How to Write a Resume That Actually Gets Read

Most resumes get scanned, not read, in about ten seconds. The single biggest improvement you can make is leading each bullet with a result, not a duty: 'Cut deployment time from 40 minutes to 6' beats 'Responsible for deployments' every time, because it gives a reviewer something concrete to remember you by.

Keep the layout boring on purpose. A single column, consistent spacing, and a readable font (11-12pt) will survive both a human skim and an applicant-tracking system's parser; two-column layouts and graphics often don't. Trim your work history to the last 10-15 years unless an older role is directly relevant — recruiters weight recency heavily.

Tailor the top third of the first page to the specific role. That's the section a reviewer actually reads closely; everything below it gets a glance at best. Finally, proofread by reading it backwards, line by line — it breaks the pattern-matching that lets typos hide in plain sight.