Resume Tips from a Failure

About 7 years ago, I decided to pivot from government to tech because I wanted to work in a more dynamic industry. But I massively underestimated how hard that would be, and I failed. A lot. FOR YEARS. I had the wrong network, a terrible LinkedIn presence, and an old school resume.

Then I got smart and hired a badass coach who helped me get my stuff together. I landed my first tech job in 2018. And while I'm still frustrated that it took me so long to succeed, I've realized I didn't understand the game.

Now whenever I update my resume/LinkedIn, I think through four questions to make sure my resume is recruiter-friendly and I'm demonstrating how I'm an "achiever", not a "doer." I'm sharing my tips here because even though a lot of this is old news, as a hiring manager I still see lots of bad resumes.

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Question #1: "Why is my job important?"

Output of Question—Job Summary

For each job I've held, I think about:

• Why do I get paid?!
• Why does the company need my role?
• How do I ensure the company's success?

I start by writing a few sentences about why my company needs me, then I boil it down into a 1-sentence description job summary. Lots of candidates don't use job summaries, and it's really doing them a disservice because the summary's purpose is to get the reader interested in learning more about you!

A job summary should make readers want to learn more.

Example of Job Summary:

• Transformed NGINX's marketing strategy, driving adoption and revenue for a portfolio of 15 open source and commercial solutions.

Question #2: What am I proud of?

Output of Question—Achievement List

This is old news, but it bears saying again because I still see this mistake when I screen resumes: Your resume shouldn't read a job description - i.e. a list of things you do or were responsible for. That's a sign of a "doer."

Your resume shouldn't read a job description.

To get in the right mindset of "things I accomplished" not "things I did," I write a list of work that makes me proud of myself. This can include projects I executed and people I helped. This list will become the bullets under my job description.

Achiever Example:

• Provided invaluable market insights through an annual community survey, facilitating informed product management decisions and market awareness.

Doer Example:

• Owned the annual community survey

Question #3: What do the Numbers Say?

Output of Question—Quantifiable Results

Next I look at my list of accomplishments and think about how I can add numbers that quantify my impact. But be careful: don't add numbers if they don't tell the right story. Use of irrelevant data or antiquated metrics can backfire by sending the wrong message about your work. It might pass a resume screen but imagine if you have to explain those numbers to an interviewer. That's not a conversation I'd want to get into!

Don't include numbers if they tell the wrong story.

Achiever Example:

• Spearheaded a transformative sales motion, including innovative packaging and pricing, resulting in a significant $1.2m deal.

Doer Example:

• Created new packaging and a sales motion for the Kubernetes product line.

Question #4: "Which Skills Are Important to My Job?

Output of Question—Skills List

Although many companies now aspire to source candidates based on accomplishments, looking at skills is still a big part of the decision on whether to talk with a candidate. The inclusion of a skills list can help you pass the resume screen - though just like with numbers, make sure you can talk about how you've used the skills and their value.

When I make a skills list, I group by categories for easier reading (e.g. product marketing, project management) and I always include a non-technical section.?Click here ?for a report from the IBM Institute for Business that explains why!

Don't neglect non-technical skills!

Example Skill List:

• Product strategy and go-to-market
• Cross-functional leadership
• Packaging, pricing, and trials
• Customer insights and engagement
• Lead generation and community building
• Learning event design and delivery
• Sales, channel, and marketing enablement
• Discovery and pitch development
• Competitive analysis and positioning
• Facilitation, training, and public speaking

How to Test Your Resume

The target audience for resumes are recruiters (though consider hiring managers a secondary audience). Time is not their friend. And with lots of recruiters getting laid off whenever the economy declines, those who are left have really full plates. They probably can't get too familiar with every job title and worse, recruiters only scan resumes for an average of 6-7 seconds. Yikes.

Recruiters only scan resumes for an average of 6-7 seconds.

With this in mind, you want your resume to be as readable as possible. Once you have a draft, test and refine it using three methods:

• Phone a Friend: Send your resume to someone who isn't in your occupation, and ideally not even in your field. Ask them if they can understand what you do based on the resume and if they think it sounds interesting.
• Ask a Recruiter: I've found recruiters are often willing to give resume feedback. Chances are there are recruiters at your company who are willing to help, or you can make friends with recruiters on LinkedIn.
• Try Generative AI: Try a prompt like this - "Pretend you are a recruiter at a tech company that makes software developer tools. How would you recommend making this resume more compelling?"

Here's an example of a before/after with ChatGPT

• Before ChatGPT: Improved product management decision making and market awareness by providing quantitative and qualitative insights via the annual community survey.
• After ChatGPT: Provided invaluable market insights through an annual community survey, facilitating informed product management decisions and market awareness.