Engineering Resume Optimization Techniques

I am a Senior Software Engineer working at Google with 7+ years of experience. I've seen resumes of 500+ software engineers while working at Flipkart, Uber & Google. Here are the 6 most important things I’ve learned about building a resume that actually gets interviews in 2025: ► 1. Don't write your resume before studying the market   Most engineers open a blank doc and start typing their achievements.   → Wrong move.  ✅ First, shortlist 10 companies you want to work at.   ✅ Open 20–30 job descriptions for the role you want (SDE1/SDE2/Infra/ML etc.)   ✅ Write down the common patterns in what they’re hiring for.  That’s your roadmap. Your resume should reflect what those companies care about,  not what you feel like writing. ► 2. Your bullet points are weak because they list tasks, not outcomes  Bad: “Worked on microservices for the payments team”  Better: “Built 3 backend services for the payments team handling 1M+ transactions/day”  Best: “Built & scaled 3 backend services to handle 1M+/day txn traffic with <150ms P95 latency” → Always answer:   What did I build?   How many users did it serve?   What changed because of my work? (Also, I am having an exclusive session on Resume Building where I will break down what works for your resume when applying to top companies. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gJrA2wfa) ► 3. Your resume is not a feature list, it’s a proof of value  Don’t just say “Python, Java, Kubernetes” in skills.  Say what you did with them.   → Used Kubernetes to reduce deployment time from 15 minutes to 2.   → Used Python to build an internal tool that saved 30 engineer-hours/week. No one cares what you know. they care what you’ve shipped. ► 4. Format like a professional → Avoid tables, sidebars & skill bars with dots.   → Use Calibri or Arial, 11–12pt font, 1 column.   → 1-page for <6 YOE. Max 2 pages even if you're a Staff+.   → Save as PDF. No Canva or screenshots. It’s your first impression Make it a damn good one! ► 5. Don’t include unnecessary details ❌ “Hardworking, quick learner, good communicator.”   ❌ “Team player with strong interpersonal skills.”  These are baseline expectations, not selling points.   You’re wasting space. Say something only you can say. ► 6. If you’ve been laid off, or switching roles. own the story  Use a 2-line summary to clarify it.   → “Laid off during org-wide restructuring in Jan 2024. Now seeking backend SDE roles focused on scale & infra.”  Clear, honest, and helpful for the recruiter. You get ~8 seconds of attention from a recruiter. If your resume doesn’t show value in the top third, it won’t be read. — P.S: I am having an exclusive session on Resume Building where I will break down what works for your resume when applying to top companies. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gJrA2wfa

I reviewed 4,000+ resumes last year. Avoid these mistakes that 90% make: 1. FOCUS ON ATS OPTIMIZATION ❌ Candidates pack their resumes with keywords to beat ATS systems but forget to make them readable and user-friendly. ✅ Remember there’s always a real person reviewing your resume (!) 2. GENERIC SUMMARIES ❌ "Experienced professional seeking to contribute my skills in a dynamic company." ✅ "Product Manager who launched 3 successful SaaS tools, driving $2.5M in revenue within the first year.” 3. NO COMPANY DESCRIPTIONS ❌ Listing company names without context. ✅ "XYZ Inc. | SaaS startup in data security, serving 100k+ enterprise clients.” 4. FOCUS ON RESPONSIBILITIES ❌ "Managed projects and oversaw deadlines." ✅ "Led 3+ cross-functional teams, delivering 7 projects on time with a 98% client satisfaction rate.” 5. TOO MUCH FOCUS ON EARLY JOBS ❌ Detailed descriptions of high school internships or your first retail job. ✅ Highlight key accomplishments from the last 10 years that showcase your growth. 6. NO METRICS OR DATA ❌ "Improved performance and reduced costs." ✅ "Increased team efficiency by 20% and cut operational costs by $50K annually.” 7. TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE TEXT ❌ Dense paragraphs or single-sentence descriptions. ✅ Concise bullet points that provide enough detail to convey impact. 8. IRRELEVANT INFORMATION ❌ Listing outdated or irrelevant skills (using Slack, Outlook) ✅ Focus on skills and experiences that match the job you want. 9. TYPOS ✅ Double-check for spelling errors, or use tools like Grammarly or ChatGPT to catch mistakes. Which of those mistakes you’ve seen? Or you’ve made?  I'm Kris Holysheva 👋 Follow me for more hiring tips.

𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭,𝟬𝟬𝟬+ 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟬𝟬+ 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳, 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗲𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿. 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝟯 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: ̲ 𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 Instead of randomly "sprinkling" keywords, target exactly what recruiters want:  1. Identify where keywords live in job descriptions: • Overview/About the Role • Responsibilities/Duties • Qualifications/Requirements • Preferred Skills/Nice-to-Haves  2. Use this AI prompt to extract keywords efficiently: "You are an expert resume writer with 10+ years experience helping job seekers land roles in [industry]. Highlight the top 10 keywords in this job description, sorted by frequency. For example: LLM(10), AI(5)" 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 Sort keywords into these critical buckets by reading through it:   1. Technical skills: Tools you've mastered (Zendesk, Jira, Tableau, Python, CIPP certification)  2. Industry jargon: Field-specific terms ("Trust & Safety," "risk mitigation," "content moderation")  3. Job functions: What you actually do ("analyze," "optimize," "escalate," "lead") 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 Pick up nuance from the job description. Frankly, I still believe this is where we humans are the best.   1. Track repeated terms—they reveal priorities. Example: "Define and execute vision and strategy for Onboarding to drive new user retention" signals they want someone with experience setting OKRs and long-term roadmaps.  2. Note geographic specifications: "Experience in EMEA markets" tells you to highlight any relevant regional work.  3. Decode stakeholder language: When they request "ability to align diverse stakeholders toward a common goal," prepare a bullet point showcasing how you led cross-functional projects to successful completion with measurable results. From my experience, deeply understanding the job description helps narrow your resume focus to 3-5 powerful bullet points that directly address what they're seeking. Looking to land more interviews? I offer personalized reviews. DM for help!

Are you a student or early-career professional struggling to get callbacks after submitting your resume? I’ve been there. During my first year of grad school, I blamed the job market when I didn’t get a single interview for nearly seven months. I started applying for Summer 2024 internships in August 2023, but didn’t receive my first callback until March 2024. Over time, I began refining my resume based on what the industry values and what it takes to stand out. That made all the difference. Here are some of the most important lessons I’ve learned: 1. Keep the Format Simple Avoid horizontal lines, text-heavy formatting, or excessive bolding. They clutter your resume and make it harder to read. Could you stick to one page? If you can’t explain your work clearly and concisely, you’re not ready to present it. 2. Don’t Just List Tools or Describe the Problem, Explain What You Did Many students focus too much on the business problem (“Built a dashboard for retail analytics”) and gloss over the engineering behind it. Even worse, some just list the tools used: “Used Python, Flask, and AWS to build a service that did X.” Instead, go deeper. What did your Flask service do, exactly? What challenges did you face? What decisions did you make? As engineers, we’re expected to show technical depth. If your resume can’t reflect that, you’ll struggle to stand out, especially for technical roles. 3. Be Realistic with Metrics Many resumes include lines like: “Improved model accuracy from 12% to 95%.” This kind of stat, usually influenced by generic advice from career centers or the internet, raises red flags. It often signals that the project wasn’t technically complex to begin with. Instead of inflating numbers, focus on what you improved, how you improved it, and why your work mattered. Strong technical framing > flashy percentages. 4. Clarity > Buzzwords You might write something like: “Leveraged CUDA for token-level optimization of transformer inference under real-time constraints.” It sounds cool, but what does it mean? This happens when people assume the reader will be as familiar with the project as they are. But if someone in your field has to guess what you did, you’ve already lost them. Don’t rely on buzzwords to do the talking; let clarity drive the message. 5. Your Resume Isn’t for You Your resume isn’t meant to impress you. It’s intended to communicate what you’ve done to people who don’t share your background. Most first-round reviewers aren’t ML engineers or CUDA developers. They often rely on keyword checklists and rubrics to decide which resumes move forward. The one thing that matters is: Can you clearly explain what you did and why it mattered? That’s it. Feel free to put your thoughts in the comments. Follow me for more advice!

How I’d Optimize My Resume as a Program Manager at Amazon I’ve received a lot of DMs asking how to craft a strong resume for program management roles. Having been through the process myself, I know how challenging it can be to showcase your experience in a way that stands out. The truth? Your resume isn’t just a summary of what you’ve done—it’s a strategic document that tells the story of your impact. Here’s how I’d optimize it: 1️⃣ Make It About Impact, Not Just Responsibilities A mistake I see often: listing job duties instead of results. Instead of saying: ❌ “Managed multiple projects across teams” Try: ✅ “Led X cross-functional initiatives, driving a Y% improvement in efficiency” Numbers stand out. Hiring managers want to see how you’ve created value, solved problems, and driven outcomes. 2️⃣ Highlight Transferable Skills Even if you haven’t had the title “Program Manager” before, you’ve likely led projects, influenced stakeholders, or managed complex workflows. Frame your experience to highlight skills like: ✔️ Cross-functional collaboration ✔️ Process improvement ✔️ Risk mitigation ✔️ Stakeholder communication When I applied to PM roles, I leaned on examples of coordinating teams and executing projects—even in non-PM roles. 3️⃣ Use a Simple, Clear Format Recruiters scan resumes in seconds, not minutes. A clean layout with bullet points, clear headers, and a strong summary makes your impact easy to spot. Avoid clutter and over-designing—it’s about readability, not flashiness. 4️⃣ Tailor Your Resume to the Job Posting One of the biggest mistakes? Sending the same resume everywhere. Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which scan for relevant keywords. If a job posting emphasizes “process optimization” or “stakeholder management,” make sure those phrases appear in your resume. 5️⃣ Showcase Tools and Methodologies Program managers often use tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello and frameworks like Agile or Lean. Even if you’re not an expert, listing familiarity with these can help you stand out. Final Tip: Keep It Concise A one-page resume is ideal (two if you have extensive experience). Every bullet should add value—if it doesn’t showcase impact, consider cutting it. Optimizing your resume isn’t about having the longest list of achievements—it’s about telling the right story. If you’re updating yours, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing? #ResumeTips #CareerGrowth #ProgramManagement #Amazon #JobSearch

Today, I want to share success story of a 3rd-year engineering student C Krishna Ghrini from my alma mater, Manipal University Jaipur who landed an internship at a Fortune 500 company through campus placements. She approached me 3 months ago for guidance. Here’s what she did: 1️⃣ Optimized Resume (ATS) Her initial ATS score was just 3 (yes, single digit!). After reviewing, I recommended: -Revising the summary to make it realistic -Mention technical skills that are relevant for the role -Added functional areas -Adding github and QR Code for project portfolio -Mention Top 3 projects (and rest in GitHub) -Removing Class X & XII marks -Reduced resume from 2 pages to one page I shared a sample ATS template to her and also the website where she can check the score. After making all the changes, her ATS score jumped to 91! -- 2️⃣ Focused on Skills and Practice I suggested the following: -Take relevant courses on Udemy (pocket friendly) -Building a project portfolio -Practice on websites like hackerrank & leetcode (which she was already doing) -- 3️⃣ Why Others Struggled I asked why others got rejected and she shared the following observations: -Many couldn’t solve coding questions due to insufficient practice. -Missing GitHub & Project Portfolios -Some mentioned plans for MBA/MS, leading to rejections. -Students struggled to explain grade drops. (Pro Tip: Include only engineering grades unless specifically asked). -- Key Takeaway: Her success demonstrates that structured efforts and focused guidance lead to great results. While a mentor can provide direction, your preparation accounts for 95% of the journey. -- If you are from Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) looking for career guidance or a resume review (free), check my comment below for details

My resume landed interviews at FAANG and.. here is the best resume tip I can give. Focus on showcasing the impact of your work rather than just listing duties. Many resumes simply describe tasks, but what matters the most is showing the difference you made. For example: Instead of saying: “Prepared financial reports.” Take it a step further: “Compiled and analyzed monthly financial statements for a $5M revenue company, leading to a 15% reduction in operating costs through strategic recommendations.” This approach doesn’t just tell what you did—it demonstrates the value you added. Additional tips: 1. Be precise: Quantify your achievements to give them more weight. 2. Use strong action verbs: Words like "streamlined," "enhanced," or "negotiated" add clarity to your accomplishments. 3. Customize for each job: Tailor your resume to align your experience with the specific role you're applying for. Your resume should not just list what you’ve done—it should illustrate how you’ve contributed meaningfully. This focus on impact can help your resume stand out. PS: I’m Chintan; follow me for my thoughts on finding the job YOU desire.

Have you asked yourself if your resume content clearly and concisely communicates your best work experience? Does it show the actions you took? Does it show the impact you drove? During resume reviews and mock interviews, one of the biggest gaps I see is individuals underselling their wins within their existing resume content and/or not including their highest-impact wins at all. You've got amazing experience—let's make sure your resume reflects it! Here are some tips and strategies to highlight your biggest wins while aligning your content with the roles you're targeting. Remember: think about where you want to go, not just where you've been. Step 1: Define Your Target Role. Be specific! "Software Engineer" is too broad. "Senior Cloud Security Engineer specializing in AWS" is better. Step 2: Categorize the Role's Responsibilities (R&Rs). Group them into key areas like Communication, Problem-Solving, Stakeholder Management, or Data Analysis. This helps you identify which skills are most valued. Step 3: Identify Key Metrics. What metrics does the team or role tie to? (Revenue, Operations, Adoption, Customer Satisfaction, etc.) Understanding these metrics helps you frame your accomplishments in terms of business impact. Step 4: Document Your Wins with Data. Write out past work experiences that align with all three of the above (target role, R&R category, and key metric), including quantifiable data. If you can't measure it, remove it! "Wins" are projects with clear, measurable impact on your team or the business. Focus on your top 5 wins. Step 5: Conduct a Resume Audit. For each R&R listed in the job description, assess your current resume content. Does it demonstrate your skills and experience in that area? Step 6: The "Clarity Test." Once you've completed the above steps, read (and re-read) your resume. Share it with a friend. Ask: "Does my resume clearly connect with this job description? Do you understand the work I did? Can you clearly see the impact I made?" - Keep in mind, the recruiter may only have a high-level understanding about the role. So you want to make it easy to understand. Step 7: Quantify and Show Impact. You have great wins; you just need to identify and connect them. Assess each bullet point. Challenge yourself: "How can I quantify this? How can I show impact here? You have the wins. Now, showcase them effectively! #resumetips #jobsearch #careeradvice #linkedin #jobhunt #careersuccess #resumehacks #gethired #newjob #careergoals #bigtech #finance #healthcaretech

Dear Grads! I often speak to graduates who struggle to highlight their relevant skills and exprience when teying to enter the job market. I've summarized five impactful examples to include on a resume to stand out with "little working experience" whether you're in engineering, other STEM fields or any other field - it's relevant. 1️⃣ Relevant Academic Projects Highlight specific projects completed during your degree, especially if they demonstrate hands-on experience, problem-solving, or collaboration. Include the objectives, technologies used, and your contributions. Example: Designed and developed a robotic arm prototype for a project, using Arduino and CAD software to improve manufacturing efficiency by 20%. 2️⃣ Internship or Co-op Experience If you’ve interned or completed a co-op in a related field, emphasize your responsibilities, achievements, and the impact of your work. Example: Optimized assembly line processes during a 3-month internship at XYZ Manufacturing, reducing downtime by 15% through Lean Six Sigma principles. 3️⃣ Certifications and Skills List certifications or technical skills relevant to your field, such as CAD software, programming languages, or safety standards. Example: Certified in SolidWorks and MATLAB with hands-on experience in finite element analysis and data visualization. 4️⃣ Leadership and Teamwork Roles Mention leadership roles in student organizations, professional societies, or team projects that demonstrate your ability to lead and collaborate effectively. Example: Led a team of 5 engineering students in designing a solar-powered water purification system, managing timelines and securing project funding. 5️⃣ Awards and Recognitions Showcase academic awards, scholarships, or competition wins that reflect your excellence and dedication. Example: Recipient of the XYZ Scholarship for academic excellence, awarded to the top 5% of students in the program. Tailor these examples to the job you’re applying for, focusing on keywords and accomplishments relevant to the role! What tips do you want to see more of? ✅️ Like this post if you found it useful ♻️ Follow Zanele Nkomo for more useful tips. Visit my website zanelenkomo.com

🔷 Resume Tip for Engineers 🔷 As someone who reads countless resumes daily, I often offer to help tweak them when needed. One thing I frequently see is skilled engineers not highlighting all of their technical experience, which can be frustrating. Here’s a quick tip to make your resume stand out: 🔷Include Certifications: Don’t forget to list your relevant certifications like Inductive Automation Ignition, AVEVA, Rockwell, Siemens, etc. These are key skills that employers look for! 🔷 Keep It Concise: Aim for up to 5 bullet points under each job. Focus on the projects you worked on, the industries you’ve been in, and the size/scope of those projects. 🔷Highlight Your Skills: Be sure to list all the different platforms you work with (PLC, HMI, DCS and SCADA) 🔷Two Documents: If you have a lot to share, consider creating two versions of your resume: one concise version for quick viewing and another with a detailed project list. It’s all about making sure your technical experience is easy to find and understand! I would always lay it out in this format, Skills, Job experience, Certifications, Degree. Please do reach out if you have any further questions or need some guidance with your resume.