Resume Writing Cheatsheet

// Resume Basic Structure
[Full Name]
[Professional Title]
[Contact Information]
----------------------------

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
[2-3 sentences highlighting key strengths and career goals]

TECHNICAL SKILLS
• Languages: [Programming languages]
• Frameworks: [Relevant frameworks]
• Tools: [Development tools]
• Platforms: [Operating systems/platforms]

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
[Company Name] | [Location]
[Job Title] | [Dates]
• Achievement-oriented bullet points
• Quantifiable results where possible
• Technical implementations and solutions

EDUCATION
[Degree] | [Institution]
[Graduation Date] | [GPA if > 3.5]
[Relevant Coursework/Certifications]

// Contact Information Format
[Full Name]
[City, State] // Optional for privacy
[Professional Email]
[LinkedIn Profile]
[GitHub Profile]
[Portfolio Website]

// Example
Alexander Mitchell
Seattle, WA
alex.mitchell@email.com
linkedin.com/in/alexmitchell
github.com/alexmitchell
alexmitchell.dev

// Do Not Include
❌ Personal street address
❌ Multiple phone numbers
❌ Personal social media
❌ Unprofessional email addresses

// Achievement Formula
[Action Verb] + [Project/Task] + [Result/Impact]

// Examples
✅ "Developed microservice architecture reducing API response time by 60%"
✅ "Implemented CI/CD pipeline decreasing deployment time from 2 hours to 15 minutes"
✅ "Led team of 5 developers in rebuilding core platform serving 100K+ users"

// Weak Examples (Avoid)
❌ "Responsible for website maintenance"
❌ "Helped with development tasks"
❌ "Worked on various projects"

// Action Verbs for Tech
• Architected   • Engineered   • Optimized
• Implemented   • Developed    • Designed
• Automated     • Streamlined  • Deployed
• Refactored    • Integrated   • Launched

// Quantification Patterns
[Percentage] improvement in [metric]
[Number] of users/requests/transactions
[Time] saved or reduced
[Cost] reduced or revenue generated

// Examples
✅ "Optimized database queries reducing load time by 40%"
✅ "Built scalable backend handling 1M+ daily requests"
✅ "Automated testing reducing QA time by 75%"
✅ "Implemented caching solution saving $10K monthly in server costs"

// Technical Impact Examples
• Performance: "Reduced page load time from 3s to 800ms"
• Scale: "Scaled system to handle 10x user growth"
• Efficiency: "Automated processes saving 20 hours weekly"
• Quality: "Reduced bug reports by 60% through unit testing"

// Skills Categories
Languages: [Primary languages first]
Frameworks: [Most relevant first]
Databases: [List all relevant]
Tools: [Development tools]
Platforms: [Cloud/OS/etc.]

// Example Format
Technical Skills
‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
Languages: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java
Frameworks: React, Node.js, Django, Spring Boot
Databases: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis
Tools: Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins, Git
Cloud: AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda), Google Cloud

// Skill Proficiency (Optional)
Advanced: Python, React, AWS
Proficient: Node.js, MongoDB, Docker
Familiar: Java, Kubernetes

// Do Not Include
❌ Obsolete technologies
❌ Basic software (MS Office, etc.)
❌ Irrelevant skills
❌ Skill ratings (★★★☆☆)

// Project Format
[Project Name] | [GitHub/Live Link]
[Brief technical description]
• [Technical challenge solved]
• [Technologies used]
• [Impact or result]

// Example
Cloud Storage Service | github.com/username/project
Scalable file storage system with client-side encryption
• Implemented end-to-end encryption using AES-256
• Built with Node.js, React, AWS S3
• Handles 10GB+ files with resume capability

// Open Source Contributions
[Project Name] | [Pull Request Link]
• [Description of contribution]
• [Impact on project]

// Do Not Include
❌ Incomplete projects
❌ Projects without code
❌ Academic exercises
❌ Non-technical projects

// ATS-Friendly Format
✅ Use standard section headings:
• Experience
• Education
• Skills
• Projects

✅ File Format:
• PDF (unless specified otherwise)
• Simple formatting
• Standard fonts (Arial, Calibri)

// Keyword Optimization
[Job Posting Keywords] → [Resume Integration]

Example:
Job Posting: "Experience with React and Node.js"
Resume: "Developed full-stack applications using React and Node.js"

// Do Not Use
❌ Tables
❌ Headers/Footers
❌ Images
❌ Complex formatting
❌ Columns (unless simple)

// Matching Pattern
[Job Requirement] → [Your Experience]

// Example
Job: "3+ years React experience"
Resume: "4 years developing React applications"

Job: "CI/CD pipeline experience"
Resume: "Implemented CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins"

// Skills Matching
Required Skills → Your Resume
‾‾‾���‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
React → "Led React development..."
AWS → "Deployed services to AWS..."
Agile → "Worked in Agile environment..."

// Do Not
❌ Copy job description verbatim
❌ Claim unverifiable skills
❌ Use vague matching terms

// Common Mistakes
❌ Length Issues
• Too long (> 2 pages for experienced)
• Too short (< 1 page for experienced)

❌ Content Problems
• Spelling/grammar errors
• Inconsistent formatting
• Personal information
• Objective statements

❌ Technical Mistakes
• Outdated technologies
• Unexplained acronyms
• Missing metrics
• Generic descriptions

// Instead Do
✅ Format Properly
• Consistent spacing
• Clear hierarchy
• Readable font (10-12pt)
• Proper margins (0.5"-1")

✅ Content Best Practices
• Action verbs
• Quantified results
• Relevant skills
• Current contact info

// Resume Versions
Keep multiple versions:
• Master (all experience)
• Role-specific (tailored)
• ATS-friendly (simplified)

// Update Frequency
• Every 6 months
• After major projects
• Before job searching
• After learning new skills

// Review Checklist
□ Spelling/grammar
□ Links working
□ Dates accurate
□ Skills current
□ Achievements quantified
□ Format consistent
□ File named properly
□ PDF generated correctly

// File Naming
✅ Good Examples:
• FirstLast_Resume_2024.pdf
• FirstLast_SoftwareEngineer.pdf

❌ Bad Examples:
• resume_final.pdf
• resume_v5_latest.pdf