Your resume isn't a list of everything you've done—it's a strategic document designed to get you interviews. The difference between a good resume and a great one is clarity, impact, and alignment with what employers want.
The Structure That Works
- Header: Name (larger font), phone, email, LinkedIn, portfolio/GitHub if relevant. One line each, clean and scannable.
- Summary (optional): 2-3 lines max. Who you are, what you do, what you're looking for. Only include if it adds value.
- Experience: Most recent first. For each role: Company, Title, Dates, 3-5 bullets showing impact.
- Education: Degree, school, year. GPA only if 3.5+ or recent grad.
- Skills: Grouped logically (Languages, Frameworks, Tools). Prioritize what's in the job description.
- Optional: Projects, Certifications, Publications (if relevant and impressive).
Writing Bullets That Land Interviews
Bad bullets list duties. Good bullets show impact.
- Bad: "Worked on game features" or "Responsible for code reviews"
- Good: "Shipped 3 major gameplay features that increased player retention by 15%" or "Led code reviews for team of 5, reducing bugs by 30%"
The formula: Action verb + what you did + quantifiable result
Strong action verbs: Shipped, Built, Led, Optimized, Reduced, Increased, Designed, Implemented, Architected, Scaled
Quantifying Impact (Even When It's Hard)
Not everything is easily quantifiable, but you can still show impact:
- Time saved: "Automated build process, reducing deployment time from 2 hours to 15 minutes"
- Scale: "Built system handling 1M+ daily active users" or "Managed team of 8 developers"
- Quality: "Reduced bug rate by 40%" or "Improved test coverage from 60% to 85%"
- Business impact: "Feature increased revenue by $X" or "Reduced churn by Y%"
- If numbers aren't available: "Streamlined onboarding process, improving new hire ramp-up time" or "Redesigned UI, receiving positive feedback from users"
Handling Job Gaps and Career Changes
- Gaps: If you took time off, be honest but brief. "Career break for personal development" or "Freelance work" if applicable. Don't leave unexplained gaps.
- Career changes: Lead with transferable skills. "Software Engineer transitioning to Game Development" with a summary that connects the dots.
- Short tenures: If you have a 3-month job, consider omitting it if it's not recent or relevant. Or group similar short contracts as "Contract Work" with dates.
Tailoring Your Resume (Without Starting from Scratch)
- Read the job description carefully: What skills are mentioned? What problems are they solving?
- Mirror their language: If they say "gameplay systems," use that term. If they say "C#," use "C#."
- Reorder bullets: Put the most relevant experience first within each role.
- Adjust your summary: Tweak it to align with what they're looking for.
The Skills Section: Strategic Keyword Placement
- Group logically: Programming Languages, Frameworks, Tools, Methodologies
- Match the job: Prioritize skills from the job description
- Be honest: Don't list skills you can't discuss in an interview
- Include levels if helpful: "C# (Expert), Python (Intermediate), JavaScript (Basic)"
Formatting: The Invisible Art
- Consistency: Same date format, same bullet style, same spacing throughout
- White space: Don't cram. Easy to scan beats fitting everything
- Font: 10-12pt body, readable font (Arial, Calibri, Georgia)
- Length: One page for <7 years experience, two pages if you have more and it's relevant
Common Mistakes That Kill Resumes
- Typos and grammar errors: Spell-check, then have someone else read it
- Vague language: "Helped with projects" tells them nothing
- Too much information: Every job doesn't need 10 bullets
- Outdated information: Remove skills you haven't used in 5+ years
- Unprofessional email: Use a real email, not "gamer123@email.com"
Your resume is your first impression. Make it count.