How To Write a Resume That Actually Works

Most resumes don’t work. Not because people are unqualified, but because they treat a resume like a biography instead of what it actually is: a highlight reel. A resume is not a list of everything you’ve ever done. It is a story about why you’re the right guy for the job sitting in front of you.

I learned this the hard way. Early in my career, I rewrote my resume eight times in a week and still felt like I was throwing darts in the dark. I didn’t know what hiring managers actually cared about. I didn’t know what made someone stop scrolling. I didn’t know how to talk about myself without feeling cringe.

So I built a system. It’s the same system I used to land opportunities I had no business getting on paper. It’s the same system I wish I had at twenty two. And it’s the same system I want you to have right now.

Because writing a resume that actually works is not about being the smartest guy in the room. It’s about being the clearest.

Here’s how to do it.

Start With One Question: What Problem Do You Solve?

You are not applying for a job. You are applying to solve a problem. And people get hired because they can make someone else’s life easier.

A resume that actually works starts by answering one simple question:

“Why does the company need me?”

Are you the guy who brings order to chaos? The guy who gets teams talking? The guy who hits deadlines without being asked? The guy who makes customers feel heard? The guy who sees the small things everyone else misses?

When you write your resume from that position, everything becomes easier. Your bullets become sharper. Your story becomes stronger. And the person reading it finally understands what you’re good at without needing to decode a paragraph.

Your Resume Should Look Like a Landing Page

People read resumes the same way they skim websites. Fast. Emotionally. Looking for any reason to bounce.

You have about six seconds to get someone to stop scrolling. That means your layout matters just as much as your words.

Here’s the structure that works:

Section 1: Header
Name, phone, email, LinkedIn. Clean. No clutter.

Section 2: Summary (3 lines max)
A short, focused intro that says exactly who you are and what you bring.
Something like:
“Detail focused operations coordinator with a track record of improving processes, simplifying communication, and helping teams move faster.”

Section 3: Experience
Reverse chronological. This is where your bullets live.

Section 4: Skills
Not a grocery list. A filtered list based on the job you want.

Section 5: Optional Extras
Certifications, side projects, relevant wins.

The goal isn’t to show everything. The goal is to show the right things.

Your Bullets Should Be 3 Things: Clear, Measurable, Useful

If a bullet doesn’t answer “Why does this matter?” it shouldn’t be on your resume.

The best bullets follow this formula:

Action verb + what you did + the impact you created

Examples:

• “Improved weekly reporting workflow and saved the team 6 hours per week.”
• “Coordinated onboarding for 30 new hires and increased training satisfaction scores.”
• “Managed customer inquiries and reduced response times by 20 percent.”

None of these brag. They show value. They tell a hiring manager, “This is what I do when you put me in a room with people and problems.”

When you write bullets like this, your resume starts working for you.

Cut Everything That Doesn’t Strengthen the Story

Your resume is not your diary. It is a marketing tool. And marketing is about clarity.

Common things you can remove immediately:

• Irrelevant coursework
• Long lists of generic skills
• Huge paragraphs nobody will read
• Old jobs that don’t apply anymore
• Responsibilities that sound like job descriptions
• Anything you can’t explain in an interview

Less noise means more clarity. More clarity means more callbacks.

The Most Underrated Part of Your Resume: Keywords

This sounds boring, but it matters. Companies use applicant tracking systems. If your resume doesn’t include the words they’re searching for, you don’t get seen.

But here’s the trick:
You don’t have to “hack” anything. You just need to match the language.

If the job posting says “cross functional communication,” use that phrase. If it says “client reporting,” include it. If it says “CRM experience,” put the tool you actually used.

You’re not gaming the system. You’re speaking the same language as the person hiring you.

Show You Can Make a Decision

One of the biggest green flags in a resume is decisiveness. When your content is sharp, condensed, and confident, you give the impression of someone who knows who they are.

A clear resume signals a clear mind.

A messy one signals hesitation.

Hiring managers feel this instantly.

Don’t Hide Your Wins

A lot of guys are scared to talk about themselves. I get it. It feels weird to put your accomplishments on a page.

But a resume isn’t about arrogance. It’s about accuracy.

If you improved something
If you solved something
If you handled something
If you built something
If you fixed something

You should include it. Clear, calm, grounded. Not performative. Not loud.

Just honest.

This is the confidence piece we talked about in Episode 111: How To Advocate for Yourself at Work. If you can’t advocate for yourself on a page, you won’t do it in a meeting.

A resume is the safest place to practice.

Don’t Write a Biography. Write a Trailer.

Your resume is not the movie. It’s the preview. The purpose is to leave them wanting the interview.

That means:

• Short sentences
• Clean formatting
• Zero fluff
• Only the strongest bullets
• Clear structure
• A story that makes sense
• A tone that feels human, not robotic

When your resume feels like you, people remember you.

Your Resume Should Answer Three Questions

By the time someone reaches the bottom of the page, they should know:

1. What are you good at?
2. How do you work with people?
3. What value do you create?

If your resume answers these three questions, it is already better than ninety percent of the resumes it’s sitting next to.

Proofread Like Someone Is Paying You

Nothing gets a resume thrown out faster than mistakes that could have been avoided. You don’t need to be perfect, but you do need to be careful.

Check:

• spelling
• formatting
• spacing
• bullet alignment
• tense
• consistency

If you get these small things right, you signal you’ll get the big things right too.

The Final Step Most Guys Forget

After building your resume, ask yourself:

“If someone had 10 seconds to look at this, what would they remember?”

If the answer isn’t immediately clear, rewrite the top third. That’s your hook. That’s the part that decides whether they scroll or close the tab.

You want the reader to feel one thing:

“This guy knows what he’s doing.”

The Truth About Great Resumes

Great resumes aren’t long.
They aren’t complicated.
They aren’t filled with impressive vocabulary.

They are clear.

And clarity is a skill you build the same way you build confidence. Through reps. Through edits. Through being honest about who you are and what you bring.

Advocating for yourself starts long before you walk into the room. It starts with how you present yourself on paper.

Your resume is not a formality. It is the first impression before the first impression.
It is what opens the door.