A Must-Follow Rule of Resume Building

I have helped a lot of people refine a pitch: a one-liner that helps them effectively message who they are and what they do well. It started as part of The Geek Whisperers, where we met with people to help them take the next step in their career. We were terribly underqualified, but that’s never a concern. People need to talk to others–anyone–to refine their pitch. It’s more a need for practice more than guidance.

That said, the single best detail you should change about your story is something I learned from one of these articles (that repeat each other):

• My Personal Formula for a Winning Resume (2014)
• Google Recruiters Say Using the ‘X-Y-Z Formula’ on Your Resume Will Improve Your Odds of Getting Hired at Google (2019)

Regardless of the source, the formula is rock solid:

Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]

The articles have plenty of good examples. Check them out.

Think about your keywords

Getting to an interview usually means getting past application tracking systems (ATS) as well as a deserning eye of a recruiter. Choose your pitch to include keywords that fit the specific job you’re after, like described in resume keywords to use and avoid.

Another great strategy for keywords includes using a competencies section. I hope the combination helps you land an interview. Then the real fun begins.

If you’re actively looking, I put together a helpful spreadsheet system I call the Job Hunting Pipeline Blueprint. Let me know if it works for you by saying hello on Twitter.