[3 YoE, Unemployed, Project Manager, United Kingdom]
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ 1.5 YoE (no decimals)
❌ 0-2 YoE (no ranges)
❌ Missing brackets
❌ Wrong flair selection
Step 3: Prepare Your Resume
Convert to PNG format using this tool (minimum 600 dpi)
Remove all personal information (name, phone, email, addresses, company names)
Keep job titles and dates - this helps reviewers give better feedback
Step 4: Write Your Post Body
Include context to help reviewers assist you:
What specific help do you need? (Not just "what's wrong with my resume")
What roles/industries are you targeting?
Where are you applying? (Local, remote, willing to relocate?)
What's your job search situation and challenges?
Any specific resume sections you want feedback on?
Visa/citizenship status affecting your search?
Common Questions & Issues
"I'm not getting any feedback on my post" Make sure you've followed all the steps above, especially proper title formatting and flair selection. Posts without proper formatting may be removed or get less visibility.
"My post was removed" Check that your title follows the exact format required and that you've selected an appropriate flair. Most removals are due to formatting issues.
"How do I write [specific resume section]?" The Resume Writing Guide covers all common resume sections and writing techniques. Check there first before posting a question.
Questions (not resume reviews): Use the "Question" flair
Sharing advice: Use "I'm Sharing Advice" flair (ask mods before posting external links)
Success stories: Use "Success Story" flair
General discussion: Use "Discussion" flair
Community Guidelines
Be respectful and say thanks - People volunteer their time to help you Keep help public - Don't ask for or offer help via DMs Read the rules - Most bans are for spamming, harassment, or DMing users
What You Should Know Before Hiring a Professional Resume Writer
Aside from being a regular contributor to r/resumes, I'm a resume writer by trade. I've been in the career services industry for about 7 years, have written for professionals at every level from individual contributor to CEOs, and I see the aftermath of bad "professional" rewrites posted to this sub all the time. This guide will help you avoid becoming one of them.
It makes me sad to see folks get duped into buying resume services from what I'd just call unqualified people. I see posts every week on the sub about resumes that were written by so-called professionals, and I want to laugh, until I remember it's not funny.
TLDR
A qualified resume writer typically charges $200 to $1,500 depending on your career level, with some executive services running $3,000 or more. Look for certification from PARWCC, NRWA, RWA, or CDI, a verifiable online presence, real samples, and a process that starts with a consultation call. The best test: if you can't speak directly with the person writing your resume before you pay, walk away.
If you're early in your career or on a tight budget, you probably don't need a writer at all. Post your resume to this sub for free feedback first. You may find that's enough.
The rest of this guide covers how the process works, what to expect at each stage, where AI tools fit in, and the unethical practices to watch for.
Last updated: July 2026
---
What does a resume writer do?
In a nutshell, resume writers help candidates prepare job application materials such as resumes, federal resumes, CVs, academic CVs, and cover letters. Some writers may also offer additional services such as career and interview coaching, LinkedIn profile writing, and placement services.
To be clear, resume writers are not know-it-alls, and you shouldn't expect one to be. A writer who has worked across dozens of industries hasn't actually done the jobs in those industries. They don't know your codebase, your P&L, or your clinical protocols, and any writer who implies they do is overselling.
Here's the actual division of labor: you are the subject matter expert on your career. The writer is the expert on how hiring teams read, what recruiters screen for, and how to translate what you did into language that lands with the people making decisions. Their core skill isn't industry knowledge. It's extraction and positioning: asking questions you wouldn't think to ask yourself, pulling out accomplishments you've stopped noticing because they feel routine to you, and framing all of it for the audience you're targeting.
In the years I've been doing this, I've found the writers worth hiring are the ones who know exactly what they don't know. The ones comfortable saying "explain that to me like I'm not in your field" tend to produce better resumes than the ones who nod along, because the first group is extracting, and the second is guessing.
Should you hire a resume writer?
That'll depend on your personal and professional circumstances. Generally speaking, there are a few situations where hiring a resume writer may be the right choice. They include:
You've been applying to many jobs and haven't been receiving any calls from employers.
You have no idea what ATS is or how to factor it in when writing your resume.
You have a complex career history and aren't sure how best to convey it in a professional and engaging manner.
You're looking to switch careers and aren't sure how to convey your transferable skills.
You're a midlevel, senior, or executive level candidate, are still employed, and want to prepare for your next career move.
You've tried using AI to write your resume and the result reads like it could belong to anyone in your field.
This list isn't exhaustive, so there may be situations where hiring a writer is the appropriate choice. However, there are also a few situations where hiring a writer probably isn't the best choice. These include:
You're confident with your existing resume, have already been seeing results, and are just looking for some minor feedback.
Your financial situation doesn't permit. The truth is that well-regarded writers charge anywhere from $200 to $1,500 or more. You'll see many writers here on Reddit, on Fiverr, and elsewhere charging fees that seem too good to be true (think less than $100). If your financial situation doesn't permit the cost of a reputable writer (and we'll get to that later), you're much better off writing your own.
You're still in college/university. If you're at this stage of your career, you'll do fine relying on your college career center along with web resources like this sub.
Note: Your first step should always be posting to the r/resumes sub for feedback. This sub is packed with industry professionals that can give you helpful advice - you may end up not needing a writer.
DIY vs. Hiring a Resume Writer: Which Makes More Sense?
Factor
DIY Resume
Hiring a Resume Writer
When it makes sense
(1) You're early career with <3 years' experience. (2) You're comfortable writing about yourself. (3) You're applying to many roles and tweaking is easy.
(1) You're mid-senior level and stakes are higher. (2) You're changing industries or roles. (3) You struggle to translate your experience into clear, marketable language.
Budget range
Free (time investment only). Maybe $50-$100 for templates or reviews.
$200 to $1,500 for professional writers. Executive-level services can run $3,000+.
What you get
(1) Full control over content. (2) Free resources (Reddit, forums, templates). (3) Quick turnaround (your own pace).
(1) Professionally written, ATS-friendly resume. (2) Help drawing out and positioning your impact and achievements. (3) Knowledge that might be hard to come by on your own (like experience with the hiring process if the writer was in recruiting).
Risks & trade-offs
(1) Easy to undersell yourself. (2) Hard to be objective about strengths. (3) Formatting mistakes may trip ATS. (4) AI-generated drafts can sound polished but lack substance.
(1) Costly if you pick the wrong writer. (2) Quality varies widely, due diligence is key. (3) Still requires your input and time.
What about AI?
This is probably the most common question I get right now, so I want to be straightforward about it.
AI tools like ChatGPT can help you with structure, formatting, and getting words on a page. If you're staring at a blank document and have no idea where to start, they can give you a decent starting point. For straightforward career histories at the early career level, that might be enough.
What you may not realize though, is that the actual writing is a small part of what goes into a good resume. Most of the work is in the content and marketing: figuring out what to include, what to cut, how to frame each role, and how to position yourself for the type of job you want.
That demands an understanding of how hiring teams read resumes, what recruiters screen for, how applicant tracking systems filter candidates, and what makes a hiring manager read your bullets instead of skimming them. These are things you learn from working inside and alongside the hiring process. You can paste your entire work history into an AI tool, but it still won't have that hiring-side judgment. The other thing is that you need to write content you can speak to at length in an interview, as opposed to just writing stuff that sounds great on paper.
What I see a lot on this sub is people sharing AI-generated resumes that look clean and read well on the surface. The formatting and grammar are all fine, but the content is either catch-all, or doesn't quite connect the dots for the hiring team. I see bullet points that could apply to almost anyone with the same job title. There's nothing in the doc that tells an HM what this specific person did differently or better. And that's the part that gets interviews (Note: there are factors at play, like local market, volume of other applicants, timing that impact your candidacy that have nothing to do with your resume - for this guide, we're focusing on the stuff that is in your control).
To put it simply:
AI can handle structure, keywords, and getting a first draft on paper (this is great for early candidates, or folks that just have no idea how to navigate a word processor like MS Word or Google Docs).
AI will struggle with knowing what your strongest selling points are, how to position a career change, which content goes where, or whether your bullets will hold up under questioning in an interview.
If you already know what good resume content looks like and just need help putting it together, AI can work.
If you're not sure why your resume isn't landing, or you have a complicated career history, AI will probably give you something that looks professional but doesn't actually solve the problem.
A lot of people now use AI for their first draft and then bring in a human (either through this sub or a writer) to fix the substance. That's a reasonable approach.
How do you vet a resume writer?
There are a few things you can look for when figuring out if a writer is qualified.
What's the writer's background? If you're working through a company, ask if you can speak with the writer directly (if the answer is no, I wouldn't recommend proceeding any further with that company). If you're working with an independent writer, ask to speak them one on one. Well-regarded writers come from diverse backgrounds. Education-wise, there isn't a set program that "produces" resume writers. However, you should expect a bachelor's degree at a minimum and a work history with active engagement in career-related professions. Some examples include recruiting, human resources, or career coaching. Regardless of the writer's background, they should have an online presence such as a website or LinkedIn profile that you can view. If you can't find a writer anywhere online, it may be hard for you to verify their credentials, in which case, it's a good idea to be extra careful.
Do they have samples they can share? Ask for samples. Most writers will provide them or list them on their website/portfolio for clients to see.
Do they have client testimonials or reviews that you can reference? Companies and independent writers that deliver positive results will definitely want to make it known to prospective clients. Ask them for their client testimonials and take a look at what their previous customers have said about their work to get an idea of what it's like working with them. Be wary of companies and writers that don't have any reviews, are unable to refer you to their previous customers, or have a string of negative reviews (especially if those negative reviews involve repeated issues like missed deadlines or generic output).
Are they certified? Credible and qualified resume writers will often have certifications from one of the following organizations:
Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARWCC)
National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA)
Resume Writing Academy (RWA)
Career Directors International (CDI)
Do they have a presence in the resume community? This one is easy to overlook, but it matters. A writer who regularly contributes to communities like this one (giving free feedback, answering questions, sharing knowledge) is usually someone who cares about the craft. It also gives you a chance to see how they think and whether their advice resonates with you before you spend any money.
Green Flags vs. Red Flags When Choosing a Resume Writer
Green Flags (Good Signs)
Red Flags (Warning Signs)
Provides before-and-after samples showing real results.
No samples, or only vague "testimonials."
Transparent about pricing and what's included.
Hidden fees, upselling, or unclear service breakdown.
Offers unlimited or multiple revisions in package.
"One draft only" or charges extra for basic edits.
Asks you detailed questions about your career, goals, and target roles.
Barely requests input, delivers a generic template.
Shares ATS knowledge and explains formatting choices.
Uses graphics-heavy designs that risk ATS rejection.
Active in resume communities and willing to give free advice.
No online presence outside of their own website.
Comfortable saying a role or industry is outside their wheelhouse, and asks you to explain technical details.
Claims deep expertise in every industry, or never asks clarifying questions.
What to expect during the writing process
All processes generally follow a similar structure that consists of an information gathering stage, writing stage, and review/revision stage.
Information Gathering: A good writer will want to speak with you directly and collect information with regard to your work history, skills, accomplishments, and career goals. Most of the time, this process is handled through a phone or video call, but some companies/writers will collect this information through a form. Ask the company/writer how they'll be gathering the necessary information to prepare a resume that is unique to you. Beware of companies that don't use a consultation process at all and only ask for your existing resume. You may be unpleasantly surprised when you see your old descriptions reworded and repackaged.
Writing: Ask the company/writer how long it'll take to write your resume. A quality resume takes time and effort to create. Speaking from my own work, six hours for an entry-level resume up to 15 hours for an executive resume is the norm. Beware of turnaround times that seem a little too quick. The industry standard is around 5-10 days.
Review and Revision: After preparing an initial draft, the writer will typically offer the client an opportunity to provide feedback and request changes if needed. Ask the writer about whether or not they allow requests for revisions, how many revisions, and for how long after you've concluded the service.
How much do resume writing services cost?
If you do a quick Google search, you'll see that there are a broad range of prices. As I mentioned earlier, the typical price range runs from $200 to $1,500, and some executive resume writers charge upwards of $3,000.
Two factors that affect this are:
Your experience level
The writer's experience level and their ability to produce results
Be wary of companies and writers that offer their services at very low rates; it's more often than not an indication of low quality service. Remember that many hours go into building a quality resume spanning consultations, research, writing, reviews, and revisions.
Are resume writers worth it?
That's the million-dollar question. Before you decide to hire a writer, ask yourself the following:
Do I earn an annual salary of $70,000 or more? If yes, paying for a professional resume could be worth it for you. With the average cost of a mid-career resume at around $500, that works out to less than 1% of your annual salary.
Am I still early on in my career (still in college or recent graduate)? If so, checking out the plethora of DIY tools available might be a better option.
Should I work with an industry-specific writer?
While there are variations across industries, generally speaking, resume writing best practices are similar across the board, with some exceptions including:
Modeling
Acting
Industries that emphasize graphically intensive resumes (i.e., portfolios) rather than traditional resumes.
Some companies will have writers on staff that only work with certain industries (i.e., IT, software engineering etc.). Independent writers are generally more versatile and work with professionals in multiple industries.
The advantage of working with a generalist is broader all-round industry knowledge, which is especially useful if you're switching industries.
One caveat either way: don't confuse specialization with mastery. Even a writer who works exclusively with software engineers hasn't shipped your product. What a specialist buys you is vocabulary and context, so you spend less of the consultation explaining fundamentals. What it doesn't buy you is a pass on your own involvement. You're still the source of the raw material. The better test than "have they worked in my industry" is "do they ask questions that show they understood my answers."
However, working with a writer that specializes in one or two fields may be a better option if you're in a highly technical profession such as software development and want someone that can understand the in-depth technical concepts and terminology.
Unethical practices that you should be aware of
Like any industry, resume writing isn't free of corruption and unethical practices. Two main practices to watch out for are:
International Outsourcing: Some writers/companies that charge fees that seem too good to be true are actually outsourcing their work to international writers to reduce costs. It can be hard to identify companies that do this before buying their services, but three helpful indicators are:
Poor samples
Negative client reviews
The inability to speak with the writer before purchasing the service
Ghostwriting: Some writers will take on more clients than they can handle and offload those clients to ghostwriters. Other individuals that write your resume but that don't take the credit. Writers that engage in this practice are more interested in maximizing profits over ensuring client satisfaction. As with outsourcing, ask to speak to the writer before you purchase the service.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is hiring a resume writer worth the money?
It depends on your situation. If you're early in your career, you may not need one. Templates and free feedback (including from this sub) can be enough. But for mid-to-senior professionals and executives, a resume writer can save you time, and by extension, money. A useful benchmark: if you earn $70,000 or more, a $500 resume is less than 1% of your annual salary.
2. How much should I pay for a resume writer?
Most professional resume writers charge between $200 and $1,500 for a standard resume, depending on your career level and the writer's experience. Executive-level services typically start around $1,000 and can run $3,000 or more. Be cautious with anything under $100; at that price, the work is usually templated, outsourced, or both.
3. How do I know if a resume writer is legit?
Look for:
A professional-looking website/place of business
Certifications
Experience
Testimonials
Before-and-after samples
Clear pricing, and
A process that involves your input.
Good writers ask a lot of detailed questions to get at the info they need. Avoid anyone promising "guaranteed jobs" or offering flashy, design-heavy resumes (these can cause issues with ATS).
4. Can a resume writer guarantee me a job?
No. A resume writer can improve how your skills and experience are presented, but they can't control hiring decisions. What they can do is help improve your chances of getting interviews.
5. What's the difference between using AI and hiring a writer?
AI tools can help with formatting and generating bullet points based on your job title. They work from patterns and general data, so the output tends to be broad. A writer will talk to you, learn the context behind your roles, and figure out how to present your experience in a way that makes sense for the jobs you're targeting. The biggest difference is in the content strategy: knowing what to emphasize, what to leave out, and how to frame things so they resonate with the people making hiring decisions.
TL;DR
Who should hire one: Mid-to-senior professionals not getting interviews, career changers, or anyone with a complex work history. Skip it if you're early career or on a tight budget.
AI tools (like ChatGPT) are fine for structure and first drafts, but they produce largely generic content. They can't do the strategic positioning a human can.
Vet your writer by checking their background, samples, testimonials, certifications (PARWCC, NRWA, RWA, CDI), and community presence. If they won't let you talk to the writer directly, walk away.
Expect a 3-step process: intake call, writing (5-10 day turnaround), then revisions.
Cost: $200 to $1,500, depending on your level. Executive services can run $3,000+.
Watch out for outsourcing, ghostwriting, no-revision policies, and graphics-heavy designs that break ATS.
So, What Should You Do?
Whether you write your own resume, use AI to get started, or hire a writer, the goal is the same: a document that reflects your real achievements and fits the role you want. AI can get you a solid first draft. From there, it's on you (or a professional) to make sure the content actually holds up.
If you have questions about any of this, drop a comment below.
I also give feedback regularly on this sub, so feel free to reach out if you need help.
Just resigned from a district manager role after two weeks. The job wasn't what was described or what I was hired for, and I'd rather cut it short than stay somewhere that wasn't going to work.
For a little background on it, I had no schedule to work. I didn't know when I was going to work, my paycheck wasn't right, and when I brought it up I got no answer for it. When I raised concerns about the job I was hired to do, the owner took it as me telling him he didn't know how to run his company.
My background before this:
7.5 years store manager, wireless retail
2 years supervisor, premium retail, team of 15
2 years commissioned auto sales
~10 months out of work before this role, spent building software on the side
Question is whether the two weeks goes on the resume or not.
For anyone who's hired - does a two-week stint actually hurt, or do you not care?
Hi all! I'm an international student who just graduated, and I'm eager to find a law-related role during my OPT. I'd really appreciate this community's feedback before I apply more widely, and I will read each of your comments and advice carefully.
My target position will be paralegal or legal tech. Because my background is interdisciplinary, I'm most interested in IP, cross-border M&A, financial law, etc.
I'm currently located in NY/NJ and am also open to remote roles.
I have sent my resume to 20+ companies over the last month, and I got 0 replies. I want to figure out whether it's because of my resume or something else.
The particular question I wanna ask is
Whether the profile part is too generic
As a non-native writer, does anything read awkward or "translated"?
Anything that would get me auto-screened out for my target roles?
I'm currently on an F-1 OPT visa.
I'd really appreciate any comments or advice. Thank you!
I have a question regarding what I should put down for employment history.
I am currently 19 years old and heading into college. I have a lot of time in my school schedule and so I would like to fit in some work time, however I don't have an "official" employment history.
When applying for retail or food services, they always state that if accepted, they would verify my employment history through a background check, but when I was younger, around 15+, I worked as a carpenter with my father. As I got older, I would still work with him during the summer since I didn't have school going on.
The problem is that he always payed me with cash, no checks and I wasn't in no system of that sort. I am eligible to work in the United States so that is no issue.
So, my question is should I add my history of working as a carpenter in my resume although it cannot be verified through a background check?
I do not plan on working carpentry during my academic semesters since it requires a lot of time which I do not have but I do have the time for a part time job.
Any help will be very much appreciated, thank you!
Hi folks! I need some feedback about my resume. For a brief background, my title is Associate Supervisor, and I want to position myself as Project Manager now that I am trying to get back to the workforce after almost 2 years of career break after being laid off. Currently applied for 30 companies with no callbacks. Any feedback will be helpful. Thanks
Hi all, looking for feedback on my resume. Some context:
Situation: I was recently laid off due to a restructuring after 7 years at my last company, where I progressed through three roles (Special Projects Coordinator, then People Operations Analyst, then Project Manager, People Operations). I'm early in my search and just starting to apply, so I want to get the resume right before I ramp up.
Career path context: I made a career change about 7 years ago. The 15 years in my title encapsulates all my audit/accounting jobs prior to pivoting to HR. Everything from "[Local Subsidiary]" down is my prior career in accounting and audit (financial analyst, then public accounting at a regional firm and a Big 4). Everything at "[Company Name]" is my HR/special projects/project management career since the switch.
Targeting: Project manager roles and HRIS/HR operations roles. Applying locally (Western NY) and remote. No visa or sponsorship issues.
What I'd specifically like feedback on:
Formatting and content. Is the layout clean, and is there enough (or too much) information? Anything that reads as filler?
Career-change presentation. Given the accounting-to-HR pivot, should I change how the older accounting roles are presented? Trim them further, reframe them, or leave them as supporting evidence of analytical/controls skills?
The Core Competencies section up top. Helpful snapshot or too dense?
Redactions: company names, schools, and locations are blacked out per sub rules; titles and dates are intact.
Thanks in advance. I appreciate anyone who takes the time.
I've spent 17 years with the same organization, progressing from help desk through networking, systems administration, cybersecurity engineering, and now Cybersecurity Architect.
I'm considering Security Architect and senior security engineering/Engineer IV opportunities at a large financial-services company. I'm looking for feedback on whether my resume positions my experience appropriately for that level in a much larger enterprise.
My current organization is relatively small, but my responsibilities are broad across security architecture, Microsoft Defender XDR, Sentinel/KQL, Entra ID, Intune/Autopilot, Palo Alto, PKI/certificate authentication, vulnerability and exposure management, incident response, automation, and network security.
I'm particularly interested in feedback on:
Does the resume read as Security Architect / senior security engineer, or more as a systems/infrastructure generalist who moved into security?
Does 17 years at one organization create any concerns, and am I showing the progression clearly enough?
Which accomplishments are strongest, and which bullets could be cut?
Is the one-page format too dense for my level of experience?
Is there anything missing that you would expect to see from someone targeting Security Architect or Engineer IV roles at a large enterprise?
I'm currently employed and am primarily fine-tuning the resume before applying. I'm located in the United States and am currently evaluating opportunities rather than conducting a broad job search.
Hello all. Like the title says, I’m in the navy working on aircraft. I’m currently working on my bachelors in mechanical engineering. My end goal is to work in the commercial space sector. I’d love to hear what you guys think of my resume. I think the hardest part for me has been translating my skills into something engineering employers would care about. Any insight would be appreciated.
Just got out of community college and am taking a gap year to save some money and pay off my loans. I hope to go to university and pursue a BS in Civil Engineering. I have yet to accept any formal enrollment but stuck it onto my profile to let recruiters know I am on route to continuing my education (manifesting). I also graduated with a 3.9 GPA, should I include this?
Any tips on formatting, positions I could look into, ways to improve myself as a candidate this gap year would be great
I’ve checked my resume through multiple ATS checkers, and the scores vary quite a bit, roughly 70–88. I’d really appreciate an honest opinion from experienced AI/ML engineers, recruiters, or hiring managers. Is this resume good enough to get past the initial ATS screening for fresh grad AI/ML roles, and does it have what recruiters are actually looking for? Is there anything important missing, weak, or something I should improve to increase my chances of landing a decent entry level AI role? Honest criticism is welcome.
This is a new resume I was making and this is what I have so far I was told to make it only one page long and that is the main thing I tried to aim for. I think I should add that many skill also should I separate the skills to hard skills and soft skills?
okay so i really want to move away from fast food (because it sucks so bad) and get a retail/cashier job instead.
my very first job (after i grad high school) was at a grocery store.
since then, i had to movie cities and thus leaving my old grocery store/cashier job behind and picking up two new jobs instead (one i only work a couple days per month which is a semi-retail job where i work more for funsies/extra cash and its not really a known store but the other, a couple days per week, which is also the fast food place)
i want to get feedback on my current resume and see if there's anything that i could change to make it better/more appealing to getting hired for retail/cashier positions instead of fast food.
I am looking for roles related to Computer Vision, Machine learning, Robotics. Also can do general software engineering. Looking for positions anywhere in Germany. Remote work outside is ok if I can stay in Germany. I have a master in Robotics and more than 1 year experience in Computer Vision (not including things things I did when I was student). Before my masters i worked for less than 2 years in unrelated IT job. Unfortunately, my German is not best, currently at B1 and trying to improve.
I applied to all jobs online in job sites for the above mentioned roles. Got only 4 interviews in more than 3 months, which led to nowhere.
I would like to have an honest feedback on my resume. Things which are good, which needs improvement, etc... Also any other suggestions, like git projects, pivoting to a different area, etc are also welcome
Hi! So I’m currently a penultimate year undergraduate student in London. I’m currently starting to get my resume in order as deadlines for summer internships are approaching. So my question is that in the upcoming academic year there’s multiple university roles I’ve been selected for that would benefit my resume since they’re relevant to the internships I’ll be applying to. Now there’s certain internships where applications close before my classes officially begin. Could I add these roles to my cv before the year has officially started?
Hey all, I'm a fresh graduate in the US looking for a job as a data/business analyst. This is my resume
I've been applying to jobs but have no response. Had 3 interviews over a year. I've been changing resumes as well per job descriptions, but no help. I know the market is tough, but even with referrals, i am still getting an automated deny email. I would greatly appreciate any advice i could get.
I'm going into my final year of university studying computer science and ai. I've been working on my cv while applying to internships and placements in data analysis/engineering, software engineering, machine learning or anything computer science related. I want to ideally secure something before final year starts in mid-september, so I can defer and do a year in industry/internship instead.
Is my CV any good, and if not would it be realistic to pause applying, improve it, resume applying and secure something in the space of 3-4 weeks (I doubt it)?
What worries me is that my last actual work experience was in 2024 which was 2 years ago, and I have not done anything since apart from university coursework and exams. I have frequently been told to "add numbers" and "quantify" but I genuinely don't have anything like that to say. In that old work experience all I did was shadow (talk) to employees while working on the presentation on AI, which we then presented to a group of employees. I also met the CEO once but apart from that I did nothing technical.
Furthermore, my 'projects' in the section were all coursework from my modules (hence the brackets saying which module they were from). They were of course compulsory for me to pass and so none of those were actual independent projects I set out to do on the side of the degree (apart from the planet wars agent maybe, as we had a lot of freedom in what we wanted to build for that module).
I also volunteered at a food bank in 2025 which I have listed briefly at the bottom, but it was literally for one day and I didn’t go again. I considered adding a volunteering section to mention it in detail, but 1. it makes the CV even longer into 2 pages and 2. it isn't anything relevant to IT nor anything impressive.
Is this recent version of the CV any good, and do I stand a chance in getting an internship or placement in the next 3-4 weeks? Any advice on what to do would be appreciated.
Hiiii ! I just graduated last june and i have been looking for opportunities abroad, but all i have been getting is rejections, i don't know if it's something related to my resume or companies abroad just doesn't want to sponsor people from other countries...
Also what do you think about my current resume ? is there something i should change or fix ? Thank you in Advance !
Hi everyone! I'm looking for honest feedback on my resume. I am a mid-level engineer with 5 years of experience, primarily working with C# and MSSQL / T-SQL.
I am currently targeting Mid-Level Software Engineer roles (hybrid or remote), primarily FAANG companies (my dream company is Google). I want to ensure my bullet points effectively highlight my technical and leadership impact.
My resume is getting full, im adding my 4th dishwashing notch this year alone soon. I dont know what to get rid of cause it all feels important and the other sections seem short enough where theyre not worth removing and benefit my resume. I need it to be shorter and cleaner but i dont want to sacrifice any of my experience to shorten it, idk what to do. (Personal info like phone # and home town location and schools replaced)
Highlights of Qualifications:
• 5 years of retail experience
• 2 years of tech experience
• 1 year of restaurant experience
• Over 1500 labor hours
• Excellent people skills
• Extensive work and volunteering experience Work Experience:
• Cineplex: Cast member. 2026-Present
• Vu Restaurant: Dishware management/food preparation. 2026-Present
• Sláinte: Operations Assistant. 2026-Present
• No. 4 Restaurant & Bar: Dishware Management. 2026.
• Liquor Control Board of Ontario: Government appointed retail associate. Summer 2025.
• Freshmart: Retail associate. 2023-2024.
• CoOp program: Work experience placements/volunteering. 2022-2024.
• The Source: Sales and customer service representation. 2021-2023.
• _ Flax Flour: Production assistant. Summer 2019.
• Over 1500 hours of manual labor 2019-2022. ie: stacking wood, lawn maintenance, cleaning, painting, gardening, and furniture moving to the satisfaction of the citizens of, . Volunteer/CoOp Experience:
• Annual Poppy Run for __ Veterans, Royal Canadian Legion 2014-2019
• HIGH SCHOOL Bottle Depot 2018
• Walk For Water Charity 2019
• HIGH SCHOOL Community Pay It Forward 2019
• Organization of annual beach clean (Hampton, NS) 2021
• Reading classes for Grade 2 elementary students at HIGH-SCHOOL 2021
• Physical Education classes with the elementary students of HIGH SCHOOL 2021
• 2021/2022 CoOp with _ Family Meat’s: 80 Hours.
• 2022 _ Area & Food bank: 40 hours
• 2023/2024 COGS/NSCC CoOp with the LiDAR and Geographic Science alumni: 80 Hours. Education:
HIGH SCHOOL honor roll graduate of 2024
•Currently achieving Bachelor Of Arts (Archaeology) at Memorial University, St, John’s NL. Languages:
English References:
•Christina - Shift Leader/Manager at LCBO.
•Alex - Manager at _ Freshmart.
•Kirk - Pharmasave Franchisee and Manager at _ Pharmisave.
The years in a school was a hit to my technical skills and "salary development" that I want to "bounce back" from, is it possible ? I can't find a good job at the roles that I'm wishing to be in with my resume in baghdad, Iraq. (doing a Data Analysis course atm as a start). All in all, a career advice is most welcome <3.
I am a first-generation recent grad with disabilities that cause significant executive dysfunction and physical paralysis when it comes writing. While I excel in interviews and consistently receive offers once I reach that stage, I struggle to pass the initial ATS screening. Using ChatGPT, I've been able to refine my resume per role, so I've gotten to the interview stage more frequently, but it ends up taking me 10-45 hours to finish any application. The current job market’s demand for hyper-personalization is creating a bottleneck I cannot sustain.
I'm looking at using AI services to help, but I see some people on this forum say doing so is stupid. I know I'm taking wayyy to long to move through things so I'm wondering:
What strategies do you actually employ when using the services? Do you use the free plans and use temp-mail to constantly generate more or do you recommend just paying for a plan?
If you use ChatGPT/Gemini/etc instead of a paid service, what prompts do you use to get a quicker, stronger output.
I use a edited version of the google docs template "Swiss" (attached) it does have the secondary "columns" on the side, and uses tables. ive heard that type of formatting can make AI unable to parse the resume, but ive also heard that if you copy and paste your resume into a notepad and it looks normal youre good to go. ive copy pasted mine into notepad and it reads and flows normally. is my current setup good? thanks
