Writing a Resume That Gets Read

Recruiters often spend less than a minute on a first pass. Your resume has to make the match obvious quickly.

Lead with relevance

Put a two-line summary at the top that mirrors the role you are applying for, followed by your most relevant experience.

Show results

Replace duties with outcomes: "Reduced page load time by 40%" says much more than "Responsible for performance".

Keep it clean

One or two pages, a readable font and consistent spacing. Avoid tables, images and graphics that applicant systems cannot parse.

Proofread

Ask a friend to read it. Typos in a resume suggest carelessness, even when the experience is excellent.

Tailor a version for each application. It takes ten minutes and noticeably improves your response rate.