Resume Structure
| Section | What to Include |
|---|
| Header | Name, phone, email, LinkedIn, portfolio URL — no photo, no address |
| Summary | 2-3 lines: who you are + what you've done + what you want. Optional for entry-level. |
| Experience | Last 10-15 years, reverse chronological. Each role: 3-5 bullets with metrics. |
| Skills | Hard skills (Python, AWS) + soft skills (leadership). Match job description keywords. |
| Education | Degree, school, year. GPA if >3.5 and <5 years out. Certifications go here or in skills. |
Bullet Point Formula
| Formula | Example |
|---|
| Action verb + what + result (metric) | "Redesigned checkout flow, increasing conversion 23% and generating $2.1M annual revenue" |
| Weak (no metric) | "Responsible for improving website performance" |
Action Verbs
| Category | Verbs |
|---|
| Leadership | Led, Directed, Spearheaded, Orchestrated, Mentored |
| Achievement | Increased, Reduced, Delivered, Launched, Generated |
| Technical | Architected, Engineered, Automated, Optimized, Deployed |
ATS Tips
| Do | Don't |
|---|
| Use standard section headings (Experience, Education) | Creative headers like "Where I've Been" confuse ATS |
| Match keywords from job description | Keyword stuffing — it should read naturally |
| Submit as PDF | Images, tables, columns — ATS can't parse them |
Pro Tip: Every bullet point needs a NUMBER. 'Improved performance' means nothing. 'Reduced page load time 40%, saving $300K/year in infrastructure costs' gets interviews. If you can't quantify it, it didn't happen.