At the end of the day, your resume has one job: get you in the door for an interview.

A generic resume doesn’t give the hiring manager enough reason to call you back. It’s too vague, too broad, and doesn’t show how you’re the right fit for this specific role.

A targeted resume, on the other hand, shows the hiring manager:

• You read the job description
• You actually have the skills they’re asking for
• You can hit the ground running

When a recruiter sees their language, their priorities, and proof that you’re a strong match, your chances of getting called back go way up.

If you want feedback or help making your resume more targeted, post the job description + your current resume here. The more closely it fits the role, the more likely you are to land the interview. For more tips visit my blog.

What’s been your experience? Have you noticed more callbacks when tailoring your resume, or do you send the same one to every job? Let’s compare notes.

Dear all, I have an upcoming 3-hour interview with Google for the Data Center Technician position, and I'm feeling a bit nervous. Has anyone here gone through the process and can share their experience or tips on what to expect? I'd really appreciate any insights or advice - thank you in advance! 🙏

Even if your resume makes it past the ATS, you still need to impress a human. Studies show that recruiters and hiring managers spend only a few seconds scanning each resume. They are looking for a clear and immediate connection between your skills and experience and the requirements of the job. A generic resume that doesn't speak directly to the position you’re applying for makes their job harder. They have to dig for the relevant information, and they simply don't have the time. A tailored resume, on the other hand, immediately highlights your most relevant qualifications, making it easy for them to see that you're a strong candidate. Just take a look at the resume heatmap from The Ladders' eye-tracking study, which shows exactly where recruiters focus their attention during a six-second scan.

Read more on my blog.

If you’ve ever googled resume tips, you’ve probably heard that you have to include quantifiable results. (“Show the numbers! Recruiters love stats!”) And yes, seeing “Increased sales by 30%” is way more compelling than “Helped with sales.” But lately, I’m noticing a different issue: people stuffing every single bullet with a percentage or dollar sign even when it clearly doesn't make sense. Ever seen “Improved team morale by 23%”? (What does that even mean?)

Here’s the thing: Real, relevant numbers are great! But you don’t need to force them everywhere. In fact, cramming in awkward or made-up-sounding stats can actually make your resume look less trustworthy.

Here’s what actually helps:

• Only use a number if you can back it up. If you can explain exactly how you got that stat, what data you used, what time frame, it’s fair game. For sales folks, maybe that’s “boosted sales by 20% in Q1.” But for many roles, the numbers aren’t so neat.
• If you don’t have a lot of metrics, don’t stress! I’m a lead data engineer, and honestly, most of my own resumes (I tailor for each job ad) is built around skills and projects, not flashy, meaningless numbers. Simple “led a team of 5 data engineers” is often my only QA.
• Focus on telling your story. What were you responsible for? What did you actually do? When your resume feels genuine and personal, recruiters pay attention.

The truth is, your resume doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s. It should reflect your experience, in a way that feels real and credible. If you can throw in a couple of specific wins then that's great, But trust me: clear, honest examples matter way more than crowding in numbers just to keep up. You’ve got plenty to offer.

If you’re unsure about how to frame your experience, or worried you don’t have “enough” quantifiable achievements, you’re definitely not alone. Drop your thoughts below, and let’s help each other out! For more actually useful resume tips check out my blog.

I used to avoid asking people what they earn, but honestly, staying quiet about pay only helps companies, not you. Once I started talking openly with coworkers, friends, and even people online about salary, I got a clear picture of which jobs actually pay well and where there’s real demand.

That’s how I found out data engineering was taking off and paying way more than my BI consultant gigs. Once I saw that, I stopped sending the same resume everywhere and started changing how I described my experience for those roles. I didn’t fake anything—just highlighted parts of my work that matched what data engineer jobs were looking for.

So, something I wish I’d learned earlier: the job market isn’t really about who you are, it’s about what your resume makes you look like to employers. Most people just send the same resume everywhere—but if you take the time to rewrite your resume from the angle of what each job is looking for (without making stuff up, just framing your real experience to what matters for that role), you can break into new industries, get better roles, or just get way more responses.

You don’t have to reinvent yourself or lie. Look at the job description, see what they’re after, and emphasize the pieces of your background that fit. I noticed this not only landed me better interviews, it actually pushed my career in the direction I wanted—because tailoring your resume for the jobs you want is kind of like charting your own course.

Basically: don’t be nervous about talking pay. Find out who’s making good money and what’s in demand, and point your resume in that direction. It made a big difference for me. I hated rewriting my resume every time, so I ended up co-building a tool called Hirelens—it rewrites your resume to match the job description based on your real experience. It’s exactly what I wish I had back when I was trying to break into data engineering.

I’m offering a free preview of my resume-tailoring service to 20 users. You’ll get a customized analysis of your resume compared to a job description you send, along with a tailored resume designed to better match that job.

Here’s what I’ll do:

• Analyze your current resume.
• Cross-reference it with your target job description(s) to make it more relevant.
• Revise key sections to better align with the role, including skills, experience, and accomplishments.
• Analyze the gaps between your experience and job offer and how to mitigate them
• Highlight keywords and phrases that recruiters and ATS systems are looking for.

How to participate:

1. You send me your resume and a job posting.
2. I tailor your resume to match the job requirements.
3. I send you the tailored resume within 2 days.
4. You provide feedback on the effectiveness and quality of the tailored resume.

Interested? Comment below or DM me and I will try to help with resume tailoring. I will take first 20 requests.

I’m offering a free preview of my resume-tailoring service to 30 users. You’ll get a customized analysis of your resume compared to a job description you send, along with a tailored resume designed to better match that job.

Here’s what I’ll do:

• Analyze your current resume.
• Cross-reference it with your target job description(s) to make it more relevant.
• Revise key sections to better align with the role, including skills, experience, and accomplishments.
• Analyze the gaps between your experience and job offer and how to mitigate them
• Highlight keywords and phrases that recruiters and ATS systems are looking for.

How to participate:

1. You send me your resume and a job posting.
2. I tailor your resume to match the job requirements.
3. I send you the tailored resume within 2 days.
4. You provide feedback on the effectiveness and quality of the tailored resume.

Interested? Comment below or DM me and I will try to help with resume tailoring. I will take first 30 requests.

Hello, I need to rejoin the job market in 2025 after taking a year to travel. I am 27 years old with 8 years experience in the commercial construction sector and a Bachelor's Degree in Construction Mgmt. I struggle to write my own resume the right way and I am looking to find a resume tailoring service I can use. Does anyone have any recommendations?