As tech recruiters, we’re transparent about the current tech landscape: we’ve seen a decline in software development job postings, leading to a more competitive market. With more applications for every role, we want to share our perspective on how to craft a resume that successfully navigates the entire hiring journey.
Your resume’s 3 audiences
Your resume doesn’t just go to one person; it has to appeal to three distinct audiences, each with a different priority.
ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
The first audience sometimes acts as an automated filter. It scans for keywords and skills to find a potential match.
- Its goal: To handle, and sometimes filter the incoming applications into a manageable list.
- What it looks for: Specific keywords and simple, parsable formatting. Complex designs or columns can confuse it, so a clean, straightforward layout is best.
Recruiters
If your resume passes the ATS, the next audience is the recruiters. This is a very fast human checkpoint, often lasting less than a minute.
- Their goal: To quickly identify a shortlist of qualified candidates.
- What they look for: A clear, concise overview of your experience. We scan for relevant job titles, tenure (job stability is crucial), and a factual summary of your recent work.
Hiring Managers
The final and most important audience is the hiring manager, who performs a detailed review.
- Their goal: To determine if you have the specific, hands-on skills to excel in the role.
- What they look for: Context. They want to see how you used your skills in past projects and achievements. A generic “Skills” section is often ignored in favor of demonstrated results.
What This Means For Your Resume
Being direct is key.
- DON’T ❌: Be overly verbose. It makes it harder for recruiters and hiring managers to quickly find key information.
- For example: “A seasoned and versatile software developer, bringing nearly five years of comprehensive, hands-on experience forged in a trifecta of demanding industries…”.
- DO ✅: Be concise and clear. This makes your experience easy to understand at a glance.
- For example: “Software developer with 4+ years of experience in telecommunications, online retail, and chat system companies.”.
- DO ✅: Add personal projects! They are a fantastic way to show your passion and skills outside of a formal job
Helpfull tool
Getting past that first step—the ATS—is crucial. To help, our team developed the Resume Formatter. It reformats your resume into a clean, editable TXT file designed to be friendly for all three audiences.