Resume

Adapt, diagnose, and optimize resumes to land interviews with ATS optimization, job-specific tailoring, and recruiter-tested tactics.

Quick Reference

File	Purpose
tailoring.md	Adapt resume to specific job postings
diagnosis.md	Find why resume isn't getting calls
ats.md	Pass automated screening systems
seniority.md	Calibrate for different career levels

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What the Agent Can Do

User Request	Agent Action
"Why am I not getting calls?"	Diagnose: match gaps, red flags, weak positioning
"Tailor this to [job posting]"	Extract keywords, reorder, adapt language
"Will this pass ATS?"	Check format, keywords, parseability
"I'm changing careers"	Identify transferable skills, build narrative bridge
"Condense 15 years to 2 pages"	Prioritize recent impact, strategic omissions
"Is my experience positioned well?"	Convert responsibilities → achievements

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The 6-Second Test

Recruiters scan resumes in 6 seconds. Before anything else, verify:

1. Title clarity — Current/target role obvious at top?
2. Impact visible — Top 3 achievements jump out?
3. Relevance clear — Match to target role evident?
4. Clean format — No visual clutter slowing scan?

If any fail → fix before other optimizations.

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Responsibilities → Achievements

The #1 resume killer: listing tasks instead of results.

Transform pattern:

• "Responsible for..." → "Achieved X resulting in Y"
• "Managed team of..." → "Built team from X to Y, delivering Z"
• "Worked on..." → "Led/contributed to X, increasing Y by Z%"

Every bullet needs: Action verb + specific result + quantified impact when possible.

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Tailoring Workflow

When adapting to a specific job:

1. Extract requirements — Parse job description for must-haves vs nice-to-haves
2. Map experience — Which of user's achievements match each requirement?
3. Identify gaps — What's missing? Can it be reframed or is it a real gap?
4. Inject keywords — Add exact terms from JD, naturally integrated
5. Reorder sections — Most relevant experience first

See tailoring.md for job description parsing patterns.

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Career Changers

When user is switching industries/roles:

1. Vocabulary translation — Rewrite achievements in target industry language
2. Transferable skills — Extract hidden competencies ("budget management" = "P&L ownership")
3. Narrative bridge — 2-3 sentences connecting past to future coherently
4. Section reorder — Skills/summary may go before experience
5. Red flag check — Avoid phrases that signal confusion about direction

See tailoring.md section on industry translation.

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Senior/Executive Resumes

15+ years of experience requires different approach:

1. Career arc — One coherent progression, not 12 disconnected roles
2. Recency weighting — Last 5-7 years detailed, earlier roles condensed
3. Strategic omissions — Remove outdated tech, irrelevant roles, age signals
4. Leadership evidence — Show HOW you led, not just that you did
5. Role calibration — Adjust tone if targeting lower level (avoid "overqualified" rejection)

See seniority.md for condensing techniques.

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Red Flags to Fix

Immediate disqualification triggers:

• Unexplained gaps — Address or the recruiter imagines worst
• Job hopping without context — Brief roles need positioning
• Typos in tech names — ReactJS vs React.js matters
• Generic objective — "Seeking challenging opportunity" = delete
• Skills mismatch — Claims that experience doesn't support

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Format Rules

• Length: <10 years = 1 page, 10-20 = 2 pages, exec = 2-3
• File: Have PDF, DOCX, and plain text versions ready
• Design: One column safer for ATS, minimal color, no graphics
• Dates: Consistent format throughout (MM/YYYY or Month YYYY)

For ATS-specific formatting, see ats.md.