Quick Reference
| File |
Purpose |
tailoring.md |
Adapt resume to specific job postings |
diagnosis.md |
Find why resume isn't getting calls |
ats.md |
Pass automated screening systems |
seniority.md |
Calibrate for different career levels |
What the Agent Can Do
| User Request |
Agent Action |
| "Why am I not getting calls?" |
Diagnose: match gaps, red flags, weak positioning |
| "Tailor this to [job posting]" |
Extract keywords, reorder, adapt language |
| "Will this pass ATS?" |
Check format, keywords, parseability |
| "I'm changing careers" |
Identify transferable skills, build narrative bridge |
| "Condense 15 years to 2 pages" |
Prioritize recent impact, strategic omissions |
| "Is my experience positioned well?" |
Convert responsibilities → achievements |
The 6-Second Test
Recruiters scan resumes in 6 seconds. Before anything else, verify:
- Title clarity — Current/target role obvious at top?
- Impact visible — Top 3 achievements jump out?
- Relevance clear — Match to target role evident?
- Clean format — No visual clutter slowing scan?
If any fail → fix before other optimizations.
Responsibilities → Achievements
The #1 resume killer: listing tasks instead of results.
Transform pattern:
- "Responsible for..." → "Achieved X resulting in Y"
- "Managed team of..." → "Built team from X to Y, delivering Z"
- "Worked on..." → "Led/contributed to X, increasing Y by Z%"
Every bullet needs: Action verb + specific result + quantified impact when possible.
Tailoring Workflow
When adapting to a specific job:
- Extract requirements — Parse job description for must-haves vs nice-to-haves
- Map experience — Which of user's achievements match each requirement?
- Identify gaps — What's missing? Can it be reframed or is it a real gap?
- Inject keywords — Add exact terms from JD, naturally integrated
- Reorder sections — Most relevant experience first
See tailoring.md for job description parsing patterns.
Career Changers
When user is switching industries/roles:
- Vocabulary translation — Rewrite achievements in target industry language
- Transferable skills — Extract hidden competencies ("budget management" = "P&L ownership")
- Narrative bridge — 2-3 sentences connecting past to future coherently
- Section reorder — Skills/summary may go before experience
- Red flag check — Avoid phrases that signal confusion about direction
See tailoring.md section on industry translation.
Senior/Executive Resumes
15+ years of experience requires different approach:
- Career arc — One coherent progression, not 12 disconnected roles
- Recency weighting — Last 5-7 years detailed, earlier roles condensed
- Strategic omissions — Remove outdated tech, irrelevant roles, age signals
- Leadership evidence — Show HOW you led, not just that you did
- Role calibration — Adjust tone if targeting lower level (avoid "overqualified" rejection)
See seniority.md for condensing techniques.
Red Flags to Fix
Immediate disqualification triggers:
- Unexplained gaps — Address or the recruiter imagines worst
- Job hopping without context — Brief roles need positioning
- Typos in tech names — ReactJS vs React.js matters
- Generic objective — "Seeking challenging opportunity" = delete
- Skills mismatch — Claims that experience doesn't support
Format Rules
- Length: <10 years = 1 page, 10-20 = 2 pages, exec = 2-3
- File: Have PDF, DOCX, and plain text versions ready
- Design: One column safer for ATS, minimal color, no graphics
- Dates: Consistent format throughout (MM/YYYY or Month YYYY)
For ATS-specific formatting, see ats.md.
1---2name: resume3description: Adapt, diagnose, and optimize resumes to land interviews with ATS optimization, job-specific tailoring, and recruiter-tested tactics.4---5
6## Quick Reference
7
8| File | Purpose |
9|------|---------|
10| `tailoring.md` | Adapt resume to specific job postings |
11| `diagnosis.md` | Find why resume isn't getting calls |
12| `ats.md` | Pass automated screening systems |
13| `seniority.md` | Calibrate for different career levels |
14
15---
16
17## What the Agent Can Do
18
19| User Request | Agent Action |
20|--------------|--------------|
21| "Why am I not getting calls?" | Diagnose: match gaps, red flags, weak positioning |
22| "Tailor this to [job posting]" | Extract keywords, reorder, adapt language |
23| "Will this pass ATS?" | Check format, keywords, parseability |
24| "I'm changing careers" | Identify transferable skills, build narrative bridge |
25| "Condense 15 years to 2 pages" | Prioritize recent impact, strategic omissions |
26| "Is my experience positioned well?" | Convert responsibilities → achievements |
27
28---
29
30## The 6-Second Test
31
32Recruiters scan resumes in 6 seconds. Before anything else, verify:
33
341. **Title clarity** — Current/target role obvious at top?
352. **Impact visible** — Top 3 achievements jump out?
363. **Relevance clear** — Match to target role evident?
374. **Clean format** — No visual clutter slowing scan?
38
39If any fail → fix before other optimizations.
40
41---
42
43## Responsibilities → Achievements
44
45The #1 resume killer: listing tasks instead of results.
46
47**Transform pattern:**
48- "Responsible for..." → "Achieved X resulting in Y"
49- "Managed team of..." → "Built team from X to Y, delivering Z"
50- "Worked on..." → "Led/contributed to X, increasing Y by Z%"
51
52**Every bullet needs:** Action verb + specific result + quantified impact when possible.
53
54---
55
56## Tailoring Workflow
57
58When adapting to a specific job:
59
601. **Extract requirements** — Parse job description for must-haves vs nice-to-haves
612. **Map experience** — Which of user's achievements match each requirement?
623. **Identify gaps** — What's missing? Can it be reframed or is it a real gap?
634. **Inject keywords** — Add exact terms from JD, naturally integrated
645. **Reorder sections** — Most relevant experience first
65
66See `tailoring.md` for job description parsing patterns.
67
68---
69
70## Career Changers
71
72When user is switching industries/roles:
73
741. **Vocabulary translation** — Rewrite achievements in target industry language
752. **Transferable skills** — Extract hidden competencies ("budget management" = "P&L ownership")
763. **Narrative bridge** — 2-3 sentences connecting past to future coherently
774. **Section reorder** — Skills/summary may go before experience
785. **Red flag check** — Avoid phrases that signal confusion about direction
79
80See `tailoring.md` section on industry translation.
81
82---
83
84## Senior/Executive Resumes
85
8615+ years of experience requires different approach:
87
881. **Career arc** — One coherent progression, not 12 disconnected roles
892. **Recency weighting** — Last 5-7 years detailed, earlier roles condensed
903. **Strategic omissions** — Remove outdated tech, irrelevant roles, age signals
914. **Leadership evidence** — Show HOW you led, not just that you did
925. **Role calibration** — Adjust tone if targeting lower level (avoid "overqualified" rejection)
93
94See `seniority.md` for condensing techniques.
95
96---
97
98## Red Flags to Fix
99
100Immediate disqualification triggers:
101
102- **Unexplained gaps** — Address or the recruiter imagines worst
103- **Job hopping without context** — Brief roles need positioning
104- **Typos in tech names** — ReactJS vs React.js matters
105- **Generic objective** — "Seeking challenging opportunity" = delete
106- **Skills mismatch** — Claims that experience doesn't support
107
108---
109
110## Format Rules
111
112- **Length:** <10 years = 1 page, 10-20 = 2 pages, exec = 2-3
113- **File:** Have PDF, DOCX, and plain text versions ready
114- **Design:** One column safer for ATS, minimal color, no graphics
115- **Dates:** Consistent format throughout (MM/YYYY or Month YYYY)
116
117For ATS-specific formatting, see `ats.md`.
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