Weekly roundup
🚀 Quick Insight: The “7-Second Resume Rule”
Most candidates spend hours writing their resume.
Most recruiters spend seconds deciding whether to keep reading.
On average, hiring managers skim a resume for 6–7 seconds before sorting it into “keep” or “pass.”
That means your top section — about the first 3–4 lines — determines everything.
To win those 7 seconds:
1. Lead with a strong, value-driven summary
Skip the vague filler (e.g., “motivated, results-driven professional”).
Instead, write a tight, industry-aware, achievement-focused statement.
Example:
Marketing specialist with 5+ years of experience improving organic growth by 28–45% across B2C channels. Skilled in analytics, content strategy, and cross-functional collaboration.
2. Put achievements before tasks
Recruiters want outcomes, not responsibilities.
Instead of:
“Managed monthly reporting dashboards.”
Try:
“Built automated reporting dashboards that reduced analysis time by 11 hours per week.”
3. Use numbers everywhere
Metrics = instant credibility.
Revenue, engagement, client satisfaction, time saved, costs reduced — numbers tell the real story.
4. Keep it skimmable
No walls of text.
No dense paragraphs.
No clutter.
Whitespace = readability.
Readability = interviews.
Upcoming events
5 Resume Mistakes Quietly Costing You Interviews (and How to Fix Each One)
1. Your summary doesn’t position you clearly
A resume’s opening lines should instantly communicate who you are and what you bring. Many summaries rely on soft adjectives instead of stating a clear professional identity.
Better: Define your role, your domain, and one standout strength right at the top.
2. Your bullet points lack business impact
Recruiters skim for evidence of results. If your bullets read like task descriptions, your real value gets buried.
Better: Frame each bullet to highlight how your work improved a process, metric, team, or outcome.
3. You're missing the metrics that matter
Numbers make achievements concrete. Without them, even strong experience blends into the noise.
Better: Identify where you increased efficiency, boosted performance, reduced costs, or improved customer outcomes — and attach real figures.
4. The layout slows the reader down
A resume should be frictionless to scan. Crowded sections, heavy text blocks, and inconsistent formatting create cognitive load.
Better: Use clean hierarchy, whitespace, and short, punchy bullets so key points rise to the surface instantly.
5. It isn’t aligned with how hiring software reads resumes today
ATS systems rely on structure and keywords, and resumes that use complex formatting or unconventional labels often get misread.
Better: Keep formatting simple, use standard section headings, and align language with the job descriptions you’re targeting.
Member spotlight
Meet Kyle – from couch to 10K
Kyle joined the group just 4 months ago and recently completed his first 10K! Here’s what he had to say:
“I never thought I’d enjoy running this much. The energy, encouragement, and consistency of the group made all the difference.”
Got someone to nominate?
Training tips
🧰 Templates You Can Copy
Resume Summary Template
[Your Role] with [X] years of experience in [Industry/Skill].
Experienced in [Skill A], [Skill B], and [Skill C].
Achieved [Quantified Result] by [Doing What].
Bullet Point Template
[Action Verb] [Task] by [Method], resulting in [Quantified Outcome].
Achievement Starter Prompts
Increased ___ by ___ through ___
Reduced ___ by ___ using ___
Improved ___ metric from ___ to ___
Automated ___ saving ___ hours/week
Your resume is your career storefront.
If it isn’t clear, modern, and easy to understand, recruiters won’t step inside.
These are the five mistakes that keep good candidates stuck — and how to fix them starting today.
For more tips
In case you missed it
🧰 THE FULL RESUME MISTAKES BREAKDOWN
(with examples and templates)
Your resume is your career storefront.
If it isn’t clear, modern, and easy to understand, recruiters won’t step inside.
These are the five mistakes that keep good candidates stuck — and how to fix them starting today.
❌ Mistake #1 — A Vague, Generic Opening Summary
Most summaries sound like this:
“Hard-working, motivated team player seeking a position that allows me to grow.”
This says nothing.
✅ Fix With: A Value Summary (Template Included)
Use this template:
[Experience Level] + [Role/Specialty] + [Key Skills] + [Quantified Result]
Example:
Data analyst with 4+ years of experience building automated dashboards, improving reporting efficiency by 30%, and supporting decision-making across marketing and finance teams.
Copy-Ready Summary Prompts (Pick One):
“I help companies ___ by ___, resulting in ___.”
“I specialize in ___ with proven results in ___.”
“Over the past X years, I’ve ___, ___, and ___.”
❌ Mistake #2 — Bullets That Describe Duties, Not Outcomes
Bad bullet:
“Responsible for managing customer accounts.”
Better bullet:
“Managed 45+ active customer accounts, increasing renewal rate from 82% → 94% within one quarter.”
Use This Template for Every Bullet:
Action Verb + What You Did + How You Did It + Measurable Outcome
❌ Mistake #3 — No Quantifiable Impact
Numbers build trust.
Recruiters scan for impact, not adjectives.
Replace:
“significantly improved…”
“successfully increased…”
“greatly reduced…”
With:
“increased click-through rate by 43%”
“reduced onboarding time by 27%”
“cut costs by $118,000 annually”
Try These “Impact Starter” Prompts:
“Saved ___ hours per week by…”
“Improved ___ metric by ___% through…”
“Generated ___ leads by…”
❌ Mistake #4 — Cluttered Formatting
Your resume should breathe.
Use:
11–12pt font
0.5–1" margins
A single, clean font (Inter, Helvetica, Calibri, Source Sans)
Bulleted lists
Consistent spacing
Avoid:
Text boxes
Tables
Decorative graphics
Multiple font types
Unaligned bullet symbols
Keep it simple.
Simple wins in hiring.
❌ Mistake #5 — Not Optimized for ATS
Over 85% of companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to filter resumes.
To optimize:
Use common section titles (“Experience”, “Skills”, “Education”)
Don’t put text in graphics or tables
Use job-specific keywords
Save as PDF unless told otherwise
Use past tense for old roles; present tense for current
Get involved
⚡ Career Hack of the Week
The STAR Method (Your New Interview Framework)
Situation → Task → Action → Result
Almost every behavioral question (“Tell me about a time when…”) can be answered cleanly with this simple structure.
A perfect STAR answer:
Is under 90 seconds
Has a measurable result
Shows ownership
Ends with impact
Try turning your resume bullets into STAR answers.
You’ll sound more confident instantly.
💌 Before You Go
If you found value in this first issue, consider forwarding it to a friend or colleague who’s looking for clarity and direction in their career.
New readers can join here:
👉 https://coachyourcareer.com
Thanks for being here at the beginning.
You’re just getting started — and I’m excited for what’s ahead.
