The Resume Formula Recruiters Actually Read

Recruiters spend 6 seconds on your resume. Most candidates waste them.

Here’s the data-backed, recruiter-approved formula to make yours impossible to ignore—plus real before/after examples that landed offers at Google, Meta, and startups.

3 Resume Mistakes That Get You Instantly Rejected

1. The “Duty List” Resume

❌ “Responsible for managing social media accounts”
✅ Fix: Show impact, not just tasks.

2. The “Keyword Stuffing” Resume

❌ “Detail-oriented team player with strong communication skills”
✅ Fix: Use hard skills recruiters CTRL+F for (Python, SQL, AWS).

3. The “Everything But the Kitchen Sink” Resume

❌ 4-page resume with every internship since 2005
✅ Fix: One page for <10 years experience, two max for executives.

The 6-Second Resume Formula (Section by Section)

1. Header (The Only 2 Lines That Matter)

❌ Generic: “John Doe | Marketing Professional”
✅ Killer:
“John Doe | Growth Marketing (Paid Social, CAC Optimization)
*3x scaled DTC brands → $20M+ revenue | john@email.com | (555) 123-4567″*

Why it works: Instantly shows who you are + what you deliver.

2. Summary (Delete It Unless You Do This)

🚫 Avoid fluffy: “Creative problem-solver passionate about innovation…”
✅ Only use if:

• Career changer (“Ex-teacher → Data Analyst”)
• Industry niche (“Fintech Compliance Expert”)
  Otherwise, skip it.

3. Experience (The “Before → After” Hack)

For every role, answer:

1. What was broken?
2. What did you do?
3. What was the result?

❌ Weak:
“Managed Facebook ad campaigns”

✅ 6-Second Version:
*”Fixed underperforming ad spend → Cut CAC by 40% in 3 months (Saved $250K/year)”*

Pro Tip: Use bold for metrics so they pop at a glance.

4. Skills (The “Tiered” Strategy)

❌ Alphabet soup: “Python, Excel, Teamwork, Photoshop”
✅ Group by relevance:
Technical: Python (Pandas, NumPy), SQL, AWS
Marketing: Google Ads, FB Blueprint, HubSpot
Languages: Spanish (Fluent)

5. Education (The “Unless” Rule)

• Recent grad? Put it top.
• 5+ years experience? Move it bottom.
• Ivy League? Keep it visible.

Real Before/After Makeovers

Before (Ignored):

“Social Media Manager at XYZ Corp

1. Posted daily content on Instagram and Facebook
2. Increased engagement by 10%“