Getting to the interview: resumes that pass applicant tracking systems and still read well to people, portfolios, your online presence, and working with recruiters.
13 articles
How to use AI to speed up your job search without sending generic applications: a weekly system (target list, job alerts, a tracker), where AI saves real time (research, tailoring a resume, drafting outreach, interview practice) and where it doesn't, prompts that work, how to avoid fake job postings, and a sample weekly schedule.
How to respond to a recruiter's email, InMail or LinkedIn message: seven templates (interested, interested but busy, asking for details and salary, scheduling, not interested now, not interested but referring someone, declining after an interview), what to include, how fast to reply, and how to spot recruiter and job scams using the FTC's guidance.
Digital portfolio vs resume: what each does, why a portfolio doesn't replace a resume, which roles benefit (including non-designers such as analysts, marketers, writers, product managers, teachers and engineers), what to put in a portfolio, a case-study template, portfolio ideas by role, tools that need no design skills, handling confidential work, how to use your portfolio in applications and interviews, and mistakes to avoid.
How to tailor your resume to a job description: why it matters (how applicant tracking systems and recruiters actually screen), a master resume, a seven-step tailoring process with a before-and-after example, how to tailor for many applications quickly, how to use AI without losing your voice or inventing anything, how to spot AI-speak, field-specific conventions (tech, healthcare, academia, creative, finance, U.S. federal), and a final checklist.
How long a resume should be: one page for students and early-career candidates, up to two pages for most experienced professionals, longer only for academic CVs, plus the U.S. federal two-page limit on USAJOBS since 27 September 2025, a table by experience, what to cut to fit, and how length interacts with applicant tracking systems.
How to build a personal brand on your resume: what resume branding actually means, where it shows (headline, branding statement, skills, bullets), a four-part formula for a resume branding statement, 12 branding statement examples by role and career stage, headline examples, how to keep your resume, LinkedIn and interviews consistent, mistakes to avoid, and what a resume branding tool can and can't do.
How to write resume bullet points that work for applicant tracking systems and recruiters: the verb + task + result formula and Laszlo Bock's XYZ formula, how many bullets per role, how to find numbers when you think you have none, keywords in context, strong verbs by skill, before-and-after examples for eight roles, and mistakes to avoid.
What an employment background check includes (identity, employment and education verification, criminal records, references, sometimes credit, driving or drug tests), your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act according to the FTC, how to prepare, what to do if the report is wrong, and how to talk about issues honestly.
How to show leadership experience on your resume, with or without a manager title: where to put it, a formula for leadership bullet points, 20 example statements by level and situation, leadership words and verbs, a leadership summary, executive resume tips, and NACE's 2026 data on what employers look for.
A resume review checklist with 25 checks in six areas (target, top third, experience bullets, skills and keywords, ATS-friendly formatting, final checks), why each matters according to recruiter and employer research, before-and-after examples, and a free one-page printable PDF.
Should you put testimonials on your resume? When a short quote helps (and when it wastes space), where to put it, how to format it, examples, how to ask for a testimonial, and better places for recommendations such as LinkedIn and your portfolio.
How recruiters actually read resumes: what Ladders' eye-tracking study found (a 7.4-second first screen; simple layouts, bold titles and bullet points held attention), the F-pattern, what to put in the top third, how to write bullets that get read, what hurts (clutter, columns, keyword stuffing), and a checklist.
How applicant tracking systems really use resume keywords (recruiter searches and knockout questions, not secret scores), how to turn a job posting into a keyword list in six steps, where to put keywords, keyword lists for IT, data, project management, marketing, sales, finance, healthcare and more, ATS-friendly formatting, and a worked example.
