Resume Writing

Strong Verbs

Avoid: responsible for, helped with, involved in, worked on Use: Led, architected, optimized, reduced, grew, improved, migrated, designed, shipped, prevented, diagnosed

Quantify Everything

• Don't say: "Improved performance"

• Say: "Optimized database queries, reducing API response time from 800ms to 200ms"

• Don't say: "Expanded reach"

• Say: "Grew user base from 10k to 100k through SEO optimization and referral program"

• Don't say: "Enhanced reliability"

• Say: "Reduced system downtime by 99% through automated monitoring and failover"

Tailoring for Job Descriptions

When applying to a specific role:

1. Extract keywords: Read the JD, find the top 5-7 skills/outcomes they value
2. Match your bullets: Do you have experience that demonstrates each skill?
3. Reorder your bullets: Put the most relevant bullet first, even if it's not your "biggest"
4. Update language: Use their language where it aligns with your experience

Example:

JD emphasizes:

"Expert in React/Next.js, strong TypeScript skills, experience with performance optimization and UI component libraries"

Your resume should lead with:

Led React/Next.js component library migration for 50+ internal teams, reducing bundle size by 35% through tree-shaking optimization and improving developer velocity by ~2 hours per sprint.

Instead of:

Worked on various frontend projects using React.

ATS Optimization

ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) parse resumes algorithmically. Make it easy:

Format for Parsing

• Simple structure: Use standard sections (Summary, Experience, Skills, Education)
• One column layout: Multi-column PDFs confuse parsers; single-column works best
• Standard fonts: Avoid decorative fonts, icons, graphics
• No tables or boxes: Parsers skip them
• Standard section headers: "Experience", "Skills", "Education" (not "Wins" or "Cool Stuff")

Keywords Matter

ATS matches your resume against job description keywords:

• If JD says "React" and your resume says "React", match ✓
• If JD says "React" and your resume only says "frontend", weak match ✗

Keyword strategy:

1. Read the JD
2. Extract 20-30 keywords (skills, tools, concepts)
3. Audit your resume: do these keywords appear?
4. Add them naturally in experience bullets and skills section

Skills Section

List technical skills, tools, and frameworks. This is keyword real estate:

Skills: React, Next.js, TypeScript, Node.js, PostgreSQL, AWS (EC2, RDS, Lambda),
Docker, Git, REST APIs, GraphQL, CSS/Tailwind, Jest, Git, CICD (GitHub Actions)

Don't write prose; just list what you know.

Structure

Order: Summary/Objective (optional) → Experience → Skills → Education → Certifications

Experience section:

• Company name, title, dates (month/year)
• 3-5 bullets per role (focus on recent, relevant roles; less detail for older ones)
• Format: verb + action + metric

Skills section:

• Group by category if helpful: "Languages: Python, JavaScript, Go. Databases: PostgreSQL, Redis. Tools: Docker, Kubernetes"
• Or just list alphabetically: "React, TypeScript, Node.js, PostgreSQL, AWS..."

Education:

• Degree, school, year (GPA optional unless > 3.8)

Certifications:

• Include if relevant to target role; skip otherwise

Length

1 page: Standard for early-career (< 5 years) 2 pages: Acceptable for mid-career (5-10 years) or highly relevant deep experience 3+ pages: Rarely necessary; likely means you're not prioritizing what matters

Don't artificially pad or compress. Aim for clear, dense bullets with high signal-to-noise.

Iterating Based on Feedback

If you're not getting interviews:

• Problem 1: Resume doesn't show relevance to target role

  • Solution: Audit job descriptions you're applying to; increase keyword match
  • Reorder bullets to lead with most relevant experience

• Problem 2: Bullets lack metrics or proof

  • Solution: Add numbers (time, percentage, scale) to every bullet
  • Replace vague language with specific outcomes

• Problem 3: ATS not parsing

  • Solution: Simplify format; remove graphics, tables, decorative fonts
  • Use standard section headers; put phone/email near top

• Problem 4: Getting interviews but not advancing

  • Problem is likely not the resume (it passed the screener)
  • Focus on interview prep, not resume optimization

Your resume is your ticket into the conversation. Make it count. 💼