[Getting Hired] Chapter 1: How to Show The Best Version of You Through Your Resume
Recently I opened some voluntary resume reviews you can find the details here. Well, the thing is many resume is far from my standards. I didn’t get excited by reading them. I didn’t find any ambition and GRIT in their writings. They have a lot of achievements, but they can’t sell themself to me. Although I read them I didn’t get convinced to hire them.
In this article I want to show you how to show the best version of you through your resume.
- Use an ATS Friendly CV
There are a lot of ATS-friendly CV templates you can find it here. ATS, or Applicant Tracking System, is software used by many companies and organizations to manage their recruitment process. ATS systems are designed to streamline and automate the initial stages of the hiring process, such as collecting, sorting, and ranking incoming resumes or CVs from job applicants.
When you submit a CV or resume to an online job application, it often goes through an ATS before a human recruiter even sees it. ATS systems are programmed to scan and analyze the content of resumes for specific keywords, formatting, and relevant information. The goal is to quickly identify the most suitable candidates based on the job requirements and qualifications.
2. Learn How to Write As The Person Who Know Nothing About You
This is the mindset when you are writing a resume. Just try to think like this
I want you to talk to me not talk to yourself.
I don’t know you, but i want to know you.
Don’t expect me to know you, show it to me. I positioned myself as a TA not as a SE.
If you put some buzz words, explain it to me and explain why i need to know that and why it is important for you to put that on your resume.
This is the correct mindset don’t expect the HR or the receiving team to know you. Who the heck are you a celebrity?? you are just NPC in this world. Just think like that.
3. Make it Achievement Based not a Task-Based
This is an example of task-based. I want it to be more achievement based not a task based. As an intern you didn’t work alone you work along with a mentor. Show how you improve by achieving your are not just juniors that only listen to what your mentor or manager says. only get task-based here not really achievement. The picture overall that I get is you are doing what you are supposed to do. Explain what makes you different than others.
4. Give Me Numbers
I want you to describe the impact more quantitative not qualitative like increasing xx % or reducing xx % churn rate. Also please give details like which translates to increasing $$ Dollars in Revenue.
5. Show Me Your Initiative
As I mentioned before, I like candidates who are willing to do something more to differentiate themself from others. Show some passion and care for their jobs and company.
6. Show Me Your True Self With Your Writing
I can only know you with your own writing through your cv. Give your writing your personal traits so that I can know you better with your writing. If your resume is so so, I can’t see your grit and ambition in it. I can’t get excited by reading it. I can’t be convinced to hire you. Since in my top of mind you are just some ordinary person and not give energy to the team.
7. Use Frameworks To Better Convey Message
Use frameworks like STAR, Situation Task Action Result. When you are using this, your writing will be more complete and easy to digest
8. Ask More WHY??
Ask yourself Why is it important to show in the CV? Why it should be put first? There’s a framework to find the root cause which is 5 Why’s. Try this and you can find your cv more effective.
9. Know Your Audience
Your audience may be an HR, who didn’t come from the related background. for example, you said that you work on a model that has xx f1 score. I didn’t come from an ML Background How should I know it is important It is such a great achievement. Like a dog doesn’t know how worth is a diamond.
I think that’s all that comes to my mind, for those of you who send an unpaid Resume Review that didn’t meet my standard. I would not review it since just a waste of time with a lot of revision and I didn’t see your grit and willingness to grow if didn’t meet my standard 😁 😁 😁 😁 😁. I want to help you, but if you didn’t meet my standard you are not respecting the time and effort I put into it.
There’s also a slides from Tech in ASIA, if you happens inspire to become a Product Manager here is the link.
If you have some suggestions to make this article better, feel free to comment 🫡🫡🫡
Change Log:
18 Aug 2023 — Initial release
18 Aug 2023 — Adding slides from tech in asia by Rafi Ramadhan Seba
Author:
Rahmat Wibowo
Associate Solutions Architect @AWS
rahmat.wibowo21@gmail.com | linkedin.com/in/rahmatwi
