- Key Takeaways
- Be Flawless
- Know the job (and the company)
- Show your uniqueness (but also know your audience)
- Emphasize numbers
- The Resume Still Matters in the AI Era
- Tailor for Algorithms and Humans
- Flawless Execution and Credibility
- Research the Role and Company with Purpose
- Showcase Unique Value with Numbers
- Build Proof and Close the Loop
- Next Steps
- Final Words
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Last Updated on October 18, 2025
Key Takeaways
- Your Resume Still Matters: AI streamlines
hiring , but decision-makers rely on a clear, credible resume to quickly assess fit and decide who earns an interview. - Optimize for
ATS and Humans: Mirror accurate job language, use a clean layout, and showcase relevant impact near the top so parsers and busy readers immediately see alignment. - Zero-Error Execution: Typos and inconsistencies kill trust. Verify names, titles, and metrics, export to PDF, and keep professional file names and updated contact information.
- Research Drives Relevance: Scan company pages and recent initiatives to prioritize matching achievements. Authentic context beats buzzwords and helps your claims withstand scrutiny in interviews.
- Lead with Measurable Proof: Convert responsibilities into outcomes using numbers, links, and concise artifacts. Maintain a small portfolio and follow up with a brief, value-forward note.
With all the job search apps, AI-powered tools, and social networking sites now catering to both businesses and candidates, it’s easy to think the traditional resume is dead. Sort of. Yet even with AI-driven matching and application automation, what do most of us still do when we finally find the right role? We rush to update our resume and
And for employers who used to get dozens of resumes but now often receive hundreds – or more – for each position,
Because of that, we’ve put together this list of the four things you absolutely have to do on
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Be Flawless
This almost didn’t make the list because it should go without saying, but talk to any
Know the job (and the company)
If you’re applying for a job in a medical office, you’d better have a pretty good idea of what it entails. Likewise, suppose you’re working in building maintenance, as a lawyer, or in a school. In that case, sites like CareerQA can give you an excellent overview of different types of jobs and industries so that you won’t sound like an idiot, but it’s just as important to dig a little deeper and learn about that specific company and what their culture is like.
Start by doing some Google searches, but if possible, try to connect with real, live people who work there and talk to them about what it’s like. You’d be surprised how much this can influence
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Show your uniqueness (but also know your audience)
Recently, there was a story about a
Emphasize numbers
This may seem like a silly way to stand out, but it can work wonders. Rather than letting
Jobscan helps you optimize your resume for any job, highlighting the key experience and skills recruiters need to see.
The Resume Still Matters in the AI Era
AI has changed how jobs are posted, found, and screened, but it hasn’t removed the need for a sharp, credible resume. Recruiters still skim for fit in seconds, and
Tailor for Algorithms and Humans
Applicant tracking systems scan for relevance, consistency, and clarity before a person ever reads
- Keywords: Identify three to five core competencies in the posting and reflect them in your summary, recent roles, and
skills —use the employer’s phrasing where accurate. - Format: Use a clean layout: single column, standard section headings, consistent dates, and bullet points that start with strong verbs and end with quantifiable results.
- How-to: Mine duties and
skills from O*NET OnLine to build an authentic keyword set, then weave them into real achievements rather than dumping them in askills list. - Signal: Prioritize recency and relevance; collapse older roles; drop dated technologies unless asked; and never list a skill you can’t discuss in depth during an interview.
Here's the first book to identify hundreds of keywords job seekers should incorporate at critical stages in their job search.
Flawless Execution and Credibility
Minor errors quickly derail trust, especially when AI can generate almost-perfect text for anyone. Read every line aloud to catch awkward phrasing, verify names and titles against the employer’s site, and ensure capitalization and punctuation follow one style. Keep file naming professional, export as PDF to preserve formatting, and confirm your contact channels are current. If you use AI to draft content, rewrite in your voice, add concrete metrics, and remove generic claims that could apply to any candidate.
Research the Role and Company with Purpose
Recruiters notice when
- Landscape: Skim earnings calls, press releases, and product pages to surface the metrics that matter—growth, retention, cost
savings , or quality improvements. - Stakeholders: Review the
hiring team ’s posts to understand vocabulary and prioritize related achievements near the top of your experience section. - How-to: Use LinkedIn Company Search to locate teams, recent hires, and similar roles; mirror relevant terminology precisely when it truthfully fits your background.
- Context: If your industry differs, translate impact into universal outcomes—time saved, risk reduced, revenue influenced—so your value is instantly legible.
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Showcase Unique Value with Numbers
Hiring teams skim for evidence, not responsibilities. Convert tasks into outcomes by quantifying scope, speed, quality, and money: reduced onboarding time by two weeks, lifted conversion ten percent, managed seven-figure budgets, or handled two hundred tickets monthly with a ninety-eight percent CSAT. Use one line per claim, start with the result, and include the method only if it clarifies your edge. Keep metrics real, defensible, and recent; if you can’t share exact figures, provide ratios, ranges, or credible proxies.
Build Proof and Close the Loop
A concise portfolio and disciplined follow-up turn interest into interviews. Package two to four artifacts that validate your claims—dashboards, before-and-after samples, briefs, or code snippets—and reference them tastefully in
- Portfolio: Curate examples that map directly to the posting’s top requirements; remove anything off-topic so reviewers find proof in seconds.
- How-to: Centralize materials in a shareable folder and manage access; learn how to share a folder in Google Drive and test links on mobile and desktop before applying.
- Tracker: Maintain a simple spreadsheet with role, date, contact, version, and following action to avoid duplicate submissions and to schedule follow-ups.
- Follow-up: Send a brief, value-forward note three to five business days after applying, referencing one metric that aligns with the
team ’s goals.
Whether you want to find a new job on LinkedIn or advance your career, this guide can be the blueprint for a supercharged LinkedIn strategy.
Next Steps
- Target the Posting: Identify three to five core requirements from the job ad, mirror accurate terminology, and align your top achievements to those priorities before exporting a clean PDF.
- Quantify Impact: Rewrite bullets to lead with measurable results—percent change, dollars saved, time reduced—then briefly state how you accomplished it using tools or processes relevant to the role.
- Verify Consistency: Check names, titles, dates, and links; standardize punctuation and capitalization; and use a professional file name with your first and last name plus the job title.
- Prepare Proof: Curate two to four portfolio artifacts that validate claims, host them in a shareable folder, and test access on desktop and mobile before submitting applications.
Final Words
A compelling application balances clarity, evidence, and relevance. Keep structure simple so readers and parsers find alignment instantly, and let metrics demonstrate credibility without hype. Research the
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Mark Fiebert is a former finance executive who hired and managed dozens of professionals during his 30-plus-year career. He now shares expert job search, resume, and career advice on CareerAlley.com.
