Resume Writer

Overview

This skill turns a messy work history into a focused, quantified, ATS-passable resume tailored to a specific target role. It optimizes for two readers at once: the applicant tracking system (keyword match, parseable structure) and the human recruiter who skims for ~7 seconds before deciding.

Keywords: resume, CV, curriculum vitae, ATS, job application, bullet points, professional summary, work experience, achievements, cover, career change, recruiter.

When to use vs. not

Use this to write, rewrite, restructure, or tailor a resume. This skill does not fabricate experience, invent metrics, or guarantee an interview — every claim must trace back to something the user actually did. When the user has no numbers, help them estimate honestly ("supported ~40 customers/week"), never invent precise figures.

Inputs to gather first

Ask only for what's missing; infer the rest:

1. Target role + a job description (the single most important input — it drives keywords and emphasis).
2. Work history: companies, titles, dates, and what they actually did/achieved.
3. Education, certifications, key skills/tools.
4. Seniority & career stage (student/new-grad, IC, manager, executive, career-changer).
5. Region/format norms (US 1-page no-photo vs. EU CV vs. academic CV — see references/format-by-region.md).

Workflow

1. Pick the format. Reverse-chronological by default. Use functional/hybrid only for career changers or large gaps — and warn that ATS and recruiters distrust purely functional resumes. See references/format-by-region.md.
2. Mine the job description. Extract the role's must-have keywords, tools, and outcomes. These become the vocabulary the resume must mirror (ATS matches on exact terms).
3. Write the headline + summary. A 1-line title and a 2–3 line summary stating who they are, their strongest proof, and what they're targeting. No "results-oriented team player" filler.
4. Rewrite every bullet with the impact formula. Action verb + what you did + quantified result/context. Lead with the outcome when it's strong. See references/bullet-formulas.md and the verb bank.
5. Quantify relentlessly. Money, %, time, scale, frequency, or rank. If no hard number exists, use scope ("across 3 teams", "for a 12k-user platform").
6. Order by relevance, not just recency. Within each role, put the bullets that match the target job first. Trim bullets older/irrelevant roles to 1–2 lines.
7. Build the skills section from real, demonstrated skills that also appear in the JD. Group them (Languages / Tools / Domains). Don't list skills you can't defend in an interview.
8. Tighten for ATS. Standard section headings, no tables/columns/text-boxes/images for the parsed version, real bullet characters, common fonts, .docx or text-based PDF. See references/ats-rules.md.
9. Cut to length. 1 page for <10 yrs experience, 2 pages otherwise (academic/EU CVs differ). Remove the objective, references-on-request, and anything pre-dating ~15 years unless pivotal.
10. Proofread + tailor check. Consistent tense (past for past roles, present for current), parallel structure, zero typos. End with a gap analysis: which JD requirements the resume still doesn't address, and how the user might.

Decision framework

Worked example

See examples/before-after.md for a vague bullet turned into a quantified, ATS-aligned one, plus a full summary rewrite.

Best Practices

• Tailor per application. One generic resume loses to ten targeted ones. Mirror the JD's language.
• Lead with outcomes, not duties. "Cut onboarding time 40%" beats "responsible for onboarding."
• One idea per bullet, 1–2 lines max. Recruiters skim.
• Strong verbs, no first person. "Led," "shipped," "reduced" — never "I was responsible for."
• Keep a master resume with everything, then cut down per role.

Common Pitfalls

• Inventing or inflating metrics — a single caught lie sinks the candidacy. Estimate honestly instead.
• Duty-listing instead of achievement-showing.
• Fancy templates with columns/graphics that ATS parsers scramble.
• Buzzword soup ("synergistic," "go-getter") with no evidence.
• Same resume for every job — no keyword match, no tailoring.
• Typos and inconsistent tense/formatting — instant credibility loss.