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A simple order for improving your resume

Resumes improve fastest when you fix structure first, wording second and tailoring last. This order saves rework, and each step links to a guide and a tool.

1. Get the foundation right

Decide what belongs on the page and which layout fits your history. Use the format chooser, then read what a resume should include. If you have a gap, see handling employment gaps.

2. Make the bullets specific

Paste your bullets into the bullet checker for a first pass, and compare with the rewrite examples. Then read writing bullets that do not sound generic and proving impact without perfect metrics.

3. Tailor, then check

For each job, work through the targeting planner and compare wording with the keyword overlap helper. Before sending, tick through the resume final check. See tailoring for ATS without keyword stuffing for the reasoning.

Letters and extra help

Not sure a cover letter is worth it? Read when a cover letter is worth writing. Weighing paid help? The resume help options guide and the cover letter and LinkedIn guide compare the choices.

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