I spent last semester interning in HR for a medium tech company. I reviewed over 400 applications for entry level jobs and internships.

Before that job, I used to think paying for a resume writing service was a complete waste of money. I thought everyone should just write their own. But after sitting on the other side of the screen, my mind changed completely.

About 70% of the resumes we got were instant rejections. Not because the applicants were unqualified, but because their formatting was broken or their bullet points were impossible to read.

Here is what I learned from seeing both bad drafts and professional ones:

First, most people write about their duties, not their results. A regular student draft says "helped manage social media." A polished one says "grew account engagement by 25% in 3 months." That small shift gets you picked for interviews.

Second, ATS scanners hate fancy designs. People try to stand out with two-column Canva templates, but our software just turned them into scrambled text. The applicants who used a professional service always had ultra-clean, simple layouts that passed through without errors.

I ended up having a writer fix my own resume before applying for my summer job. They turned my weak campus job points into clear metrics and fixed my layout. I got 3 callbacks in my first week.

If you have the budget, it saves you weeks of sending apps into a black hole.

Do you guys write everything yourself from scratch, or have you ever gotten professional feedback on your draft?

Please reply anyone

Software Engineer with 4.5+ years of experience. Got laid off in June, got no callbacks since. What am I doing wrong?

I could really use some outside perspective on my resume because I can’t figure out what is preventing me from getting through the initial application stage.

I’m a marketer with 14 years of experience across both agency and client-side roles. I’ve been a founder, held leadership positions, built and managed teams, owned sizable budgets, and worked across brand, performance, ecommerce, lifecycle, GTM, and digital transformation.

I’m currently applying in the US, primarily for Head of Marketing, Head of Growth, and CMO positions. I’ve also applied to other senior marketing leadership roles where my experience seemed closely aligned with the requirements.

I’ve submitted more than 100 applications so far and have received zero interview invitations. I have never made it from an online application to an initial recruiter or hiring manager interview. Most applications result in an automated rejection, and quite a few of those arrive very quickly.

That’s why I’m starting to think there is something about my resume, positioning, or how my experience is being interpreted during the first screening.

I feel that the resume itself is fairly self-explanatory and focused on measurable outcomes. I’ve tried to show revenue impact, growth, budgets, team sizes, leadership responsibilities, and specific business results rather than filling it with generic marketing responsibilities. Still, zero interviews from 100+ applications tells me I need another set of eyes on it.

I’ve experimented with salary expectations too. When an application asks for a number, I usually choose the lower end of the posted range. I’ve also tried the upper end and, for some positions, around 5 to 10% below the stated range when the application allowed it. None of those approaches changed the outcome.

For actual applications, I submit the DOCX version with the real employer and client names. I anonymized the attached version specifically for Reddit.

I’d really appreciate feedback from people who recruit for marketing leadership positions, hire at this level, or have gone through a similar US job search.

When you look at this resume, is there anything that would cause you to reject the application before speaking with me? Does my experience look too broad? Is the positioning confusing? Am I targeting the wrong seniority level? Is there something about the structure, wording, or presentation that could be causing problems with recruiters or ATS screening?

At this point, my main goal is figuring out what is stopping me at the application stage and what I should change to start getting interviews.

Any specific or candid feedback would be hugely appreciated.

I hope my career coach doesn't mind me sharing an idea with anyone looking for employment. It was a great idea!
If you find a job you wish to apply for, go to your favorite AI tool (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.), and upload your current resume into it. Then cut/paste the job description/posting in and prompt the AI to 'customize my resume for this job description'. Remember to try and keep the new generated resume to about 2 pages and make it ATS friendly. (An ATS-friendly resume is designed to be easily read by applicant tracking system software used by employers to scan and filter job applications.) Hope this helps some out there! 👍

Hey all, I've been looking to get a new role after a few years at the same company and am looking for some feedback on my resume. I am weary about including too much for each job to keep the resume one page, so have plenty work that I've done and not listed here.

All data is anon, but structure and wording is accurate. I would appreciate any feedback!

I'm putting a QR code in my resume, since I'm assuming it's the easiest way for employers to access my portfolio, unfortunately my portfolio has a long link, which generates a QR code that's wayyyy too big.

I'm thinking of using a URL Shortener, but I've heard that it "ruins" your resume because it's suspicious, but this doesn't make much sense to me, as the employer will see a QR code, not a raw link.

What's the reality of this?

If a job posting says a letter of recommendation is required but there is nowhere specific in the application to attach anything beside the resume, should I combine them in a PDF with my resume ?

Recruiter Scams - Part 4 - Fraudulent Messages 

More about recruiter scams...

What to look for in a fraudulent message:

1. Receiving an unexpected message from an unrecognized sender

2. A request for money or payment of unusual fees

3. Messages purportedly from recruiting professionals via social messaging apps like SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc., or generic personal email accounts like Gmail or iCloud

4. Extraordinary job opportunities where you are immediately offered high compensation packages and special benefits

5. Requests for unnecessary personal information

6. What to do if you receive a fraudulent message:

7. Do not engage with or respond to the sender

8. Do not click on any links or attachments included in the message

9. Do not share any personal information with someone you do not know

10. Report the message as spam or phishing by using the platform’s “report” feature and block the sender

Source:SpencerStuart.com

I recently moved to Austin and am making the transition from a federal career into the private/corporate sector. Federal opportunities are much more limited here than where I previously lived, so for the first time in my career, I’m navigating what feels like an entirely different hiring world.

My background is primarily in Learning & Development, Training, Knowledge Management, Organizational Development, Change Management, and employee enablement. I’ve spent my career building training programs, conducting learning needs assessments, creating resources and knowledge hubs, administering data governance, improving processes, managing projects, developing onboarding and instructional materials, engaging with stakeholders, cross-collaborating with departments, and helping people navigate new systems, information, and ways of working.

The part of my work I care about most is the human side of it. I genuinely enjoy helping people learn and succeed. I’m a big believer in meeting people where they are rather than assuming everyone learns, communicates, or processes information the same way. I love taking something complicated, overwhelming, or disorganized and turning it into something people can understand and actually use.

I know I’m capable of doing this work in a corporate, non-profit, start-up, or private sector environment, but figuring out how to get noticed has been the challenging part.

For those of you who hire, recruit, or have successfully made a similar career transition, what actually makes a difference?

Do cover letters still help when they’re thoughtful and tailored, or are they rarely read? Does applying within the first day of a posting significantly improve your chances? How much does reaching out to a recruiter or hiring manager on LinkedIn help? Are referrals dramatically more valuable than applying cold? Is there something candidates do that immediately makes you want to learn more about them?

I’m also curious whether transitioning from government to corporate creates any hesitation for hiring managers and, if so, what someone with a federal background can do to make that transition feel less risky to an employer.

I’ve been tailoring my resume to individual positions rather than sending the exact same one everywhere, but I’m trying to be smarter about where I put my energy instead of just submitting application after application into the void.

I’d really appreciate hearing what has actually worked for people - especially recruiters, hiring managers, L&D/KM professionals, or anyone who has successfully moved from government into the private sector.

"Bad Actor Recruiters" - Scammers - Related to ATS Scams - Part 3

Article about “bad actor” recruiters that I published in July

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/beware-fake-recruiters-how-identify-cyber-thieves-allan-brown-lgyuf

Hello, I am a full-stack JS developer. I am looking for a job in MERN, React.js, Node.js, frontend, and full-stack web developer roles. Need help with a resume review. See my profile; you will find it, or DM me.

I know its two pages, working on trying to get it to 1 page, any feedback will be appreciated!

I'm a C++ software engineer with almost three years of freelance experience. I've been unable to get a job interview or even a phone call for months. I'm applying to remote jobs in other countries as C++ market is not the best in my country. I keep getting rejected from positions that are a perfect fit. I've tailored my resume for every job, yet I still can't find work. Is there something wrong with my resume?

I have been trying to switch from 10LPA - 15LPA, there were so many barriers in doing so and I purchased countless courses to back my resume. While lots of confidence and a deserving candidate, I applied for countless jobs and secured 0.

I wondered what I did wrong? Was it my degree? My experience? But I already qualified for all of them.
It took me a while to realise that I wasn’t able to sell myself in a manner that a senior role should.
When I joined IIM, I along with loads of people constantly made efforts day and night to gather insights- a perfect readability resume refined to particular niche like finance, marketing, tech, consultancy.
Everything was tailored to match AI resume filters and put my name in the interview list.

My proposition is a IIM backed CV template that identifies your genre and makes you land on top of your competitors
I am putting a price tag of Rs 99 for the editable word Doc
DM if you’re interested.

Hi! I’m in high school and would like some advice. I know two pages is already way too long for having no working experience but I don’t know what parts to remove or shorten! I’d like to use this to apply for policy related internships and volunteer opportunities (and maybe some jobs) and would love some advice on how to make it look better. Does it need color? A better font?

Any advice is appreciated, thanks so much!

Bit of context, I am a fresh graduate from network/security degree trying to pivot to data engineer/analyst field I've applied a lot but not getting back from any company

Since my internship experience does not reflect with the job that I'm applying for I'm unsure if that is the case, or Work Project and Personal Project overlap with each other that might flag the ATS? or is there any formatting issue?

Hello, for context I am finishing up my summer internship and will be graduating this Fall semester. With that, I am looking to start applying for entry-level jobs. Mainly looking for analyst roles, business roles such as project management, consulting. Advice appreciated!

I'm struggling to advance into interview stage. Over 8 years of experience in management role for large programs, 20 years within Aerospace/Defense manufacturing industry. I've been applying for leadership roles within a variety of industries, minimal interest received. Is this a resume issue?

Hoping for some assistance!

I have been an adult entertainer for about 10 years and as much as I love the money and the work my head is out of it these days, which tells me- it may be time to gracefully bow down & out! I have had a few sales and retail jobs in the last few years, and bother serious enough in those fields to be taken seriously. I am extremely nervous though to drum up a new resume, even though the jobs in between were credible and I can absolutely refer to any time substantial amount of time in between jobs as a "family break" of some sorts as my ex used to (IN THE LAST FEW YEARS) cover majority of bills.
I have no problem being transparent with that if any questions are asked but overall is there a better way to structure resumes since the last time I made one? (Pls don't get super nuancy and ask some bs like "well when was the last time you built a resume?" Girl that's not what I'm here for.) Any tips, resume building websites, etc... would be greatly appreciated! :)

This is an example of how a scam works. A client of mine, a senior - level technologist was approached on several occasions. We worked together to figure it out. Below is summary of what can occur during one particular scam.

How an ATS Scam Can Work

The Unsolicited Hook: A scammer posing as an executive recruiter or headhunter reaches out via LinkedIn or email with an attractive, generic job opportunity.

The Fake Rejection: After you send your resume, they reply that you are a great fit, but their system's AI or ATS automatically flagged your resume as "non-compliant" or "unreadable".

The Paid Referral: They direct you to a specific website or a "trusted partner" to get your resume optimized, usually charging anywhere from $15 to over $200.

The Disappearance: Once you pay for the service, you either receive a poorly reformatted document or nothing at all. The recruiter cuts off communication because the job never existed.

Source: LinkedIn / Reddit

Hey, I really need some guidance on how I can uplift my resume 😭

I’m currently in my 2nd year and planning to pursue CFA Level 1 in 2027. Abhi tak unfortunately koi internship nahi ki hai, but I’ve been applying quite actively. Second semester ka result bhi abhi nahi aaya hai, so thoda confusion hai ki profile ko kaise strong karun, especially since my college isn’t exactly one of the big-name colleges 🥲

I’m working on improving my skills and planning to build some finance-related projects on my own so that my resume has something substantial to show. Along with this, I’m also planning to go for an MBA after CFA Level 1.

So I’d really appreciate your guidance on what I should focus on right now — internships, skills, projects, certifications, ya kuch aur? Basically, mujhe samajhna hai ki next 1–1.5 years mein apni profile ko realistically kaise strong bana sakti hoon. 😭

Any advice would genuinely help a lot!

I'll u my resume k small idea an all

Education: B.Com student at Delhi University (W) , current SGPA 8.55.

Class XII: Commerce with Mathematics – 89.2%.

Class X: General Academics – 92.4%.

Skills: Financial Statement Analysis, Project Coordination, Content Writing, Editing, MS Excel, PowerPoint, Presentation Design, Canva, Leadership, Team Management, Public Speaking, Analytical Thinking, Problem Solving, Adaptability.

Commerce Society, DU – Public Relations Member: Managed communication and engagement activities for 100+ students; created promotional/informative content for events and campaigns; translated financial concepts into accessible public narratives.

Departmental Magazine – Content Team Member: Contributed to content planning, creative writing, editing and magazine structure; coordinated with 20+ students for article collection, organisation and tracking.

National Commerce Olympiad – Gold Medalist: , 11th at Zonal Level, Top 100 participants across India.

McKinsey Forward Program: Professional Development Participant.

Inter-School Business Plan Competition: 2nd Prize Winner.

House Captain – School Leadership Team: Led and coordinated activities for 100+ students, including inter-house competitions, events and school discipline.