃣ Practice your narrative. Hiring managers will sense your ease and trust your explanation if you present it well. The gap you look at doesn’t matter so much, but how you look at it does. Don’t let it stop you from applying. If you need help turning your gap into an asset, message me and we'll map out the steps to ace any interview.

This is one of the most important things I’ve learned about resumes, and most don’t do it. Not doing this can hurt your chances of getting an interview 👇 Your resume 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 a description of what you are 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 for. Your resume 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 a collection of your 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 to the job you are applying for! Here's a simple example: A Project Manager's resume that describes what they are 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 for looks like this: - Delivered the project on time and within budget. - Communicated updates regularly to all stakeholders. This is a terrible way to "stand out" - In this example, every Project Manager is responsible for delivering projects on time and budget, and for communicating with stakeholders. In other words, there's nothing 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 about this person's resume. Your resume has to show: - Evidence that you have the experience they are looking for (Tailored resume) - Evidence of the value you bring to the team (Your past accomplishments) To write a resume that 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭, here’s what you should do 👇 Write 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, not what you were responsible for : - What did you do? - What was the impact? - How did you accomplish it? Use the “𝐗 + 𝐘 + 𝐙” formula to write accomplishments: “Accomplished [𝐗] as measured by [𝐘], by doing [𝐙]” 🛑 Instead of writing: “Delivered a project on time and budget” ✅ Write this: 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 [𝐗]: “Launched ____ project” 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 [𝐘]: “1 month ahead of schedule and increasing ROI by Z%” 𝐁𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 [𝐙]: “, by creating a new communication process that allowed low and medium risk tickets to be pre-appproved, reducing friction during development” Together X + Y + Z: “Launched ___ project 1 month ahead of schedule and increasing ROI by Z%, , by creating a new communication process that allowed low and medium risk tickets to be pre-appproved, reducing friction during development” 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 help you show that you have the experience companies look for in 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 of a project that had impact to customers, your team or the organization. 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 your 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 to the job you are applying to will increase your chances of getting an interview. Adding more colors, graphs and random keywords will not. A few extra tips as you go through your accomplishments: 1. Not every accomplishment will have a number (impact). It’s ok, try to have as many as possible. 2. Accomplishments tailored to the job you are applying to >>>> accomplishments you believe are the most important. 3. You can skip the XYZ formula and instead write them as: Verb in past tense + what you did + the impact it had. ------ 🚀 Need help with your resume or Product Management interviews? Check out my comment below for THE BEST resources 👇 #productmangement #resume

Working on your resume and want to show your impact? Here are two things to remember: 1. Impact is almost never related to keywords in the *job description.* Impact comes from turning around or resolving a business problem. These business problems rarely show up in job descriptions. 2. To show impact, your *accomplishment* needs to be put in the context of the business problem it solved. That is, impact = "<a problem existed>, so <I did a thing>, and <business benefits resulted>." Your resume must show impact for the hiring manager to bring you in for an interview. For example (based on a story from a client I worked with): * Brattle had long struggled to quantify analyst performance, limiting business success. I developed an accurate algorithm and internal tool that supported analyst decisions, gave managers clear tracking, and became a competitive differentiator - accelerating sales cycles and removing a key barrier to growth. This bullet: • Sets the context of a meaningful problem ("failure to quantify analyst performance") and why it was worth solving. • Shows the business outcome ("decision support" and that it created a competitive differentiator leading to faster sales). • Implies mastery of many key product management skills - discovery, prioritization, working with developers, etc. Review your resume's bullet points. Is it clear what business problem your accomplishments address? Is it clear why the result was meaningful? (I don't mean, "Could someone 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴?" I mean is it explicitly clear, no guessing required?) Are your bullet points showing your impact? Or are they simply saying, in effect, "I did my job." --- (Yes, I know it's long, and it has no metric - but it's still 10x more likely to get my client an interview than his previous bullet point - because it shows his impact. Here's the original: "Developed improvement processes around data quality of risk analytics, resulting in greater confidence in the attribution platform and reducing the team’s manual efforts by ~20 hours per month." Nothing about competitive differentiation or accelerated sales. Nothing about a long-term struggle to come to grips with this analysis. Just a useless metric that may or may not represent a meaningful change.)

We all know that the first step of looking for a job is having a resume that passes the #ATS! Did you think I was going to say one that expertly and succinctly illustrates the value and impact you created throughout your career? Yes, that is important too, but first you need to think about how you will get your impactful resume past that dreaded ATS! To help you check if your resume is ATS-worthy, here are a few tips: 1. Tailor Your Resume to the Job Description 💎 Tip: Customize your resume for each job application. (I know it’s annoying!) Carefully review the job description and include relevant keywords and phrases that match the role. This increases the chances of passing the ATS filters. 🔥 Action: Highlight specific skills, experiences, and accomplishments that align with the job requirements. Use exact keywords from the job posting. 2. Use a Clean & Professional Layout 💎 Tip: A well-organized resume with a clear, professional design can make a strong impression. Avoid overly complex formatting, graphics, or unusual fonts, as they can confuse the ATS. 🔥 Action: Stick to standard resume formats (chronological, functional, or combination). Use bullet points, consistent headings, and a readable font (e.g., Arial, Calibri). 3. Focus on Achievements, Not Just Responsibilities 💎 Tip: Highlight your accomplishments rather than just listing job duties. Quantifiable achievements demonstrate your impact and value to potential employers. 🔥 Action: Use action verbs and metrics to showcase your achievements. For example, "Increased sales by 20% through strategic marketing initiatives." 4. Include Relevant Keywords 💎 Tip: Incorporate keywords related to the job and industry throughout your resume. This helps the ATS identify your resume as a good match for the position. 🔥 Action: Use keywords naturally in your skills, experience, and summary sections. Avoid keyword stuffing, as it can make your resume difficult to read. 5. Proofread and Edit Thoroughly 💎 Tip: Spelling and grammatical errors can make a negative impression and potentially disqualify your resume. Proofread carefully to ensure it's error-free. 🔥 Action: Use tools like Grammarly for initial checks, but also manually review your resume. Consider having a friend or mentor review it as well for a fresh perspective. Bonus Tips: 💎 Use a naming convention that is memorable for others: Malik_resume_LD_CompanyX.pdf 💎 Use PDF formats when sharing your resume via email or ATS – this preserves your fonts and formatting. If you have any other resume tips, please feel free to share in the comments – let’s support each other in landing those dream jobs! But first…let’s get past that ATS! You got this! #ResumeTips #JobSearch #CareerAdvice #ATS #JobHunting #InterviewTips #CareerGrowth #ATStips #ProfessionalDevelopment #LeadershipDevelopment #GrowthMindedConsulting GrowthMinded Consulting LLC