ATS Optimization
| Item | Description |
|---|
File Format | PDF is universally accepted. But test with a text extractor — if text can't be copied, ATS can't read it. |
Keyword Matching | Mirror keywords from job description. If they say 'Kubernetes' don't write 'k8s'. |
No Images/Charts | ATS can't read them. No columns (use standard layout). No headers/footers for key info. |
Standard Sections | Contact, Summary, Skills, Experience, Education. ATS expects these labels. |
Font Choice | Arial, Calibri, Helvetica. No custom/script fonts. 10-12pt. |
Length | 1 page for <10 years experience. 2 pages for 10+. No 'References available upon request.' |
Action Verbs by Category
| Item | Description |
|---|
Leadership | Spearheaded, Orchestrated, Championed, Directed, Established, Founded |
Achievement | Delivered, Achieved, Exceeded, Surpassed, Secured, Generated |
Innovation | Designed, Architected, Pioneered, Engineered, Prototyped, Conceptualized |
Optimization | Streamlined, Optimized, Automated, Reduced, Consolidated, Standardized |
Collaboration | Partnered, Facilitated, Coordinated, Aligned, Mediated, Liaised |
Analysis | Analyzed, Diagnosed, Forecasted, Modeled, Evaluated, Audited |
Quantifying Impact
| Item | Description |
|---|
Revenue/Cost | 'Increased revenue by $2.3M (15% YoY)' — always include percentage AND absolute |
Efficiency | 'Reduced deployment time from 4 hours to 12 minutes (20x improvement)' |
Scale | 'Scaled system from 10K to 2M daily active users with 99.9% uptime' |
Team Impact | 'Mentored 5 junior engineers, 3 promoted within 18 months' |
Code/Technical | 'Reduced API latency P99 from 800ms to 120ms through query optimization' |
Process | 'Introduced code review process adopted by 8 teams, catching 40% more bugs pre-production' |
Common Mistakes
| Item | Description |
|---|
Objective Statement | Replace with 2-line summary: 'Senior Backend Engineer with 7 years...' |
Job Descriptions | Don't list duties. Write achievements. 'Managed database' → 'Optimized PostgreSQL, cut query time 60%' |
'We' Language | Use 'I'. 'We shipped...' → 'I led the team that shipped...' — owns contribution. |
Technology Graveyard | Don't list every tech. List what's relevant to THIS job. Tailor per application. |
Education at Top (experienced) | After 3+ years, education goes below experience. GPA optional after first job. |
Pro Tip: Your resume has 6 seconds to impress. Lead with impact metrics: 'Increased revenue by X%' not 'Responsible for revenue growth.' ATS scans for keywords first — human reads what survives.