Use this skill whenever the user wants to create, improve, optimize, review, or rewrite a resume, CV, curriculum vitae, or hoja de vida. Triggers include: any mention of 'resume', 'CV', 'curriculum', 'hoja de vida', 'job application', 'ATS optimization', 'resume review', 'cover letter', or requests to prepare documents for job applications. Also use when the user asks to tailor a resume to a specific job description, improve bullet points, add metrics/quantification, check ATS compatibility, translate a resume between languages, or create multiple versions of a resume. Use this skill even if the user just says 'help me get hired', 'optimize my application', 'I need to update my resume', or 'review my experience section'. Do NOT use for LinkedIn profile optimization, portfolio websites, or general document formatting unrelated to job applications.
Use this skill whenever the user wants to create, improve, optimize, review, or rewrite a resume, CV, curriculum vitae, or hoja de vida. Triggers include: any mention of 'resume', 'CV', 'curriculum', 'hoja de vida', 'job application', 'ATS optimization', 'resume review', 'cover letter', or requests to prepare documents for job applications. Also use when the user asks to tailor a resume to a specific job description, improve bullet points, add metrics/quantification, check ATS compatibility, translate a resume between languages, or create multiple versions of a resume. Use this skill even if the user just says 'help me get hired', 'optimize my application', 'I need to update my resume', or 'review my experience section'. Do NOT use for LinkedIn profile optimization, portfolio websites, or general document formatting unrelated to job applications.
This skill creates professional, high-standard resumes following Harvard Career Services guidelines, r/EngineeringResumes community best practices, and modern ATS (Applicant Tracking System) knowledge. It produces resumes that are optimized for both human recruiters (who spend 5-20 seconds scanning) and ATS parsing systems.
Before starting any resume work, read the relevant reference files:
Target market — US/international (English), LATAM/Spain (Spanish), or both
Target roles — what kind of positions they're applying for
Page preference — 1 page (junior/mid), 2 pages (6+ years senior), or flexible
CRITICAL: Ask about domain context for each role. The difference between "developed web applications" and "developed fintech credit management systems handling card issuance, payment links, and transaction processing" is the difference between a generic and a compelling resume. Always ask:
What industry/domain was this? (fintech, legaltech, healthcare, logistics, security, etc.)
What kind of data did you handle? (sensitive PII, financial, legal, medical)
Who were the end users? (B2B, B2C, internal, government)
What was the business impact?
Step 2: Structure the Resume
Follow the section order recommended by Harvard Career Services and r/EngineeringResumes:
1. Name & Contact Information (centered)
2. Technical Skills (for engineering/tech roles — put skills FIRST)
3. Professional Experience (reverse chronological)
4. Projects & Contributions (if relevant)
5. Education (at bottom for experienced professionals)
Why Skills first? For tech roles, recruiters and hiring managers scan for specific technologies. Putting skills at the top gives them what they need in the first 5 seconds. Harvard recommends ordering headings "in order of importance" — for engineers, skills ARE the most important first-scan item.
Education placement: Harvard puts education first for students. For professionals with 3+ years experience, move education to the bottom. The experience section becomes the centerpiece.
Step 3: Write Content
Read references/bullet-writing-guide.md for the complete guide. Key principles:
Every bullet must follow the XYZ formula:
"Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]"
Or condensed: Action Verb + What You Did + Technical Context + Business Impact
Example transformation:
BAD: "Responsible for developing web applications"
GOOD: "Developed fintech web applications for credit management, card issuance, and transaction processing using React and NestJS, structured under Hexagonal Architecture and DDD"
Step 4: Format and Deliver
Read references/format-and-structure.md for the complete guide. Use the docx skill to create the Word document. Key specs:
Verify name and key content appear correctly in extracted text (catches truncation or encoding issues)
PDF preserves exact formatting regardless of the recipient's operating system, Word version, or installed fonts
Both .docx and .pdf are accepted by all modern ATS systems (Greenhouse, Workday, iCIMS, Lever, etc.)
Why PDF matters:
.docx can render differently depending on the recipient's Word version, OS, and installed fonts
PDF guarantees the recruiter sees EXACTLY what you designed
Many job application portals specifically request PDF
ATS parses text-based PDFs just as well as .docx
Language Guidelines
For English Resumes
Use active voice, no personal pronouns (no "I", "my", "we")
Start every bullet with a strong action verb (see reference file)
Use US English spelling for US-targeted roles
Keep job titles in standard industry format
For Spanish Resumes
Maintain the same structure and principles
Use professional Spanish — avoid colloquialisms
Keep technical terms in English when they're industry standard (e.g., "backend", "frontend", "DevOps", "SOLID", "CQRS")
Start bullets with action verbs in Spanish (Desarrolle, Implemente, Lidere, Disene, Construi, Optimice, Arquitecte)
Bilingual Strategy
When creating both versions, ensure they are NOT literal translations. Each version should read naturally in its language while conveying the same information and impact.
Checklist Before Delivery
Run this checklist against every resume before delivering:
Format:
Name fits on one line without truncation (max 16pt)
Single-column layout, no tables for layout, no graphics/icons
Font is Calibri/Arial, minimum 10.5pt body, black color
White space is balanced — not too cramped, not too sparse
Dates use en dashes (–) not hyphens (-), with spaces around them
Dates are right-aligned, bullets don't extend past dates
URLs are plain text (no color, no underline, no "Email:" prefixes, no https://www.)
Content:
No personal pronouns (I, my, we, our)
Every bullet starts with a strong past-tense action verb
No bullets end with periods (bullets are not sentences)
Every experience describes the DOMAIN (industry, system type, data sensitivity)
Metrics/quantification present where possible (use digits: 8, not "eight")
Technologies listed per role AND in skills section
No superfluous verbs (spearheaded, orchestrated, utilized, leveraged)
No excessive adjectives/adverbs (excellent, innovative, strategically)
