Resume Optimization

Comprehensive guidance for creating effective software engineering resumes that pass ATS systems and resonate with hiring managers.

When to Use This Skill

• Reviewing or improving a software engineer's resume
• Crafting impactful achievement bullets from work experience
• Optimizing resume content for ATS keyword matching
• Tailoring a resume for a specific job description
• Understanding modern resume structure and formatting

Core Principles

The Resume's Purpose

A resume is a marketing document, not a job history. Its purpose is to:

1. Pass ATS screening (keyword matching)
2. Capture a recruiter's attention (6-second scan)
3. Demonstrate value through quantified achievements
4. Secure an interview opportunity

What Makes Engineering Resumes Different

Software engineering resumes should emphasize:

• Technical impact: Specific technologies, scale, and performance improvements
• Business outcomes: Revenue, cost savings, user growth, time savings
• Leadership signals: Mentoring, cross-team collaboration, technical decisions
• Quantification: Numbers that demonstrate scope and impact

Resume Structure Quick Reference

Recommended Section Order

1. Contact Information - Name, email, phone, LinkedIn, GitHub (optional)
2. Professional Summary (optional) - 2-3 sentences for senior roles
3. Skills - Technical skills organized by category
4. Experience - Reverse chronological, 3-5 most relevant roles
5. Projects (optional) - For junior engineers or career changers
6. Education - Degrees, certifications, relevant coursework

Length Guidelines

Experience Level	Recommended Length
0-5 years	1 page
5-10 years	1-2 pages
10+ years	2 pages max

Formatting Essentials

• Font: Clean, readable (Calibri, Arial, Garamond - 10-12pt)
• Margins: 0.5-1 inch
• Format: PDF (preserves formatting)
• File naming: FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf

Achievement Bullet Formula

Action Verb + Specific Task + Quantifiable Result

[Strong Action Verb] [specific task/project] using [tools/methods], resulting in [quantified outcome].

Strong Action Verbs by Category

Category	Verbs
Technical	Architected, Built, Deployed, Engineered, Implemented, Integrated, Migrated, Optimized, Refactored, Scaled
Design	Analyzed, Designed, Documented, Modeled, Prototyped, Researched, Specified
Leadership	Championed, Coached, Led, Mentored, Pioneered, Spearheaded
Impact	Achieved, Boosted, Delivered, Improved, Increased, Reduced, Saved, Streamlined

Quantification Types

• Time: "Reduced deploy time from 2 hours to 15 minutes"
• Money: "Saved $50K/year in infrastructure costs"
• Scale: "Scaled system to handle 1M daily requests"
• Improvement: "Improved test coverage from 40% to 85%"
• Frequency: "Reduced support tickets by 70%"

ATS Optimization

What ATS Systems Look For

1. Keyword matching - Skills, tools, technologies from job description
2. Job title alignment - Titles that match or relate to the target role
3. Section structure - Standard sections that ATS can parse
4. Clean formatting - No tables, columns, graphics, or headers/footers

ATS-Friendly Practices

• Use standard section headings ("Experience", "Skills", "Education")
• Include both spelled-out terms AND acronyms ("Continuous Integration (CI)")
• Mirror exact phrases from job descriptions
• Avoid images, icons, or non-text elements
• Use bullet points (-, *, •) not custom symbols

Keyword Extraction Strategy

When tailoring for a job description:

1. Identify required skills - Listed in "Required" or "Must have" sections
2. Note preferred skills - Listed in "Nice to have" or "Preferred"
3. Capture soft skills - Leadership, communication, collaboration terms
4. Extract action verbs - What the job says you'll "do" or "lead"
5. Match technologies - Specific tools, languages, frameworks mentioned

Tailoring Strategy

The 80/20 Rule

• 80% base resume: Core experience and skills that apply broadly
• 20% customization: Targeted adjustments for each application

What to Customize

1. Professional Summary - Align with job's key requirements
2. Skills Section - Reorder to prioritize job's requirements
3. Achievement Bullets - Emphasize relevant accomplishments
4. Keywords - Incorporate exact terms from job description

Red Flags to Avoid

• Generic objective statements ("Seeking a challenging position...")
• Job duties instead of achievements ("Responsible for...")
• Unexplained gaps without context
• Typos or inconsistent formatting
• Outdated technologies prominently featured

References

For detailed guidance on specific topics:

• Resume Structure Guide - Section order, formatting, length
• Achievement Formula Guide - Transforming experience into impact
• ATS Keywords Guide - Keyword extraction and optimization
• Tailoring Guide - Matching resume to job description

Related Resources

• achievement-bullet output style - Format for achievement bullets
• /soft-skills:craft-achievement command - Transform descriptions into bullets
• /soft-skills:tailor-resume command - Adapt resume for specific job
• resume-coach agent - Interactive resume improvement

Version History

• v1.0.0 (2025-12-23): Initial release with core resume optimization guidance