Writing Technical Resumes
Technical Resume Writing
Create ATS-friendly tech resumes that get interviews by reverse engineering job descriptions and quantifying impact.
Input: Job description + current resume Output: Optimized resume with 90%+ keyword alignment and measurable outcomes
Target: "Backend Engineer - Python, AWS, microservices, 99.9% uptime"
Before: "Worked on backend services using Python"
After: "Developed Python microservices on AWS achieving 99.95% uptime for 500K+ users"
Progress:
- Analyze Job Description - Extract core skills, tools, metrics, and language patterns
- Reverse Engineer Keywords - Map technical terms, certifications, and competency levels
- Audit Current Resume - Identify gaps in skills, metrics, and terminology alignment
- Quantify Impact - Convert duties to measurable outcomes using STAR/CAR framework
- Optimize Content - Rewrite bullets with job-aligned language and keywords
- Format for ATS - Ensure standard headings, no tables/graphics, clean parsing
- Validate - Check keyword density and semantic matching
Example 1: Input: "Looking for DevOps Engineer - Kubernetes, CI/CD, monitoring" Current: "Managed deployments and infrastructure" Output: "Orchestrated Kubernetes deployments and CI/CD pipelines, reducing deployment time by 60% and improving system monitoring coverage to 95%"
Example 2: Input: "Frontend Developer - React, TypeScript, responsive design" Current: "Built web applications" Output: "Developed responsive React/TypeScript applications serving 100K+ users with 98% cross-browser compatibility"
Structure:
- Strong technical summary with 3-5 core competencies
- Skills section with proficiency levels (Expert/Advanced/Proficient)
- Achievement-focused bullets: Action + Tool + Quantified Outcome
- Keywords naturally integrated, not stuffed
Content Guidelines:
- Use exact job posting terminology when possible
- Include business impact alongside technical metrics
- Show progression and increasing responsibility
- Balance hard skills with relevant soft skills
ATS Optimization:
- Standard section headers: "Professional Experience", "Technical Skills"
- No headers/footers, tables, or graphics
- Simple formatting with consistent fonts
- Include both acronyms and full terms (ML/Machine Learning)
- Keyword stuffing - Integrate naturally within context
- Vague metrics - "Improved performance" vs "Reduced latency by 40ms"
- Generic bullets - Tailor each application to specific job requirements
- Missing soft skills - Include leadership, communication, problem-solving
- Outdated technologies - Focus on current/relevant tech stack
- No business context - Always connect technical work to business outcomes
- Poor formatting - Avoid creative layouts that break ATS parsing
Red Flags:
- Tables for skills/experience sections
- Multiple columns or text boxes
- Images, logos, or graphics
- Unusual section names or headers
- Dense paragraphs instead of bullet points