10 step process to uplevel your resume
A strong resume is not about beating applicant tracking systems. It’s about telling a clear, compelling story that makes people want to meet you — especially when paired with strategic networking and referrals.
There are so many strong opinions and perspectives on resumes. It’s impossible to sort through all the information and reconcile contradictory advice. The good news is that I’ve written hundreds of resumes that have helped job seekers tell their story, make a great impression and get the interviews they want.
My approach is different than most who focus on getting past applicant tracking systems (ATS). I believe the best way to get an interview is to network — getting referred for roles. Referrals often go through a different channel and significantly increase your chances of getting in front of a recruiter.
I also advise clients to network strategically to get introduced to hiring managers for informationals, which often leads to a screen.
With that in mind, I’ve created a 10 step process that makes it easier to create a compelling resume.
The 10 step resume writing process
Step 1: Review relevant content. Take a look at your current resume and highlight the parts you want to include. Review past performance reviews and/or talk to former colleagues and managers to recall key accomplishments and results.
Step 2: Select a template. Most templates still look like the ones we used in school. The advantage is that they’re optimized for applicant tracking systems. The downside is they look like every other resume and feel outdated.
A great way to stand out is to use a modern design. Use a layout that showcases skills and expertise and provides room for a profile section, which gives people a better idea of who you are.
I’m a big proponent of getting referrals to jobs and introductions to hiring managers so you’re not dependent on ATS. This gives you the freedom to be more creative with your resume. You can also buy resume templates — there are hundreds available and they’re typically inexpensive.
Step 3: Add name and contact info. Use the name you go by. If your full name is Christopher, but you always go by Chris, then use Chris.
Make sure you’re using a current email address like @gmail or @outlook. Older ones like yahoo or aol can give the impression that you’re out of date.
If your area code doesn’t match the city where you live, add your city and state. Don’t include your street address and zip code — that’s outdated and this is your resume, not an application.
Add your LinkedIn profile URL. It should be clean and customized (for example: linkedin.com/in/yourname).
Step 4: Add education. Include your undergraduate and graduate degree(s). You can include honors and study abroad programs, but keep this section clean.
Don’t include dates — this helps avoid bias toward age.
If you’ve taken recent courses, add them to your LinkedIn profile instead. However, if you’ve completed an executive program, you can include it here.
Step 5: List jobs, titles and dates. If you have over 15 years of experience, you don’t need to list every job. You can go back 12–15 years.
If earlier roles are relevant, add an “Additional Experience” section with company, title and sometimes a short description — without dates.
Choose a format and stay consistent. For example: COMPANY | CITY, ST | YEAR — YEAR, with the position title on the next line.
Step 6: Add bullets to each job. Bullets should be crisp and clear. Similar to the STAR/CAR format, include what you did and the results.
Not every outcome needs a number, but every bullet should show impact.
Keep bullets to two lines when possible, avoid jargon and prioritize by importance.
You can also add a high level description before the bullets to give an immediate sense of your role and scope.
Example:
Created and led a virtual center of excellence to scale the adoption of analytics and insights through data, technology, people and business processes.
Led global performance marketing team that delivered predictive models, big data analytics and business intelligence insights to help marketing and sales make data-driven decisions, improve campaign performance and measure success against KPIs.
Step 7: Add expertise or skills. Use a sidebar or dedicated section to highlight your strengths.
Use “Skills” if you have less than 10 years of experience and “Expertise” if you have more. Focus on the top 12–15 things you do well.
Avoid listing generic traits like communication or collaboration. Instead, weave those into your profile.
Step 8: Write your profile. This is your narrative. It’s similar to an elevator pitch, typically written in third person and kept to one or two paragraphs.
It should describe who you are, your strengths, what you’re passionate about and the impact you make.
Example:
Strategic product leader with demonstrated success in setting the vision, strategy and roadmap to deliver innovative products that drive adoption and revenue. Expertise in product lifecycle management of B2C products and APIs using SaaS, AI and machine learning.
Big picture thinker with a mind for technical and business details. Adept at diagnosing and solving complex problems. Passionate about building and developing high performing teams to deliver exceptional results.
Step 9: Finesse the formatting. Consistency is the overarching guideline.
Add spacing between bullets to improve readability. Make sure alignment, font sizes and formatting are consistent throughout.
When exporting to PDF, check spacing and margins to ensure the document is easy to read.
Step 10: Review and finalize. Read every sentence aloud to catch errors and awkward phrasing.
Ask someone with a strong eye for detail to review your resume and provide feedback.
Check for consistency in punctuation and capitalization. If you use periods at the end of bullets, make sure every bullet follows the same format.
Name your file clearly (for example: YourName Resume 2023). If you’re tailoring it, include the company name to stay organized.
And voilà — you’ve created a compelling resume.
