Quick Reference

What the Agent Can Do

The 6-Second Test

Recruiters scan resumes in 6 seconds. Before anything else, verify:

1. Title clarity — Current/target role obvious at top?
2. Impact visible — Top 3 achievements jump out?
3. Relevance clear — Match to target role evident?
4. 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:

1. Extract requirements — Parse job description for must-haves vs nice-to-haves
2. Map experience — Which of user's achievements match each requirement?
3. Identify gaps — What's missing? Can it be reframed or is it a real gap?
4. Inject keywords — Add exact terms from JD, naturally integrated
5. Reorder sections — Most relevant experience first

See tailoring.md for job description parsing patterns.

Career Changers

When user is switching industries/roles:

1. Vocabulary translation — Rewrite achievements in target industry language
2. Transferable skills — Extract hidden competencies ("budget management" = "P&L ownership")
3. Narrative bridge — 2-3 sentences connecting past to future coherently
4. Section reorder — Skills/summary may go before experience
5. 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:

1. Career arc — One coherent progression, not 12 disconnected roles
2. Recency weighting — Last 5-7 years detailed, earlier roles condensed
3. Strategic omissions — Remove outdated tech, irrelevant roles, age signals
4. Leadership evidence — Show HOW you led, not just that you did
5. 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.