A resume that gets read, not just received.
Ten practical principles from the senior strategists at Career Elevate, plus rewrite examples, an ATS checklist and the mistakes we correct most often.
Skim first.
Hiring teams scan before they read. Your strongest evidence must be visible in the first few lines.
Prove, don't claim.
Every adjective needs a result behind it. Numbers and outcomes beat descriptions of duties.
Edit hard.
Each line must earn its place. If it does not support the role you want, it is taking space from something that does.
Ten principles behind every resume we write.
Open with a summary that sells, not a statement of intent.
The first few lines decide whether the rest gets read. Replace the old “seeking a challenging role” objective with a short professional summary of three to four lines: who you are, the scale and scope of your experience, and the strongest proof of your value.
Write it for the role you are applying to. A reader should finish the summary knowing exactly why you belong in the shortlist.
Do
- Name your function and years of experience
- Mention one or two headline achievements
- Echo the language of the job description
Avoid
- “Hard-working team player” filler
- First-person pronouns throughout
- Paragraphs longer than four lines
Tailor every application to the role in front of you.
A single generic resume sent to every employer is the most common reason strong candidates are overlooked. Read the job description closely, identify the five or six things it emphasises, and make sure your resume visibly answers each one.
Tailoring does not mean rewriting everything. Keep a master version with all your achievements, then reorder and trim it for each application so the most relevant evidence appears first.
Quantify your achievements wherever you honestly can.
Numbers give a reader something concrete to remember and compare. Look for scale (team size, budget, users, volume), improvement (percentage, time or cost saved) and frequency (how often, how fast).
If you cannot cite exact figures, use reasonable approximations or ranges, and describe the outcome rather than the activity. Never invent or inflate numbers, because interviews will test every one of them.
Do
- Lead bullets with the result
- Show scale: people, money, volume
- Be ready to explain each figure
Avoid
- Listing duties without outcomes
- Exaggerated or unverifiable claims
- Numbers with no context
Begin every bullet with a strong, specific verb.
Phrases such as “responsible for” and “helped with” describe a job, not your contribution to it. A precise action verb signals ownership and makes each line shorter and sharper.
Vary your verbs so no two bullets in the same role begin alike, and use past tense for previous roles and present tense for your current one. See our verb bank further down this page for options by category.
Choose a clean structure and keep it consistent.
For most professionals, reverse-chronological order is the clearest format: contact details, summary, experience, skills, then education and certifications. Recruiters know where to look, and applicant tracking systems read it reliably.
Within each role, list your title, employer, location and dates, followed by a short scope line and three to six achievement bullets. Keep fonts, spacing, bullet style and date format identical throughout.
Write for the software first and the human second.
Many employers use applicant tracking systems to parse resumes and rank them against the posting. Complex layouts, text boxes, tables and graphics can scramble your content or hide it entirely.
Use standard section headings, a single column, plain bullets and the natural keywords from the job description. Use the checklist later on this page to test your own document.
Get the length right for your career stage.
There is no universal page count, but there is a sensible principle: include as much as the reader needs to say yes, and no more. Early-career candidates are usually well served by one page. Experienced professionals often need two to present a full record clearly.
Give the most space to your last ten to fifteen years, compress older roles into a line or two, and cut anything that does not support the role you are targeting.
Curate your skills instead of listing everything you know.
A focused skills section helps both software and people see an immediate fit. Group skills by theme (for example tools, methods and domains), place the ones the job asks for first, and drop outdated or obvious entries.
Avoid star ratings and progress bars. They are subjective, they do not parse reliably, and they invite questions you may not want. Show depth through the achievements in your experience section instead.
Present education and credentials with the right weight.
If you have several years of experience, education moves below your work history and can be kept brief: qualification, institution and year. Recent graduates may place it higher and add relevant coursework, projects or honours.
Include professional certifications and licences that are current and relevant, with the awarding body and date. Leave off qualifications that no longer help your case.
Proofread twice, then submit it properly.
A single typo can undermine an otherwise strong application, particularly for roles that require precision. Read the document aloud, check every date and employer name, and ask someone else to read it before you send it.
Save the file with a clear name such as FirstName-LastName-Resume and follow the file type the employer requests. When no format is specified, PDF preserves layout, while Word is sometimes safer for older systems.
Final checks
- Consistent dates and punctuation
- Working email and phone number
- Professional LinkedIn link
Remove
- Photos, unless the market expects one
- Full home address
- “References available on request”
See how a weak line becomes a strong one.
Illustrative examples showing the thinking behind our rewrites. Choose a scenario below.
Before
Responsible for managing a team and making sure projects were completed on time.
After
Led a team of 12 across three workstreams, delivering 9 of 10 projects on schedule and under budget.
Before
Worked with clients to sell products and meet targets.
After
Grew a portfolio of 40 accounts, exceeding annual sales target by 18% through consultative selling.
Before
Helped improve processes in the department.
After
Redesigned the order-fulfilment process, cutting average turnaround from five days to two.
Before
Involved in building and maintaining the company website.
After
Rebuilt the customer web platform in React, reducing page load time by 40% and support tickets by a quarter.
What changed: the strong version opens with a specific verb, states scale, and ends on an outcome. All figures here are examples only. Use your own verified numbers.
Stronger words for every kind of achievement.
Leadership
When you directed people or prioritiesLedDirectedMentoredChampionedMobilisedOversawDelivery
When you built or launched somethingLaunchedDeliveredDesignedEngineeredImplementedEstablishedGrowth
When you increased revenue or reachGrewExpandedSecuredGeneratedNegotiatedWonImprovement
When you made things better or cheaperStreamlinedReducedOptimisedAutomatedResolvedTransformedTest your resume against twelve checks.
Tick each item that is true of your current resume. The meter shows how ready it is for applicant tracking systems.
Start ticking to see your result.
Six errors we correct again and again.
Listing duties instead of achievements
The fix: for each bullet, ask “so what?” and add the result, scale or improvement that followed your action.
Sending the same resume everywhere
The fix: keep a master document and tailor the summary, bullet order and keywords for each application.
Overdesigned layouts
The fix: choose a clean single-column document. Strong content does far more than graphics ever will.
Including everything you have ever done
The fix: compress older or irrelevant roles to a line, and cut anything that does not support your target role.
Unexplained gaps and inconsistent dates
The fix: present dates consistently and address meaningful gaps briefly and honestly, in the summary or a single line.
An unmaintained LinkedIn or online profile
The fix: align titles, dates and achievements between your resume and public profiles, because recruiters will compare them.
Frequently asked questions.
Should my resume be one page or two?
Early-career candidates are usually best served by one page. Experienced professionals commonly need two to present a full record clearly. Whatever the length, every line must support the role you want.
Should I include a photo or my full address?
In most markets a photo is unnecessary, and a full home address is no longer expected. A city and region, email, phone number and LinkedIn link are enough.
How far back should my work history go?
Focus detail on the last ten to fifteen years. Earlier roles can be summarised in a single line each, or left out if they do not support your target role.
Do I need a cover letter as well?
If the employer invites or requires one, yes. A focused letter that argues your case for the specific role can set you apart, and Career Elevate writes these as well.
Can Career Elevate review my resume for me?
Yes. Our strategists offer professional resume writing and ATS optimisation, and you can request a review through our pricing page or book a confidential consultation.
Want a strategist to apply these to your resume?
Send us your current resume for a professional review, or book a confidential consultation to plan your next move.