Build a clear base version first
Use a simple, single-column layout with familiar headings: Summary, Work Experience, Education, and Skills where relevant. Put contact details near the top. Save a working copy you can edit for each role.
CareerOneStop recommends clean, consistent formatting and warns that tables, graphics, and columns can confuse some applicant tracking systems. Read the employer’s requested file format before submitting.
Show what you did and why it mattered
For each relevant role, start with a strong verb, name the work, and add a truthful result or scope. You do not need a dramatic metric. A useful line might say, “Coordinated weekly handoffs across three teams and reduced missed requests,” if you can explain exactly how.
Do not invent numbers, credentials, titles, or tools. If a metric is unavailable, use concrete scale: audience, frequency, process, or responsibility.
Tailor the top third
Compare the posting with your base resume. Move the most relevant experience up, mirror accurate terms from the role, and cut details that crowd out stronger proof. You should still sound like yourself.
For a career change, describe transferable work in the language of the new role. Keep the work history visible rather than hiding it behind a skills-only format.
This week: write three truthful achievement bullets and tailor one resume to a real posting.