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Tailor the resume

A resume is not a job description. It is a curated argument for why you are the right person for a role. The structure matters, but what goes inside each section matters more.

The examples here come from a technical writing resume for software companies. The structure applies broadly. The specifics will differ depending on your profession, your level, and the role you are going for.

Structure​

Follow this order:

1. Contact information​

Full name, phone number, professional email, and links to your portfolio or LinkedIn. Keep it at the top, clean and uncluttered. No photos, no icons, no date of birth. This is my recomendation becasue I want to live in a fantasy world where poeple are judged on their merrits and not their profile photo or whether the resume is pink.

Nonetheless, depending on the profession, this can differ.

2. Summary​

Two to four sentences. Who you are, what you do best, and what drives you professionally. Write it in first person and make it specific.

Generic summaries get skipped. Experienced technical writer with a passion for clear communication says nothing. Write something that only you could have written. For example, If you don't use the product, how can you explain it?

3. Experience​

List your roles in reverse chronological order. For each role, include:

  • Company name
  • Your job title
  • Start and end dates (month and year)
  • A list of accomplishments (see below)

How to write accomplishments​

For this, create an itemized list of accomplishments that explain what you used to achieve them and why it mattered to the company.

For each bullet, lead with a two to three word bold phrase that states the benefit or outcome for the company. Follow it immediately with one sentence—starting with a past-tense action verb—that explains what you did and how, including the relevant skills and tools.

[Outcome or benefit]—past-tense action verb + what you did + how you did it + tools or skills involved.

For example:

  • Reduced review bottlenecks—Developed and implemented a structured review workflow between documentation, product, engineering, and QA, cutting average review cycles from two weeks to three days.
  • Improved SEO and navigation—Revamped the information architecture of the IPP documentation suite using Paligo and analytics data, reducing bounce rates by 18% and improving search rankings for key product terms.

Every bullet should answer the question: why does this matter to them? State the impact first, then explain the work. If you cannot identify an impact, ask yourself whether the bullet is worth including.

4. Education and certifications​

Keep it brief. Include the institution, the qualification, and the year. If you hold relevant professional certifications, list them here too.

Unless you are early in your career, this section should not take up much space.

Length and format​

Aim for 475 to 600 words. Two pages maximum. One is perfect if your experience fits cleanly.

Use a clean, readable template. No sidebars, no icons, no skill bars. Recruiters and ATS systems both prefer straightforward formatting. Consistent heading sizes, clear section breaks, and a standard font.

Save and share it as a PDF. You can keep it in a simple tool like Google Docs ready to update and export a new PDF.

Keywords​

Read the job description carefully. Mirror its language where it is accurate and honest. If the posting says docs-as-code and you have that experience, use that exact phrase. If it says API documentation and you have written API docs, say so.

Do not stuff keywords. Use them where they belong—inside your accomplishment bullets, where they reflect real tools and real skills.