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Personal Branding
8 min
Writing a Perfect Resume in 2025
Your resume has 6 seconds to convince. That's the average time a recruiter spends on a first read. Even worse: before reaching a human, your resume must pass automatic filters (ATS) that eliminate 75% of applications. This guide gives you the current rules for creating a resume that passes both filters: algorithm and human.
1
Essential fundamentals
Before content, master the basic rules that eliminate most resumes.
Format and layout:
• [ ] 1 page (2 max if 15+ years experience) • [ ] PDF format (unless .docx requested) • [ ] Readable font: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica (10-12pt) • [ ] 2-2.5 cm margins • [ ] No multiple columns (ATS problem) • [ ] No hidden tables • [ ] File name: FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf
Mandatory elements:
• First and Last Name (prominent) • Target job title • Contact info (professional email, phone, city) • LinkedIn (custom URL) • Professional experience • Education
Optional elements:
• Photo (depending on country/sector) • Summary/headline • Technical skills • Languages • Certifications • Interests (if relevant)
Absolutely avoid:
❌ "Curriculum Vitae" as title ❌ Full address (city is enough) ❌ Age, marital status, nationality ❌ Non-professional photo ❌ Silly email address ❌ Spelling mistakes (eliminatory)
Format and layout:
• [ ] 1 page (2 max if 15+ years experience) • [ ] PDF format (unless .docx requested) • [ ] Readable font: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica (10-12pt) • [ ] 2-2.5 cm margins • [ ] No multiple columns (ATS problem) • [ ] No hidden tables • [ ] File name: FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf
Mandatory elements:
• First and Last Name (prominent) • Target job title • Contact info (professional email, phone, city) • LinkedIn (custom URL) • Professional experience • Education
Optional elements:
• Photo (depending on country/sector) • Summary/headline • Technical skills • Languages • Certifications • Interests (if relevant)
Absolutely avoid:
❌ "Curriculum Vitae" as title ❌ Full address (city is enough) ❌ Age, marital status, nationality ❌ Non-professional photo ❌ Silly email address ❌ Spelling mistakes (eliminatory)
2
The attention-grabbing headline
The first 3 lines are the most read. Make them your best argument.
Headline structure:
[Job Title] with [X years] experience in [field]. [Key achievement or expertise]. [What you're looking for or bringing].
Examples by profile:
Junior: "Full-Stack Developer graduate from [School], specialized in React/Node. 6-month internship at [Startup] where I developed [project]. Seeking first position to contribute to impactful products."
Mid-level: "Product Manager with 5 years experience in B2B SaaS. Launched 3 products generating +€2M MRR. Expert in user discovery and data-driven prioritization."
Senior: "Marketing Director with 12 years experience, including 5 in tech scale-ups. Track record: 10x pipeline growth in 3 years at [Company]. Seeking leadership role in an ambitious company."
Career changer: "Former [current job] transitioning to [new job]. [Certification] training completed. My experience in [transferable skill] is an asset for [objective]."
Tips:
• Adapt the headline to each application • Include keywords from the posting • Be specific, not generic • 3-4 lines maximum
Headline structure:
[Job Title] with [X years] experience in [field]. [Key achievement or expertise]. [What you're looking for or bringing].
Examples by profile:
Junior: "Full-Stack Developer graduate from [School], specialized in React/Node. 6-month internship at [Startup] where I developed [project]. Seeking first position to contribute to impactful products."
Mid-level: "Product Manager with 5 years experience in B2B SaaS. Launched 3 products generating +€2M MRR. Expert in user discovery and data-driven prioritization."
Senior: "Marketing Director with 12 years experience, including 5 in tech scale-ups. Track record: 10x pipeline growth in 3 years at [Company]. Seeking leadership role in an ambitious company."
Career changer: "Former [current job] transitioning to [new job]. [Certification] training completed. My experience in [transferable skill] is an asset for [objective]."
Tips:
• Adapt the headline to each application • Include keywords from the posting • Be specific, not generic • 3-4 lines maximum
3
Experience: show impact
Your experiences are not a task list. They're proof of impact.
Structure for each experience:
[Job Title] | [Company] | [Dates] [1 line of context if company is little known]
• [Action verb] + [Action] + [Quantified result] • [Action verb] + [Action] + [Quantified result] • [Action verb] + [Action] + [Quantified result]
Magic formula: CAR
• Context: the starting situation • Action: what you did • Result: the measurable impact
Transformation examples:
❌ "Responsible for social media" ✅ "Tripled Instagram engagement (+45K followers) by optimizing content strategy"
❌ "Project management" ✅ "Led 12 projects (total budget €500K) with 100% on-time delivery"
❌ "Business development" ✅ "Generated €1.2M new business by signing 15 enterprise accounts in 18 months"
Powerful action verbs:
| Category | Verbs | |----------|-------| | Leadership | Led, Managed, Supervised, Coordinated | | Creation | Launched, Designed, Developed, Initiated | | Improvement | Optimized, Increased, Reduced, Transformed | | Analysis | Analyzed, Identified, Evaluated, Measured |
Tip: Each bullet point should answer "So what?" with a number or concrete impact.
Structure for each experience:
[Job Title] | [Company] | [Dates] [1 line of context if company is little known]
• [Action verb] + [Action] + [Quantified result] • [Action verb] + [Action] + [Quantified result] • [Action verb] + [Action] + [Quantified result]
Magic formula: CAR
• Context: the starting situation • Action: what you did • Result: the measurable impact
Transformation examples:
❌ "Responsible for social media" ✅ "Tripled Instagram engagement (+45K followers) by optimizing content strategy"
❌ "Project management" ✅ "Led 12 projects (total budget €500K) with 100% on-time delivery"
❌ "Business development" ✅ "Generated €1.2M new business by signing 15 enterprise accounts in 18 months"
Powerful action verbs:
| Category | Verbs | |----------|-------| | Leadership | Led, Managed, Supervised, Coordinated | | Creation | Launched, Designed, Developed, Initiated | | Improvement | Optimized, Increased, Reduced, Transformed | | Analysis | Analyzed, Identified, Evaluated, Measured |
Tip: Each bullet point should answer "So what?" with a number or concrete impact.
4
Skills and ATS keywords
ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) scan your resume for keywords. Optimize for them.
How ATS work:
1. They extract text from your resume 2. They search for keywords from the posting 3. They assign a match score 4. Resumes below threshold are automatically eliminated
Optimization strategy:
Step 1: Analyze the posting • Highlight mentioned skills • Note recurring terms • Identify "must-have" vs "nice-to-have"
Step 2: Integrate keywords • In the headline • In experience descriptions • In the skills section • Use exact terms from the posting
Step 3: Present skills
Recommended format:
Technical Skills [Skill 1] • [Skill 2] • [Skill 3] • [Skill 4]
Tools & Technologies [Tool 1] • [Tool 2] • [Tool 3] • [Tool 4]
Languages English (native) • French (fluent • DELF C1) • Spanish (intermediate)
ATS mistakes to avoid:
❌ Putting skills in an image ❌ Using icons instead of text ❌ Non-standard abbreviations ❌ Columns that mix reading order ❌ Headers and footers
ATS test: Copy-paste your resume as plain text. If it's unreadable, ATS will have problems.
How ATS work:
1. They extract text from your resume 2. They search for keywords from the posting 3. They assign a match score 4. Resumes below threshold are automatically eliminated
Optimization strategy:
Step 1: Analyze the posting • Highlight mentioned skills • Note recurring terms • Identify "must-have" vs "nice-to-have"
Step 2: Integrate keywords • In the headline • In experience descriptions • In the skills section • Use exact terms from the posting
Step 3: Present skills
Recommended format:
Technical Skills [Skill 1] • [Skill 2] • [Skill 3] • [Skill 4]
Tools & Technologies [Tool 1] • [Tool 2] • [Tool 3] • [Tool 4]
Languages English (native) • French (fluent • DELF C1) • Spanish (intermediate)
ATS mistakes to avoid:
❌ Putting skills in an image ❌ Using icons instead of text ❌ Non-standard abbreviations ❌ Columns that mix reading order ❌ Headers and footers
ATS test: Copy-paste your resume as plain text. If it's unreadable, ATS will have problems.
5
Education and certifications
The education section evolves based on your experience level.
If less than 5 years experience:
Education remains important. Place it after experience.
Format: [Degree] | [School] | [Year] • Honors or ranking if notable • Significant projects • Associations or responsibilities
If more than 5 years experience:
Summarize. Your experiences speak louder than your degrees.
Format: [Degree] • [School] ([Year])
Valued certifications in 2025:
| Domain | Certifications | |--------|----------------| | Tech | AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Kubernetes | | Data | Google Analytics, Tableau, SQL | | Project | PMP, PSM (Scrum), SAFe | | Digital | Google Ads, HubSpot, Meta Blueprint | | Languages | TOEIC, TOEFL, Cambridge |
How to present them:
Certifications [Certification name] • [Organization] ([Year])
MOOCs and continuing education:
Include them if: • Relevant to the position • Recent (less than 2 years) • From recognized organizations
Don't include them if: • Not completed • Too generic • From non-credible platforms
If less than 5 years experience:
Education remains important. Place it after experience.
Format: [Degree] | [School] | [Year] • Honors or ranking if notable • Significant projects • Associations or responsibilities
If more than 5 years experience:
Summarize. Your experiences speak louder than your degrees.
Format: [Degree] • [School] ([Year])
Valued certifications in 2025:
| Domain | Certifications | |--------|----------------| | Tech | AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Kubernetes | | Data | Google Analytics, Tableau, SQL | | Project | PMP, PSM (Scrum), SAFe | | Digital | Google Ads, HubSpot, Meta Blueprint | | Languages | TOEIC, TOEFL, Cambridge |
How to present them:
Certifications [Certification name] • [Organization] ([Year])
MOOCs and continuing education:
Include them if: • Relevant to the position • Recent (less than 2 years) • From recognized organizations
Don't include them if: • Not completed • Too generic • From non-credible platforms
6
Adapt your resume to each application
Generic resume = generic application = rejection.
What to adapt:
The headline • Mention the exact position • Include 2-3 keywords from the posting • Align with company priorities
Experience order • Highlight the most relevant • Develop missions related to the position • Summarize less relevant ones
Bullet points • Select those matching the posting • Rephrase with the posting's vocabulary • Add/remove based on relevance
Skills • Reorder according to posting priorities • Add mentioned ones you have • Remove irrelevant ones
Practical method:
1. Create a complete "master" resume 2. For each application, duplicate it 3. Reread the posting with resume open 4. Adapt section by section 5. Check overall consistency 6. Final proofread
Adaptation time: 15-20 minutes per application
It's an investment that triples your chances.
Tip: Keep a tracking table of your resume versions by company.
What to adapt:
The headline • Mention the exact position • Include 2-3 keywords from the posting • Align with company priorities
Experience order • Highlight the most relevant • Develop missions related to the position • Summarize less relevant ones
Bullet points • Select those matching the posting • Rephrase with the posting's vocabulary • Add/remove based on relevance
Skills • Reorder according to posting priorities • Add mentioned ones you have • Remove irrelevant ones
Practical method:
1. Create a complete "master" resume 2. For each application, duplicate it 3. Reread the posting with resume open 4. Adapt section by section 5. Check overall consistency 6. Final proofread
Adaptation time: 15-20 minutes per application
It's an investment that triples your chances.
Tip: Keep a tracking table of your resume versions by company.
7
Finishing touches that make a difference
The last 10% often make the difference between two equivalent candidates.
Ruthless proofreading:
• [ ] Zero spelling mistakes (use Grammarly or LanguageTool) • [ ] Consistent tenses (past for former experiences) • [ ] Consistent punctuation • [ ] Date verification (no unexplained gaps) • [ ] All links work (LinkedIn, portfolio)
Sober but professional design:
• One font (two max: one for headings) • Clear visual hierarchy • Consistent use of bold and italic • Airy but not too much spacing • Discreet accent color (optional)
6-second reading test:
Show your resume to someone for 6 seconds. Ask them: • What position are you targeting? • What's your main experience? • What's your added value?
If they can't answer, rework the structure.
Before sending:
• [ ] Correct file name (FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf) • [ ] Size < 2 MB • [ ] Opening tested on another device • [ ] Version adapted to this application • [ ] Associated cover letter if requested
Recommended tools:
• Design: Canva, Figma, Resume.io • ATS verification: Jobscan, Resume Worded • Spelling: Grammarly, LanguageTool • PDF: direct export, no screenshot
Ruthless proofreading:
• [ ] Zero spelling mistakes (use Grammarly or LanguageTool) • [ ] Consistent tenses (past for former experiences) • [ ] Consistent punctuation • [ ] Date verification (no unexplained gaps) • [ ] All links work (LinkedIn, portfolio)
Sober but professional design:
• One font (two max: one for headings) • Clear visual hierarchy • Consistent use of bold and italic • Airy but not too much spacing • Discreet accent color (optional)
6-second reading test:
Show your resume to someone for 6 seconds. Ask them: • What position are you targeting? • What's your main experience? • What's your added value?
If they can't answer, rework the structure.
Before sending:
• [ ] Correct file name (FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf) • [ ] Size < 2 MB • [ ] Opening tested on another device • [ ] Version adapted to this application • [ ] Associated cover letter if requested
Recommended tools:
• Design: Canva, Figma, Resume.io • ATS verification: Jobscan, Resume Worded • Spelling: Grammarly, LanguageTool • PDF: direct export, no screenshot
Conclusion
Your resume is your 24/7 salesperson. It works for you even while you sleep. Invest the necessary time to perfect it. A well-made resume opens doors for years. Start by creating your master resume, then adapt it for your next application. Test it on ATS filters. Ask for feedback. Iterate. You'll never get a second chance to make a first impression.