Ways to Improve Resume Formatting

Over the past 4 years, I’ve reviewed over 100 resumes written by law students, and I always see the same handful of mistakes. This is AFTER both the student and their school’s Career Office have signed off and think the resume is “final.” ➡️ Please do not rely on Career Services to proofread your resume. That is not their job. The job is yours alone. So I created this checklist for you. It targets the 10 mistakes I see the most often. Please make sure your resume passes this checklist BEFORE you send out to any legal employer! CHECKLIST 1: Don’t tell me what your responsibilities were; tell me what you DID. Generalities are dirt. Specifics are gold. Make your resume interesting for your reader! 2: Use a readable font. Write in a font size that will be easy for your reviewer to read, and keep in mind that people over 40—including this one—cannot see tiny print. The last thing you want to do is make your reader work hard! 3: Don’t repeat that you did an activity for the company or your school when that is clear from the context. In a bullet entry under a job at a school or firm, you don’t need to specify you did something for the school or firm, and the context makes doing so redundant. 4: Be as concise as possible in your experience entries. Remove articles (the, a, an) before nouns. Convert “of the” clauses to possessives. See Dear 1L ch 13.3 for further guidance and examples. 5: Align your date ranges perfectly with the right margin. If you aren’t using a template (and I hate templates), you will need to set your right-facing tabs. See Dear 1L ch 13.2. 6: Use en-dashes for your date ranges. Note that lawyers do not use spaces around en-dashes, but as long as you are 100% consistent with your spacing throughout, doing so is not wrong per se for resume purposes. 7: Be consistent with your bullet formatting. Don’t mix square and circle bullets. Make sure all bullets are an identical size. 8: Be consistent with your vertical spacing. Err on the side of having more vertical spacing to make clear where one entry block ends and the next starts. Don’t cram entry blocks up against each other vertically. Adding a return that’s shorter than a full, 12 pt return can free up space. 9: Be consistent with your use of bold/italics & commas and other punctuation marks. These are probably the hardest nits to catch. Do a separate proofread to look exclusively for these types of inconsistencies. Consider using a magnifying glass. 👉 Look out especially for inconsistent bolding of commas and periods and inconsistent use of straight and curly quotes. 10: Don’t use adverbs. Don’t tell me that you “meticulously prepared” or “diligently organized” things. It makes me think you’re exaggerating. (But if you received particular recognition for your meticulousness or diligence, do mention that!) *** I hope this helps. I am sending so much luck to all of my new 2Ls during this stressful job-application period! 💌 Amanda

I got interviews from companies like Amazon, SAP, Siemens, etc., and everyone talks about resumes with a STAR format and quantifying impact. But what about the resume details that actually make a difference? Based on what’s worked for me, I’m sharing a few overlooked (but practical) tips that can help you. Let’s dive in 👇 1. Use U.S. Letter Size & Thoughtful Formatting: 🧠 Why it matters: Many ATS systems and recruiters in the U.S. are used to U.S. letter format(8.5x11, not A4). A4 may cause layout issues, especially with margins and alignment on different systems. 🎯 How to do it: ▪️ Use 0.9–1.15 line spacing, and margins of 0.5 to 1 inch for a perfect balance. Helps your content breathe without looking bare. ▪️Design psychology: Cramped resumes feel overwhelming; too much white space feels empty. ▪️Some candidates try to trick ATS by adding keywords in white text, invisible to humans. It’s detectable, unethical, and can actually get you blacklisted. 2. Human-First, Then ATS-Friendly 🧠 Why it matters: You’re not interviewing with an algorithm. Recruiters, often not from your domain, are the first to read your resume. 🎯 How to do it: ▪️Use clean formatting, consistent font sizes (10.5–12 pt), and easy-to-skim sections. Make sure your sentences make sense to anyone and not just someone technical. ▪️AI can help refine your wording, but always proofread for clarity and tone. Include context when numbers alone aren’t clear: ❌ “Increased sales by xy%” sounds great but without context, it’s meaningless.  So, add scope + baseline if you can: ✅"Boosted monthly sales by xy% within xy months by introducing a GTM strategy across 2 digital channels." 3. Pass the 6-Second Scan with Story-Driven Bullets 🧠Why it matters: Recruiters skim resumes fast, often under 6 seconds, so your bullet points need to do more than just list tasks. (PS: Studies show recruiters scan resumes in an F-shaped pattern: left to right, top to bottom. The top third of your resume (the “hot zone”) gets the most attention.) 🎯 How to do it: ▪️Start each bullet with the intent or principle behind the action (e.g., “Customer Obsession,” “ETL Pipelines”). ▪️Avoid robotic phrasing like: ❌“Built a dashboard to track engagement metrics.” Instead, make it strategic: ✅Customer Obsession: Launched in-product surveys in Excel to surface user pain points, leading to a 22% increase in feature engagement. Hope this helps!  Please share what worked for you, or if you need a template. #ResumeTips #ProductManagement #JobSearch #CareerAdvice #InternationalStudents #TechCareers #EarlyCareer #LinkedInTips

I did a resume review and it was a good reminder that most of the time, it’s not your experience that’s the problem, it’s how it’s coming across on paper. This designer had great work across the U.S. and Taiwan. Strong branding and motion projects, solid clients but the way it was laid out was unclear. Here are a few fixes we worked on that might help if you’re tweaking your own resume: 1. Add a short summary. Just 3–4 lines at the top about who you are, what you do, and what kind of roles you’re after. Makes it easier for a hiring manager to get the picture right away. 2. Standardize your titles. Freelancers sometimes list projects under different names “Freelance Graphic Designer,” “Freelance Motion Designer,” "Brand Designer” which can make your path look scattered. We pulled everything under one clear title (“Freelance Brand & Motion Designer”) so her experience read as consistent and intentional instead of all over the place. 3. Make bullets about impact. Lead with a strong action verb and connect it to an outcome. Not: “Responsible for motion graphics." Better: “Designed and animated typography for a Google campaign, driving engagement.” It’s stronger and easier to skim. 4. Mention collaboration. A lot of resumes only talk about the work and forget to show how you worked with others. If you partnered with clients, producers, copywriters, or engineers, say it. For example: “Collaborated with producers and copywriters to align creative direction across video and social campaigns.” This tells employers you can work as part of a team, not just on your own. 5. Show results (even without numbers). If you don’t have data, talk about project scope, repeat work or client feedback. Example: “Earned ongoing partnerships with agencies based on successful delivery.” or “Promoted to Senior Designer within a year based on strong project delivery.” Those details prove the value of your work without needing exact percentages. 6. Don’t forget the basics! Make sure your portfolio and LinkedIn are clickable, list months (not just years) on your dates and keep your education section clean and simple. When I was recruiting, I wasn’t looking for the “perfect” resume.  I wanted to understand someone’s story without having to guess. If your experience reads clearly and shows how you’ve grown, you’ve already done more than most.

I've reviewed 2,000+ resumes this year. Avoid these mistakes that 90% make. 1. Generic Summaries ❌ "Motivated professional seeking opportunities to leverage my skills..." ✅ "Marketing Director who increased e-commerce revenue 47% through data-driven campaigns and strategic partnerships." 2. Missing Numbers ❌ "Led large team and improved sales." ✅ "Led 15-person sales team to deliver $3.2M in new business, exceeding targets by 28%." 3. Cluttered Formatting ❌ Tiny margins, dense paragraphs, and multiple fonts. ✅ Clean headers, consistent bullet points, and enough white space for easy scanning. 4. Outdated Information ❌ Listing your high school achievements and every job since college. ✅ Your most relevant accomplishments from the past 10-15 years that showcase your career progression. 5. RESPONSIBILITY LISTS ❌ "Responsible for managing client relationships and handling complaints." ✅ "Retained 98% of key accounts and turned 3 dissatisfied clients into top referral sources." 6. ATS-UNFRIENDLY DESIGN ❌ Creative formats with graphics, text boxes, and unique fonts. ✅ Clean, standard formatting with relevant keywords that match the job description. Your resume has 7 seconds to make an impression.  Use these tips to make them count. Share this to help others level up their resume! 📈 And follow me for more advice like this.

“I’ve sent 260+ applications in 3 months on LinkedIn, Indeed, Naukri… but my inbox is still empty.” That is what a candidate told me last week. When I opened his resume, I knew why. The ATS could not read half of it. Here is what candidates don’t understand about ATS: An Applicant Tracking System does not “see” design. It reads structure. It ranks keyword relevance. It parses data into fields. If your resume cannot be parsed correctly, it is filtered out before a recruiter even knows you exist. Here is what actually makes a resume ATS-friendly, backed by how these systems work: 1️⃣ Use Standard Section Headings ATS scans for predictable headers like “Work Experience”, “Education”, “Skills”. If you write “Where I’ve Worked” or “My Journey”, parsing accuracy drops. Stick to conventional headings. 2️⃣ Match Keywords With Context, Not Stuffing Modern ATS tools use semantic matching, not just keyword counting. If the job description says “financial modeling”, writing it once under Skills is not enough. Show it inside bullet points with outcomes. Example: “Built 3-statement financial models to evaluate ₹20 Cr investment proposals.” 3️⃣ Avoid Text Inside Images, Tables or Graphics Many ATS systems cannot read text embedded in text boxes, tables, columns or icons. That stylish Canva layout may look impressive to you. To the ATS, it is a blank page. 4️⃣ Use Reverse Chronological Format Most ATS systems are trained to parse dates in reverse order. Inconsistent date formats like “Summer 2022” instead of “May 2022 – July 2022” reduce match accuracy. 5️⃣ Optimize File Type Unless specified otherwise, use .docx or a simple PDF. Some older systems struggle with heavily designed PDFs. 6️⃣ Prioritize Skills Based on Job Description ATS ranking is relevance-based. If Python appears 5 times in the JD and Excel once, reorder your skills accordingly. Relevance hierarchy matters. 7️⃣ Remove Headers and Footers Many ATS systems do not read content placed in headers and footers. If your contact details are there, they may not be parsed. 8️⃣ Keep It Single Column Multi-column resumes often break parsing logic. One clean column improves readability for both machine and human. 9️⃣ Customize Every Single Time There is no such thing as one universal resume. Each job requires alignment. If you are not tailoring, you are reducing your match score. Now tell me honestly: What is the biggest difficulty you are facing while trying to get your resume shortlisted? Is it no responses? Too many rejections? Confusion about keywords? Not sure if your format is ATS-safe? Drop your challenge in the comments and I will personally share specific feedback or a solution for you. #atsresume #resumetips #careercoach #interviewpreparation #jobsearchindia #ats #interviewcoach

Most resumes don’t get rejected for lack of experience. They get rejected for how that experience is presented. Over the last 3 months, I’ve reviewed over 50 resumes.  Friends, Referrals, and community members. Each time, I notice the same patterns. The mistakes are often small but costly. The wins are subtle but powerful. Here’s what I’ve learned from those reviews and what you can fix today: What actually works? 1 - Tailored Content The best resumes don’t try to be everything to everyone. They’re sharp, role-specific, and rich with keywords that match the job description. 2 - Quantifiable Achievements A line like “handled sales” is forgettable. A line like “Increased sales by 20% in 6 months” gets noticed. 3 - Simple, Clean Formatting Single-column. Consistent fonts. No design drama. ATS systems will thank you. So will recruiters. 4 - Professional Summary > Objective Statement Start with a crisp summary that answers: “What do I bring to the table?” 5 - Action Verbs “Led,” “Built,” “Implemented,” “Optimized.” Not “Responsible for” or “Helped with.” What to absolutely avoid? 1 - Generic Phrases “Hardworking team player” is white noise. Show it. Don’t say it. 2 - Outdated or Irrelevant Info That 2012 internship? Probably time to let it go. 3 - Over-designed Layouts ATS bots don’t care about your Canva skills. Keep it functional. 4 - Typos & Formatting Errors One comma out of place? Might not ruin your chances. But why risk it? 5 - Missing Contact Info Yes, this still happens. Double-check that your phone and email are visible. Bonus enhancements that make a difference: - Use metrics in every role, not just the latest one. - Match your skill section to what the job actually demands. - Move education below experience, unless you're a fresh grad. - Include certifications and recent courses. - Keep font styles and spacing uniform throughout. My suggestion? Take an hour this weekend and do a ruthless edit. - Cut fluff. - Add metrics. - Tweak layout. Ask a friend for feedback. And if you want a second set of eyes, I’m happy to help. I regularly do resume reviews (for a small fee). If you're looking for personalized, actionable feedback, DM me or drop a comment. Let’s make your experience shine the way it deserves to. -- ♻️ Reshare if this might help someone. ▶️ Join 2,485+ in the Tidbits WhatsApp group → link in comments

If I only get one shot at Google, here's how I would ensure my resume lands me the interview. I've helped 100+ professionals land interviews at top companies. Here's what separates resumes that get interviews from ones that get ignored: 1. Start with a clear, role‑aligned headline Your name → Target role → one key outcome metric Example: Priya Sharma - Finance Manager | Forecasting & Strategic Planning | 20%+ Variance Reduction This does two things: → Signals exactly who you are → Plugs keywords the ATS is looking for 2. Rewrite your professional summary to signal impact Forget generic “results‑driven professional.” Instead: → 2–3 outcome statements tied to real business value → Mention scale (revenue, budgets, teams) Example structure: “Senior Finance Manager with 8+ years driving strategic planning and financial forecasting for $150M+ P&L. Improved forecast accuracy by 18% and accelerated month‑end close by 30% through cross‑functional process redesign.” 3. Replace duties with impact bullets Here’s what Google wants to see: → What you owned → What changed because of your work → Measurable outcomes Rewrite like this: “Led annual budgeting and rolling forecasting for $200M+ business unit, reducing forecast variance from 15% to 8% in 3 cycles.” “Designed automated variance reporting that cut analyst hours by 35% and improved executive decision clarity.” 4. Use role‑specific keywords If the posting mentions: Forecasting Scenario planning GAAP compliance Cross‑functional partnership Financial modeling Your resume must mirror that language, while only using terms you can support with stories. 5. Pull the “why” forward Recruiters don’t care about what you did first. They care about why it mattered, and how it tied to business outcomes. So every bullet should follow: Action → Context → Outcome Not: Did forecasting But: Improved forecasting accuracy → by implementing driver‑based models → resulting in 12% better budget alignment across 4 business units Landing an interview at Google isn’t about luck. It’s about precision. That means: → Language that matches the job → Outcomes that prove you moved the business → Structure that machines and humans can interpret If I only had one resume to send, it would read like a case study, not a list of tasks. Save this post before you send your next application. Repost it to help someone who’s stuck in the endless apply‑and‑ignore cycle. P.S. Follow Vik Gambhir for more on how to build a solid resume and land more interviews.

Applying to 100s of jobs and not getting interviews? There's a good chance the problem is your résumé. After looking at 1000s of résumés, I've seen it all. Here are 7 common résumé mistakes and how to fix them: 1️⃣ Bullets focused on function instead of IMPACT ↳ Created content for various social media platforms. Better: "Created a social media campaign that led to a 4X increase in engagement, and over $200K in new business in 6 months." 🌟Why It Matters? Documenting impact shows not just what you’ve done, but how well you’ve done it. 2️⃣ Listing general duties instead of specific DETAILS. ↳ Analyzed and reported data on customers to senior leadership Better: 'Used R and Tableau to analyze customer fraud metrics, producing monthly reports on key indicators for senior leadership." 🌟Why It Matters? Details show the hiring manager that you have applied your skills in similar situations. 3️⃣ Summaries that try to fit in instead of STAND OUT. ↳ “Results-driven professional with strong communications skills...” Better: “Dedicated and collaborative project manager with experience navigating complex challenges under time and budget constraints.” 🌟Why It Matters? The candidates who land interviews don’t have “boiler plate” résumés that look like everyone else’s. 4️⃣ Using AI language instead of being AUTHENTIC. ↳ Utilized my competencies to effectuate revenue augmentation. Better: "Able to quickly build rapport and turn prospects into satisfied customers, consistently exceeding sales quotas." 🌟Why It Matters? Recruiters look at 1000s of résumés and know AI language (which can be flowery and awkward) when they see it. 5️⃣ Sloppiness instead of clean, clear and ERROR-FREE. ↳ Typos, awkward sentences and formats that are hard to read. Better: Correct grammar and punctuation throughout the document, in a consistent easy to read format. 🌟Why It Matters? “Detail-oreinted professional who takes great care with thier work,” shows neither detail-orientation nor care. 6️⃣ Going for flashy design instead of EASY TO READ. ↳ Including graphics, icons, multiple fonts and colors. Better: Sticking with a clean and simple format that is easy on the eye. 🌟Why It Matters? Graphics, multiple fonts and colors can be difficult for applicant tracking software to read. Details may be lost in the initial scan, leading to an automatic rejection. 7️⃣ Confusing work details instead of CONSISTENCY. ↳ Having different jobs and dates on your résumé vs. LinkedIn. Better: Alignment on jobs, titles, dates, and your skill set across all branded materials and platforms. Why It Matters? 🌟87% of recruiters look at your LinkedIn profile before deciding to interview you. Any inconsistency raises questions, and gives a hiring manager a reason to pass. Recruiters/Hiring Managers: What would you add to the list? ♻️ Share to help others create strong résumés! 🔔 Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more career strategies 📌Need support in your job search? DM me to chat!

Yesterday, I offered to review resumes for jobseekers who are struggling in this market. So far, I’ve reviewed 57 resumes and shared feedback with each person. I have another 150+ in my queue, so it’s going to take me a few days to reply to everyone... thank you in advance for your patience. 💛 This isn’t something I can always do, but right now my feed is filled with people who’ve been searching for months, applying to hundreds of jobs, and getting little to no interaction from the recruiters supporting the roles. I can’t fix the whole system, but I can help you tighten how your story shows up on paper. From this first batch of resumes, here are the two biggest themes I’m seeing: 1️⃣ Too much information, not enough breathing room. Some resumes were 4+ pages, or 2 pages with teeny-tiny font, almost no white space, and margins so tight floss couldn’t fit between the words and the edge of the page. I get how hard it is to decide what to cut (I always need a second set of eyes on mine too), but here’s the truth: We don’t need 20+ years of detail to see that you’re a strong candidate. For most jobseekers, 7–10 years of experience is enough. If you’re worried about ageism, it’s especially helpful to only list the last 10–15 years and remove graduation years. Formatting basics that help your resume breathe: Top margin: 0.75–1" Bottom margin: 0.25–0.5" Side margins: no less than 0.9" Your resume should be easy on the eyes, not a wall of text. 2️⃣ Responsibilities instead of impact: Many resumes were packed with tasks but light on results. Try this instead: Aim for 5 bullet points for your current and most recent roles. Focus on accomplishments over responsibilities. If you’re stuck, ask: “What happened because I did this?” and write the impact. For example, instead of: “Responsible for managing customer accounts.” Try: “Managed a portfolio of 120+ customer accounts, increasing retention by 15% in 12 months.” I’ll keep sharing insights as I work through the remaining resumes. If you’re job searching right now, save this post and use it as a mini checklist the next time you open your resume and if you’ve made one of these “mistakes,” you’re in good company, they’re fixable.

I almost gave up on my resume once. Not because it was "bad"… but because it felt invisible. I was applying consistently. Doing the right things. And still… silence. Then I tried something simple: I looked at my resume like a recruiter would. 𝟭𝟬 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻. And I immediately saw the issue. It wasn’t my skills. It wasn’t my projects. It wasn’t my experience. It was 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. My resume was making people work hard to understand me. So I fixed it like a product. I didn’t add more content. I removed noise and made impact obvious. Here’s the 𝗧𝗼-𝗗𝗼 + 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 list that changed everything for me: ✅ 𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗢 1. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳-𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴   Role headline + core tools + strongest achievements first. 2. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯 + 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲   "Built / Improved / Automated / Reduced / Delivered" + numbers (time saved, quality, scale, cost). 3. 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆)   Align job title, skills keywords, and 2–3 bullets. Not a full rewrite. 4. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘁 𝗔𝗧𝗦-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲   Simple sections: 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀, 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀, 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻   Consistent formatting and spacing. 5. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝘀   Replace “hardworking” with results. Replace “team player” with measurable collaboration. ❌ 𝗗𝗢𝗡’𝗧 1. Don’t use heavy design templates that break parsing   Columns, icons, fancy tables, and graphics can confuse ATS. 2. Don’t write long paragraphs   Recruiters scan. Paragraphs get skipped. 3. Don’t list every tool you’ve ever touched   Relevance beats volume. Keep skills tight and role-focused. 4. Don’t repeat responsibilities   "Responsible for…" is weak. Outcomes win. 5. Don’t hide your best work at the bottom   Put your strongest project/impact where eyes land first. Most resumes don’t get rejected because the person isn’t capable… They get rejected because the resume doesn’t communicate fast enough. If you’re stuck in the "applied a lot, heard nothing" phase - I get it. 👉 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲 and comment 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗘 I’ll share a quick checklist + bullet formula to make your resume 𝗔𝗧𝗦-𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 + 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. #Resume #JobSearch #ATS #CareerTips #InterviewPrep #CareerGrowth #DataEngineering #DataAnalytics