Resume Upgrade

Resume Upgrade

A resume expansion workflow that starts from resume-critic, then identifies what the candidate is missing for the target job and proposes honest ways to build or demonstrate that missing signal over time.

When to Use

Use this skill when the user wants strategic upgrades beyond simple rewriting: new project ideas, evidence gaps, missing skill development, portfolio improvements, or stronger credibility signals for a target role.

Good uses:

• "What should I build to become a stronger candidate for this ML engineer role?"
• "Based on the critique, what projects or skills should I add over the next 2 months?"
• "How do I upgrade this resume so it becomes more competitive for data science jobs?"

Bad uses:

• "Rewrite my existing bullets only." (use resume-rewrite)
• "Review my current resume." (use resume-critic)
• "Suggest random good projects with no job target." (insufficient targeting)
• "Pretend I already did these projects and add them to my resume." (dishonest fabrication)

This skill cannot start without a prior resume-critic output for the same resume and target job.

Hard Dependency

Before upgrading, require all three:

1. The current resume text or file
2. The target job description, or at minimum the concrete job title
3. The output from resume-critic for that same target job

If the user has not run resume-critic, stop and ask for it first. If the critique exists but targets a different job, do not reuse it.

What "Upgrade" Means

An upgrade proposes new signal the user could honestly create, learn, or document, such as:

• New portfolio projects
• Missing skills to learn
• Missing certifications or coursework worth considering
• Better evidence collection from existing work
• Open-source, freelance, volunteer, or side-project moves that strengthen credibility

An upgrade does not mean fabricating content into the resume immediately.

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Inputs

Read:

• The current resume
• The target job description or job title
• The resume-critic output
• Any user constraints such as time, domain, experience level, or timeline

Start the framed brief with:

• This upgrade plan is for: [full job title]
• Job description source: [pasted JD | linked JD | inferred from user-provided title only]
• Critique source: [resume-critic transcript/report reference or pasted output]

Step 2: Identify Signal Gaps

Use the resume-critic findings plus the job target to identify:

1. Missing hard skills
2. Missing domain evidence
3. Missing project proof
4. Missing ownership or impact signals
5. Missing portfolio or public proof points

Separate:

• gaps that can be solved by documenting existing work better
• gaps that require genuinely new work

Step 3: Produce The Upgrade Plan

Recommend concrete upgrades such as:

• 2-5 project ideas tailored to the target job
• Skills to learn, with rationale
• Evidence to gather from existing work
• Optional portfolio, GitHub, case study, or certification moves

Every suggestion must be justified against the stated target job.

Step 4: Prioritize By ROI

Rank upgrades by:

• speed to complete
• signal strength for the target job
• realism given the user's likely starting point

Output Format

Use this exact structure:

## Job Target
This upgrade plan is for: [job title]
Job description source: [source]

## Resume-Critic Basis
[Short summary of the critique being acted on]

## What The Resume Already Has
[Existing strengths worth preserving]

## Gaps To Close
[The highest-value missing signals]

## Upgrade Plan
[Concrete projects, skills, and proof-building moves]

## Fastest High-ROI Wins
[The quickest upgrades with the best payoff]

## What Not To Fake
[Short warning about claims that must only be added after real work is done]

Important Rules

• Do not start without resume-critic.
• Do not start without a target job description or at least a concrete job title.
• Always state clearly which job the upgrade plan is for.
• Do not present suggested projects or skills as if they already belong on the resume.
• Keep suggestions realistic, job-linked, and honest.
• Be honest about the size of gaps. If the user is far from the target role, say so directly. A politely vague upgrade plan wastes their time.