Resume Craft

Core Principles

1. Ask questions, don't make things up. Unsure about a claim? Ask the user. Never fabricate experience, metrics, or titles.
2. Accuracy over seniority. A truthful resume beats an inflated one every time.
3. One page, no exceptions. Trim bullets, consolidate skills, cut filler.
4. Match the audience. A regional bank reads differently than a FAANG. Adjust tone, terminology, and emphasis to fit.
5. Keywords matter, but naturally. Incorporate JD language without keyword-stuffing.

Workflow

1. Gather Materials

Check for the user's source resume or experience document. If none exists, ask for:

• Current resume or experience summary
• Target role URL or job description text
• Specific preferences or constraints

Do not proceed without understanding the user's real background. If information is vague, ask clarifying questions before writing.

2. Analyze the Job Description

• Separate must-have vs nice-to-have requirements
• Note specific technologies, tools, certifications mentioned
• Identify skill gaps between user's experience and JD
• Flag red flags (vague JD, "wear many hats", excessive "fast-paced") and green flags (salary disclosed, clear tech stack, team structure)
• Determine the audience: startup vs enterprise, technical vs business, FAANG vs regional

3. Craft the Resume

Header

• # FULL NAME (18pt bold, centered)
• Contact info on one line, pipe-separated: City, State | email | phone | linkedin
• Never put the target role as a subtitle. That implies you currently hold that title. Use no subtitle or the candidate's actual title/tagline.

Summary (2-3 sentences max)

• Lead with years of experience + core domains + industries
• Keep claims realistic and grounded
• Avoid filler: "proven track record", "results-driven", "passionate", "dynamic"
• Match tone to audience -- "senior technical advisor" not "executive advisor" for non-FAANG

Skills (4-5 rows max)

• Lead with skills mentioned in the JD
• Remove skills not relevant to the role
• Format: **Category:** Skill1, Skill2, Skill3
• Do NOT use markdown tables -- the PDF parser can't handle them
• Include certifications inline when relevant: AWS (Solutions Architect Pro)

Experience (reverse chronological)

• Always list in strict reverse chronological order. Most recent first. Double-check dates before finalizing.
• Reorder bullets within each role to lead with most JD-relevant
• Rewrite bullets using JD keywords naturally
• Quantify impact: users, %, time saved, $ amounts
• Say "internal users" for internal tools (not "users" which implies external)
• Format: [Action Verb] + [What] + [How/Result] + [Impact/Metric]
• Trim older roles to 2 bullets max
• Remove bullets that don't support the target role

Certifications & Education

• List relevant certifications by name, not count ("Solutions Architect Pro" not "12 certifications")
• For expired certs: omit dates or say "earned 2020"
• Include degree, school, and year

Community / Advocacy (optional)

• One line max. Don't mix unrelated info here.

4. One Page Check

If the resume spills to a second page:

1. Trim least relevant bullets first
2. Consolidate skills rows
3. Shorten section headers
4. Remove filler words
5. Reduce spacing only as last resort

5. Post-Generation Review

After presenting the tailored resume, provide:

Strengths: What makes this candidate competitive for this specific role Gaps: Requirements not fully met and how to address them (courses, projects, reframing) Recommendations: Cover letter hooks, interview talking points, or skills to highlight

6. Generate PDF

Convert Markdown to professional PDF using the bundled script:

pip install reportlab  # one-time setup
python scripts/generate-resume-pdf.py resume.md resume.pdf

Markdown Format for PDF Compatibility

The PDF script parses a specific markdown structure. Follow this exactly:

# FULL NAME

City, State | [email protected] | 555-123-4567 | linkedin.com/in/handle

---

## PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Two to three sentences. Grounded and specific.

## SKILLS

**Category One:** Skill A, Skill B, Skill C
**Category Two:** Skill D, Skill E, Skill F

## PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

### Company Name | City, State
**Job Title** | Start Date -- End Date

- Quantified achievement bullet
- Another achievement bullet

## CERTIFICATIONS & EDUCATION

**Certifications:** Cert A, Cert B
**Education:** B.S. Field of Study, University Name, Year

Critical rules:

• **bold** for skill categories and role titles, never markdown tables
• Contact info uses | pipe separators on one line
• --- only once (after contact info) as header divider
• ## for section headers, ### for company names, - for bullets

Special Considerations

Career changers: Lead with transferable skills. Reframe past experience using the target role's language. Address the transition in the summary.

Technical roles: Include a prominent skills section. List languages, frameworks, tools. Link to GitHub/portfolio if relevant.

Senior / executive roles: Focus on strategic impact, team building, revenue. Keep technical details lighter. Can extend to 2 pages if 15+ years.

Recent graduates: Lead with education. Include relevant coursework, projects, internships. Emphasize leadership in student orgs.

Non-traditional backgrounds (no degree, career gap, self-taught): Lead with experience and certifications. Don't hide gaps -- frame them positively. Certifications and projects speak louder than degrees.

PDF Spacing Reference

Common Mistakes

Tips for Best Results

• Be specific: Provide the complete job description, not just a title
• Share real metrics: Numbers, percentages, team sizes, dollar amounts
• Mention constraints: Page limits, format preferences, sections to include/exclude
• Iterate: Ask for revisions, alternative emphasis, or different tone
• Multiple roles: Generate separate tailored versions for each application
• Review before sending: Always verify accuracy -- the skill optimizes, you verify