Make the first scan useful
The opening third of the page should answer three questions: what you do, where you have done it and what level of problem you can own. A generic summary, dense skills cloud or long objective statement uses valuable attention without improving the decision.
Lead with a precise professional headline, a short positioning statement and recent evidence that matches the target role’s priorities.
Prioritise evidence over activity
Strong bullets connect context, action and outcome. They show what changed because you were involved and make the scale of the work visible.
- Name the problem, constraint or opportunity.
- Show the decision or contribution you personally made.
- Quantify the result when the number is reliable and meaningful.
- Use the language of the target function without copying a job description.
Design for navigation
Consistent headings, restrained typography and predictable dates help a reader move through the document. Decoration should never compete with role, company, tenure or outcomes.
ATS compatibility and human readability usually point in the same direction: straightforward structure, real text, familiar section names and a clear hierarchy.