This article captures best practices to format a resume document, communicate your expertise in resume bullets, and tailor it to specific job opportunities.
Resume Format
[share example formats and links]
Resume Bullets
Each resume bullet should communicate what you did (the deliverable or achievement), how you did it, the value derived from it, and the context of the impact (why you did it).
Best Practices
Readers have a short attention span. They will move on if they spend too much time understanding the bullet.
Don’t use acronyms unless the term is well understood in the domain (e.g., SQL).
Don’t refer to internal company tools by name; generalize the capability so the reader quickly understands it.
Keep resume bullets to no more than two lines.
Remove words that are not essential to communicating the key points.
Leverage ChatGPT to reduce bullets to critical words and optimize keywords.
Select an ATS-friendly font. See recommendations from this 🤖 ChatGPT prompt.
Use a simple document structure for an ATS to process your resume easily.
1. What
The WHAT is what you delivered or achieved – interesting and relevant to your audience (e.g., Optimized marketing spend ……)
Describe deliverables in a way that is easily understood and transferrable to other companies.
Start the bullet with a strong action verb
Starting with a business-focused “what” can catch the reader’s attention, given that other companies may want a similar deliverable or outcome.
Think a few layers down to what you achieved at the end of the day.
2. How
The HOW is your skills, tools, and techniques to deliver the WHAT.
Showcase your technical and soft skills that are transferrable to other organizations. These words should use the keywords relevant to your field and job role.
The "how” part of the bullet will give you competency credibility - you have transferable skills to any company to hit the ground running on day 1.
3. Impact (the Value)
The IMPACT part of the bullet is the business results in qualitative or quantitative terms.
Describe tangible business outcomes, ideally quantitatively, that is relevant to other companies, such as customer satisfaction, lower cost, increased revenue, and productivity.
The impact statement can be qualitative, if not easily measured, and quantitative (10-15%) ranges.
The “impact” part of the bullet will give you business credibility - you get hired based on your track record of solving business problems and delivering business outcomes. You need to connect the WHAT and HOW that delivered the IMPACT.
4. Why
The WHY part of the bullet is optional “context” to showcase where and how this work fits into a larger, strategic initiative. It can help raise the significance and impact of your work.
Examples
These examples are in the format: [WHAT] [HOW] [IMPACT] [WHY]
[Migrated legacy, on-prem data warehouse to the cloud] [by redesigning a robust data model and using SQL to convert and provision data into AWS Redshift], [reducing monthly costs by 30% ($25K)] [as part of the company’s digital transformation program]
Keyword Optimization and Boosting Impact Using AI
Keyword Optimization
Optimizing a resume for the top keywords for a specific role or job posting is essential to competing with Application Tracking Systems (ATS) that process and filter resumes. Take a bot vs. bot approach to improve the likelihood of your resume scoring high.
🤖 ChatGPT prompt: What are the top 15 most important keywords in this job description: [copy and paste the JD text here]
🤖 ChatGPT prompt: Which of those keywords is missing from my resume: [copy and paste your resume text here]
Remember to remove PII data such as your name, phone number.
ChatGPT will generate a numbered list of keywords. Then, select a keyword that you have experience with.
🤖 ChatGPT prompt: Suggest 3 ways to add #7 to my role at [company name here]
This example prompt used the keyword listed #7 in the list generated by ChatGPT.
Review ChatGPT's suggested text for accuracy and refine it as needed.
Boosting Impact
🤖 ChatGPT prompt: What are 3 specific ways I can add more quantitative and qualitative impact to my resume?
Application Tracking Systems (ATS)
As an Application Tracking System (ATS), I'm designed to automate the initial stages of the recruitment process. Here's how I work and tips on how to score highly:
How ATS Works
Resume Parsing: I scan and extract information from resumes, such as contact information, work history, education, and skills.
Keyword Matching: I analyze the job description provided by the employer and compare it with the content of your resume. I look for specific keywords and phrases that match the job requirements.
Ranking and Filtering: I rank your application based on the match between your resume and the job description. The hiring team then reviews the top-ranking resumes.
Compliance and Workflow: I also help maintain compliance with recruitment policies and automate workflow, like notifying candidates about their application status.
How to Score High
Use Relevant Keywords: Identify the keywords in the job description (skills, tools, qualifications) and incorporate them naturally into your resume.
Simplicity and Clarity: Use a clean, simple layout with standard headings (e.g., Education, Work Experience) because complex formats can confuse the ATS.
Use Standard Resume Sections: Stick to traditional section titles like "Work Experience," "Skills," and "Education" to ensure I recognize and correctly categorize the information.
Avoid Graphics and Tables: While visually appealing, graphics, tables, and other design elements can confuse me. Stick to text-based information.
Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume for each application, emphasizing the experience and skills that are most relevant to the job.
Use Full Job Titles and Acronyms: If the job listing uses an acronym, include both the acronym and the spelled-out form in your resume to ensure I recognize it.
Proofread for Spelling and Grammar: Errors can affect your ranking, as they might lead to misinterpretation of your resume's content. Use grammar and spelling-checking tools like Grammarly.
Advanced Tips
Quantify Achievements: Use numbers and metrics to quantify your achievements, making your contributions clear and impactful.
Use Both Hard and Soft Skills: Include a mix of technical and soft skills (like leadership or communication) relevant to the job.
Keep Updating Your Resume: As you gain more skills or experiences, continually update your resume to reflect these, especially for new applications.
By following these strategies, candidates can optimize their resumes to be more ATS-friendly, increasing their chances of being shortlisted for the next stage in the recruitment process.
Really useful breakdown, especially the sections on keyword optimization and quantifying impact. It’s easy to focus only on adding keywords, but making sure those keywords actually reflect your experience—and backing them up with measurable results—makes a much stronger resume. I’ve been using ATS Checker (https://atschecker.app) as part of this process to compare a resume with the job description and spot gaps before making changes. Combining that kind of ATS check with the strategies mentioned here feels much more effective than simply stuffing a resume with keywords.