The Golden Rule: Relevance Over Volume
The most common mistake job seekers make is treating their resume as a comprehensive career history. It's not. Your resume is a marketing document designed to get you an interview for a specific role.
Every bullet point should answer one question: "Why does this make me a great fit for THIS job?"
An Easy Rule of Thumb
If a bullet doesn't support the job you're applying for, it's a distraction. Keep it if it strengthens your case. Cut it if it just proves you were busy.
How Recruiters Actually Scan a Resume
Most recruiters don't read your resume top-to-bottom on the first pass. They scan for proof that you're a match.
- Title + company + dates: "What level are they at, and is the timeline clean?"
- First 1–2 bullets per role: "Is there impact here, or is this a job description?"
- Keywords + tools: "Do they speak the same language as the job posting?"
That's why the best resumes lead with high-impact outcomes, not a long list of responsibilities.
Start With Impact, Not Duties
Recruiters spend an average of 6-7 seconds on initial resume scans. Lead with your most impressive, relevant achievements instead of just listing out your job responsibilities.
"Responsible for managing social media accounts and creating content for the marketing team."
"Grew Instagram following from 5K to 50K in 8 months through data-driven content strategy, generating 200+ leads monthly."
A Simple Bullet Formula That Works in Any Industry
If you're not sure how to rewrite a bullet, use this structure:
Challenge → Action → Result
This is a simple way to turn "responsibilities" into achievement bullets: add context, say what you did, and end with a clear outcome. For the full framework + examples, see the CAR method.
"Helped with onboarding and improved customer experience."
"Reduced onboarding drop-off (C) → rebuilt the setup flow with guided steps (A) → increased activation from 41% to 57% within 6 weeks (R)."
Quantify Everything You Can
Numbers catch the eye and provide concrete evidence of your capabilities. Even if you don't have exact figures, use reasonable estimates.
Revenue & Savings
"Reduced operational costs by $50K annually" or "Generated $2M in new business"
Scale & Volume
"Managed a team of 12" or "Processed 500+ customer inquiries weekly"
Efficiency & Speed
"Reduced processing time by 40%" or "Delivered project 2 weeks ahead of schedule"
Growth & Improvement
"Increased customer retention by 25%" or "Improved test coverage from 60% to 95%"
No perfect metrics? Use a conservative estimate ("~10%"), a before/after ("48h → 4h"), or a scale proxy ("served 200+ users/week").
Use Strong Action Verbs
Begin each bullet point with a powerful action verb. Avoid passive language and overused words like "helped" or "assisted."
Leadership
Spearheaded, Orchestrated, Championed, Directed, Mobilised
Achievement
Delivered, Exceeded, Achieved, Surpassed, Accomplished
Creation
Designed, Developed, Engineered, Launched, Pioneered
Improvement
Optimised, Streamlined, Transformed, Enhanced
ATS & Keywords (Without Keyword-Stuffing)
Most companies use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). The goal isn't to "game" it, but to make it easy for software and humans to understand what you've done.
- Use standard section headers (Experience, Education, Skills)
- Match tool/skill wording to the job posting when it's true (e.g., "SQL", "Stakeholder management", "React")
- Put keywords in context (in bullets), not as a random keyword pile
- Avoid graphics-heavy templates that flatten poorly into text
Pro tip: Mirror the job description's language so your experience is instantly recognisable. Profolio can highlight the most relevant keywords and skills to include.
Tailor for Each Application
A generic resume is a weak resume. For each application, you should:
- Mirror keywords from the job description naturally
- Reorder bullet points to highlight the most relevant experience first
- Adjust your summary to align with the role's key requirements
- Remove irrelevant experience to keep it focused and concise
Pro tip: Profolio's Career Profile feature lets you store all your experiences in one place, then quickly select the most relevant ones for each application.
Keep It Clean and Scannable
Visual clarity matters as much as content. Follow these formatting guidelines:
- Length: One page for early-career, two pages maximum for senior roles
- Font: Clean, professional fonts at 10-12pt for body text
- Margins: At least 0.5 inches on all sides
- White space: Don't cram too much text into a small area. Having some breathing room makes your resume easier to scan. Profolio helps by handling layout and spacing automatically.
- Consistency: Same formatting throughout (dates, headers, bullets)
What NOT to Include
Replace with a brief professional summary focused on value you bring
This goes without saying and it wastes valuable space
No photo, age, marital status, or personal hobbies (unless relevant)
Focus on the last 10-15 years and relevant experience
The Final Check
Before submitting, always:
- Proofread for typos and grammatical errors (read it aloud!)
- Verify all dates and numbers are accurate
- Ensure contact information is current and professional
- Save as PDF to preserve formatting
- Name the file professionally (e.g., "John_Doe_Resume.pdf")
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