How to Write a Resume That Doesn’t Look Like a School Assignment

Dear Curious Minds,

No way…. Are you still writing your Resume like this — listing every duty from every job, describing tasks in a passive tone, or using vague statements? If so, you run the risk of blending into the crowd. Hiring managers and recruiters often spend only seconds on the first read — they’re not grading essays, they’re deciding whether to call you.

I know many of you are thinking of switching careers or stuck in a dilemma about whether you should pursue an engineering or product role. You know what? Whichever way you decide to go, each job type should have its own resume. Okay… let’s talk about some resume templates and strategies you can use!

To my future colleagues or students, let me guide you through how you can improve your resume writing skills. Below are simple steps you can follow to strengthen your resume. And of course, feel free to use free references to compare your resume before applying for your next adventure!

Step 1: Create a Tailored Resume Based on the Job Description (Highly Recommended)

Stop using one generic resume for all jobs — in my opinion, that’s a pretty bad idea. Think about it: you only have 6–7 seconds to tell recruiters and hiring managers who you are. Highlight skills, tools, and achievements that match the job you want — not the job you had. And yes, you’ll create those matching descriptions based on your actual experience.

Step 2: Use Strong, Active Verbs

Please do not use words like “helped with”, “part of”. Instead, use stronger, more technical verbs like “implemented”, “designed”, “analyzed” etc. You can also take relevant keywords directly from the job description.

Step 3: Keep it clean and skimmable

Use a consistent number of bullet points (each section should have 3–4), clear section headings, consistent formatting, and avoid large paragraphs. You can easily use free resume templates from university websites or even LinkedIn where recruiters or engineers share their templates.

Ste 4: Prioritize relevance over history

If you had cashier experience at a Frozen YoYo place — that’s cool, but don’t include that in your technical resume if you’re applying for a Software Engineering position.

Step 5: Use keywords smartly

Have you heard of ATS? It stands for Applicant Tracking System — and it scans for keywords. I highly suggest you pick keywords directly from the job posting and include them naturally in your bullet points. This increases your chances of making it to a human. Trust me!!! (Or not hehe)

Step 6: Always end with a proofread

Read your resume out loud and make sure it sounds natural and has no grammar mistakes. Check your formatting — make sure the same bullet style, same spacing, and same tone are used throughout. You can always use a grammar tool or free resources for help.

Lastly, again, please create separate resumes for separate jobs. For example, a Product Manager resume should be completely separate from a Software Engineering or Data Science resume.

I’m attaching some free references for you to take a look at!

REFERENCES:

University of Washington – Resume Templates (https://careers.uw.edu/resources/sample-resumes/)

Stanford University — Resume Templates (https://careered.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj22801/files/media/file/resume-and-cover-letter-examples.pdf)

Harvard University - Resume Templates (https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/resources/bullet-point-resume-template/)

Grammar Checker: ChatGPT, Grammarly, Google Docs (built-in)

Best Regards,

Until next time — stay curious!