The importance of writing your resume for humans

Don’t worry about your resume being “ATS compliant”. It’s not even a thing.

Instead, write for humans!

Humans are still at the center of everything. They handle the recruiting, they review the resumes, they write the job descriptions, they make the decisions, they do the hiring.

As such, make sure your resume is:

∙ Keyword optimized – We want human recruiters to be able to review your background effortlessly so they can quickly identify you as a strong, “in the ballpark” applicant. We also want your resume (and LinkedIn profile) to be as searchable as possible (which is not the same as being “ATS compliant”).

∙ Visually appealing – Simple, clean, streamlined, easy-to-read. Personally, I am not a fan of incorporating graphs, charts, icons, logos, etc. Use clean, consistent formatting. Give the reader visual cues and incorporate adequate white space to guide them through the document. Let the document breathe.

∙ Focused on accomplishments – Don’t present as just a “do-er”. Instead, portray yourself as an impact player who delivers the goods. Quantify your results when possible. You will ultimately be hired based on your track record and the employer’s belief that you will replicate that level of success for them.