4-Min Masterclass On Resume Building To Catch Recruiters' Attention In 2025
Apr 18, 2025
The first quarter of 2025 has already passed & I see many international students are applying, some fresh grads, some preparing for internships.
After talking to product managers working at Indeed, Data analysts, Software engineers, Data engineers, UX Designers, and international students in many other professions working in the USA, I’ve learned a lot about their application process.
In this Blog, I will deliver everything I’ve learned about their resume-building process and add insights from my own experiences from the past 8+ years of working as a product manager.
Let’s break it down ↓
► Section 1: Preparation (Before You Write Anything)
Study the market first. Don’t skip this.
You can't build a strong resume unless you understand what hiring managers actually want.
- List 10–20 companies you want to work at.
- Go through at least 30 job descriptions across these companies for the role you're targeting.
- Identify recurring requirements. This includes must-have tools, metrics they care about, and expectations.
Create a cheat sheet from this research.
It will guide the rest of your resume writing process.
Starting early provides you with an awesome advantage; that’s why I talk about this a lot inside my ultimate mindset and networking module in my job-hunting course.
Talking to people in real time can provide you with a lot of insight into how companies judge candidates.
► Section 2: Summary (Use If You Really Need It)
Skip the summary if your experience is clear and direct. Use it in the following scenarios:
- You are switching industries or job roles.
- You were laid-of or have a gap to explain.
- You are relocating and want to make that clear upfront.
If you use one, follow this structure:
- One sentence on who you are professionally (e.g., Marketing Analyst with 4+ years of experience in campaigns.)
- One sentence summarizing your value with evidence (e.g., Increased user acquisition by 28 percent through targeted GTM experiments.)
- One unique trait, award, or project that makes you stand out.
- One sentence on your goal (e.g., Looking to bring data-driven thinking to a quick-paced B2C product team.)
Keep it to 3–4 lines max.
Don’t use filler words like hardworking, team player, or self-starter.
► Section 3: Experience (This Is Where Most Mess Up)
This section gets 90 percent of the attention from recruiters. Here's how to make every bullet point count:
- Use the Google XYZ formula:
Accomplished X, as measured by Y, by doing Z.
For example:
Increased regional growth by 25 percent in one year by implementing a novel onboarding strategy across 5 states.
- Use quantifiable metrics wherever possible.
Your bullets should speak in numbers. Impact matters more than responsibilities.
Examples:
- Reduced dashboard load time by 40 percent using query optimization techniques.
- Saved USD 200K annually by revamping the email automation workflow.
- Cut the fluff.
Remove these phrases:
- Responsible for…
- Worked on…
- Tasked with…
Start every bullet with a strong verb: built, led, designed, launched, optimized, increased, reduced, implemented, scaled.
- Align with job descriptions.
Your top 3–5 bullets for each role should directly connect to the kind of jobs you're applying for . Reframe past work so it’s relevant to the role.
Oh, btw, if you don’t have USA-relevant experience and you don’t understand what to put in your resume, I’ve already tackled this problem in my ultimate job-hunting course.
1800+ international students liek know my job strategy that I’ve refined over the last 8 years.
► Section 4: Skills Section (Stop Listing Basic Stuff)
List tools, platforms, and technical skills relevant to the job.
Examples:
- SQL, Python, Tableau, Looker, Power BI
- Salesforce, HubSpot, GA4, Excel (Advanced)
Remove vague phrases like:
- Excellent communicator
- Team player
- Microsoft Office
If the JD says Advanced Excel required, your resume should say Advanced Excel – PivotTables, VLOOKUP, Macros.
Keep it 1–2 lines. Do not make this a dumping ground.
► Section 5: Formatting (Make It Easy to Read, Not Pretty)
Recruiters spend less than 10 seconds on the first skim. Your resume must be clean, scannable, and ATS-friendly.
Do this:
- Use a single-column layout.
- Stick to Calibri or Arial fonts, 10.5–12pt.
- Bullet points, no paragraphs.
- 1–2 pages. Never more than 2.
Don’t do this:
- No icons, profile photos, or bar charts.
- No Canva or Etsy templates with split columns.
- No multiple colors or backgrounds.
- No graphs or skills rated by dots.
If you're unsure, make it as a plain Word doc first. Then export as PDF. This preserves the layout and avoids parsing errors.
Btw, I’ve created a full checklist like this along with tested resume templates within my ultimate resume module in my ultimate job hunting course.
► Section 6: Tailoring and Submission
You don’t need to make a resume from scratch for every job. You need one strong core resume that you can easily adapt for every application.
Here’s how:
- Look up the job description.
- Highlight their top priorities.
- Re-read your bullet points. Do they match? Tweak wording to include relevant verbs, results, or tools.
- Reorder achievements to bring the most relevant ones to the top.
Remove keyword stuffing. If a job mentions AWS, and you’ve used AWS, mention it naturally in a bullet. Don’t jam in irrelevant jargon.
► Section 7: Final Checks Before You Hit Submit
- Correct your spellings and grammar.
- Ask a friend or mentor to skim for clarity.
- Saveit as PDF.
- Nomenclature for your file like this: Firstname_Lastname_Resume_2025.pdf
- Always upload to ATS systems directly — don’t email unless specified.
► One Myth Busted: ATS Systems Don’t Rank You
There’s no algorithm judging your resume’s worth.
Most ATS systems work on First In, First Out logic.
The recruiter sees resumes in the sequence they’re submitted. No keyword AI is deciding your fate. The recruiter is.
So, stop trying to beat the ATS.
Your resume is for a person.
Make it relevant, clear, and outcome-driven.
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P.S: If you’re pursuing internships and full-time roles in top companies, my Ultimate Job Hunting Course will teach you everything from resume hacks, cold email templates, and LinkedIn networking, to insider job search techniques that work.
1800+ students have already joined and are in touch with me directly in my community. If you’re ready, take the first step.
-Yudi J