A hiring manager’s no-BS playbook for writing a resume that actually works. Three resumes landed in my inbox last month. From a mentee, a cousin, and a friend. I wanted to help — I love helping. But reading these felt like homework. Not because they weren’t smart. But because the documents felt dense, cluttered, and forgettable. That’s when it hit me: this is not just a content problem. It’s a design problem, too. this is not just a content problem. It’s a design problem, too. We’ve been trained to write resumes like legal transcripts: linear, formal, forgettable. We’re told to write for the ATS. Strip out formatting. Remove color. Make it machine-readable. But here’s the truth: even if your resume passes the ATS filter, it still has to get past me. And I’m rooting for you! I want to see your potential. But if I, someone who cares, can’t get through it… Imagine a hiring manager with no context and ten more tabs open. They’re not looking for your story. They’re looking to close a role. And I’m rooting for you! I want to see your potential. If your resume doesn’t make it easy to say yes, it’s already a no. If your resume doesn’t make it easy to say yes, it’s already a no. Your resume has one job: to convert attention into opportunity. Think of it like a product. One with three parts: The best resumes aren’t just written.They’re designed, edited, and performed. The best resumes aren’t just written.They’re designed, edited, and performed. Pillar 1: Think Like a Product Your resume isn’t a reflection of your past. It’s a tool to get you to your future. So please, treat it like a product. Products have users, outcomes, positioning, and conversion goals. Your user is the hiring manager. The outcome is an interview. Your positioning is how you show that you’re the best fit without needing a second glance. Your user is the hiring manager. Your user is the hiring manager. Your user The outcome is an interview. The outcome is an interview. The outcome Your positioning is how you show that you’re the best fit without needing a second glance. Your positioning is how you show that you’re the best fit without needing a second glance. Your positioning without So, you start tackling your resume, answer these: What kind of roles am I chasing? What do I want to be hired to do, not just list? What strengths do I want to scream, even in a skim? What kind of roles am I chasing? kind of roles What do I want to be hired to do, not just list? do do What strengths do I want to scream, even in a skim? strengths And if your answer to “what are you looking for next?” is “better pay”, please stop. Pay is not a pitch. It’s a side effect. Pay is not a pitch. It’s a side effect. You apply to grow. To build something new. To level up. To lead. Your resume needs to reflect that ambition, not chase every job description like a shapeshifter with no spine. grow something new level up lead reflect that ambition, Get clear on the why, who, and what next before you even write the what was. why who what next what was Pillar 2: Design That Earns Attention Design doesn’t start with fonts. It starts with respect. Respect for the reader’s time. Respect for how humans process visual info. And respect for the fact that your resume is not the only one in the pile. Respect for the reader’s time not the only one in the pile. Here’s what actually matters: 1. Layout Use two columns. Yes, it’s fine. ATS will survive. Let’s stop clinging to 2012. Your reader will thank you. And here’s a trick: put experience and education at the top. Some hiring managers (like me) care about experience. Others are weirdly obsessed with education. Don’t ask me why! I do not get it at all. But this is your time to make that student loan debt count! And with this, you can serve both. Keep them scrolling. experience education weirdly at all 2. Hierarchy What do you want me to see first? Your name, your title, your companies, your impact? Cool. Make those visually louder. Font size. Bold. But stop shouting everything. Your name and section headers are non-negotiables. ATS needs them. So do I. Your name and section headers are non-negotiables. And the hierarchy isn’t just aesthetic, it’s strategic. For example: strategic If you’ve been promoted within the same company, highlight the roles. If you’ve worked at top-tier brands (MANG? Big 4?), highlight the company. Make those companies work for you! If you’ve been promoted within the same company, highlight the roles. roles If you’ve worked at top-tier brands (MANG? Big 4?), highlight the company. Make those companies work for you! company Choose what matters for your story and let that lead. 3. Spacing Give breathing room. Whitespace is not wasted space, it’s what helps the rest land. If your resume looks like a dense wall of text, I’m gone. Your section heading is touching the line, which is touching the next thing, I am seriously gone. 4. Proximity Dates should be near job titles. I cannot tell you how much this irritates me when your job is on the left, and then, the dates are all the way to the right! Things that go together need to be together. Document design 101. 5. Color Use one accent color that reflects who you are…sparingly. Your name, headers, and maybe companies.Color = signature. Not risk. Your resume isn’t a brand guideline doc, but it is a signal. Color is one of the fastest ways to say something about who you are before I’ve read a word. Your resume isn’t a brand guideline doc, but it is a signal. Color is one of the fastest ways to say something about who you are before I’ve read a word. You can include something like: Maroon → Confident, grounded, thoughtful Blue → Trustworthy, calm, detail-oriented Orange → Bold, creative, initiator Green → Fresh, adaptable, mission-driven Yellow (not highlighter yellow) → Optimistic, warm, high energy Red → Assertive, decisive, strong presence Gray/black only → Reserved, classic, plays by the rules (which might be exactly the point) Maroon → Confident, grounded, thoughtful Maroon Blue → Trustworthy, calm, detail-oriented Blue Orange → Bold, creative, initiator Orange Green → Fresh, adaptable, mission-driven Green Yellow (not highlighter yellow) → Optimistic, warm, high energy Yellow (not highlighter yellow) Red → Assertive, decisive, strong presence Red Gray/black only → Reserved, classic, plays by the rules (which might be exactly the point) Gray/black only 6. Design for the Skim People don’t read resumes. They scan. Make it easy for them to find the signal. So, make those positions bold, make the impact bold, anything that cannot and should not be missed out on should be bold. Design the Micro-Tips Section If you want your resume to read well, don’t make me fix these. Orphaned words: If one lonely word is sitting on the next line, please fix it. Font crimes: Pick one font family. Stick to it. Use font variations if needed. Complementary fonts are also okay, but they have to go together. Also, no Comic Sans or Papyrus! Alignment drift: If your bullets aren’t aligned, neither is your message. Rivers of whitespace: Big gaps running vertically through justified text? Stop! Left aligned at all times. You are not writing a magazine article. Letter spacing: Don’t even think about it! Orphaned words: If one lonely word is sitting on the next line, please fix it. Orphaned words: Font crimes: Pick one font family. Stick to it. Use font variations if needed. Complementary fonts are also okay, but they have to go together. Also, no Comic Sans or Papyrus! Font crimes have Alignment drift: If your bullets aren’t aligned, neither is your message. Alignment drift Rivers of whitespace: Big gaps running vertically through justified text? Stop! Left aligned at all times. You are not writing a magazine article. Rivers of whitespace Letter spacing: Don’t even think about it! Letter spacing These are design signals. And they’re telling me whether or not to trust your attention to detail before I’ve even hit your experience. You want to show your UI/UX skills as a PM? This is how you do it from the get-go! These are design signals. And they’re telling me whether or not to trust your attention to detail before I’ve even hit your experience. Pillar 3: Content That Actually Says Something Design gets me to pause. Content gets me to stay. Narrative gets me to remember. Here’s how to actually write a resume worth reading: 1. No. of Pages = 1 As a Hiring Manager, I’m out in 6 seconds, maybe 10 if I’m generous. So, anything more than 1 page is not going to make it. I will take it as, “This child does not know how to edit.” Which in real life would be, “Can this child even cut scope when needed?” And my answer to that, based on your resume, is NO. So, edit it. NO NO 2. Every bullet needs a job. Each bullet needs to do a different job. Stop repeating the same sentence with a new verb. It reads like you ran out of things to say, and I assume you did. 3. Start with the action. End with the evidence. • Bad: Led syncs across teams Bad • Better: Led cross-functional syncs that cut QA time by 40% and reduced launch delays Better 4. Order = Signal Whatever’s first is what I assume you value most. Don’t bury your strongest work halfway down the page. 5. Tell me what the company does If your resume says “Google,” cool. But did you work on Gmail? YouTube? A moonshot? One line of context under every company makes a world of difference. One line of context under every company makes a world of difference. Examples: “Meta | Product Manager, Ads Monetization Platform” “Seed-stage startup | First designer on a logistics app for small retailers” “Meta | Product Manager, Ads Monetization Platform” “Meta | Product Manager, Ads Monetization Platform” “Seed-stage startup | First designer on a logistics app for small retailers” “Seed-stage startup | First designer on a logistics app for small retailers” It helps me understand the kind of work you did, the type of team you were on, and whether you’ve solved problems that are relevant to what I need. kind type Non-negotiables I will fight you over. No photos: Bias is real. And I don’t care how hot you are. Your face isn’t a qualification. Keep it off the page. No company locations: Unless it matters to the work you did, it’s just wasted space. No novels in your intro: Your summary should be 2–3 lines, jargon-free, and human. Not a manifesto. Not a buzzword salad. And definitely not in bullet form. Skills section: ordered with purpose: Order matters. Always. Designers → lead with design tools and methods. PMs with engineering backgrounds → lead with product skills. No proficiency circles: What does “4 out of 5” in Excel even mean? That you can format a table? Use macros? There’s no standard. There’s no meaning. Remove it. No floating tool lists. Figma, Excel, Jira… okay. But what about them? If you list a tool, show how it was used, or put it in the skills section where you are talking about design or analytics, or user stories! No photos: Bias is real. And I don’t care how hot you are. Your face isn’t a qualification. Keep it off the page. No photos No company locations: Unless it matters to the work you did, it’s just wasted space. No company locations No novels in your intro: Your summary should be 2–3 lines, jargon-free, and human. Not a manifesto. Not a buzzword salad. And definitely not in bullet form. No novels in your intro definitely Skills section: ordered with purpose: Order matters. Always. Designers → lead with design tools and methods. PMs with engineering backgrounds → lead with product skills. Skills section: ordered with purpose: No proficiency circles: What does “4 out of 5” in Excel even mean? That you can format a table? Use macros? There’s no standard. There’s no meaning. Remove it. No proficiency circles: No floating tool lists. Figma, Excel, Jira… okay. But what about them? If you list a tool, show how it was used, or put it in the skills section where you are talking about design or analytics, or user stories! No floating tool lists. about Bonus: If you’re early-career, mid-pivot, or resume-anxious You don’t need a stacked job history to write a great resume. 1. Add a Projects Section Especially if you’re in grad school or making a shift. This is how you prove relevance. Use real-world problems Show your role, decisions, and impact Bonus if you link to the work (portfolio, GitHub, etc.) Use real-world problems Show your role, decisions, and impact Bonus if you link to the work (portfolio, GitHub, etc.) Internships count too. Side projects count too. Call them what they are. Don’t bury the title. And definitely do not put this as an experience. I will hit you, and I mean it! Internships count Side projects 2. Show That You Can Collaborate You’re not joining as a VP. You’re coming in as a PM1, APM, or Designer 1. And what am I looking for? Someone who can collaborate, take feedback, and ship features. Use words like: “Collaborated with cross-functional teams…” “Partnered with design to iterate on wireframes…” “Worked alongside engineers to scope MVP features…” That’s what shows me you’re ready to roll. I’m not expecting you to lead on day one. I’m expecting you to plug in, learn fast, and move with the team. Show me that. Say that. Final Thought Your resume is not just a document. It’s a product. It’s not about everything you’ve done. It’s about making someone want to know more. And the truth? You don’t get hired because of your past. You get hired for how clearly you make someone believe in your future. You don’t get hired because of your past. You get hired for how clearly you make someone believe in your future. The best resumes aren’t lists. They’re auditions. Make yours the one that gets the callback.
