Oct 12, 2026 ·
What distinguishes a winning resume
In over 30 years of recruitment, I've read resumes on paper, floppy disks, faxes, emails, and digital platforms. Formats have changed immensely. What hasn't changed is the recruiter's reaction in the first few seconds: either the document grabs attention, or it's set aside.
A winning resume isn't the prettiest or the longest. It's the one that, in a few seconds, answers three silent questions:
- Does this person do what I need?*
- Do they have proof of it?*
- Is it worth calling them for an interview?*
Today there's an additional challenge: before reaching a human, your resume might pass through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), which reads, organizes, and filters applications. A winning resume must convince both readings, the machine's and the person's.
The good news is that building such a document is a process, not a gift. In this article, I'll guide you through nine steps, in the order I would take them if I were by your side:
- define the objective and target job;
- choose the format and structure;
- write the professional summary;
- transform tasks into results;
- present education, skills, and languages;
- use keywords without cheating;
- take care of design and readability;
- adapt to each job and send.
Finally, I'll also show you how CareerBoost (www.careerboost-ten.space) can help you transform your career path into a professional document, and I'll provide a checklist to review your resume before sending it.
Step 1: Define the objective before writing a single line
The most expensive mistake I see is starting to write a resume without knowing its purpose. A document that tries to serve all jobs ends up serving none.
Answer three questions
- What role am I looking for?* Choose one, at most two, and use the exact title as it appears in job postings.
- In what type of company and sector?* A multinational, an SME, a public organization, an NGO? The language changes.
- What three pieces of evidence do I have that I can do this job?* Results, projects, training, responsibilities.
Gather your materials
Before drafting, gather everything you've done, even if disorganized: dates of each position, tasks, results, training, certificates, tools, projects, commendations, evaluations. This is your base archive, more extensive than the final resume, from which you will extract what each job requires.
Read three to five job postings for your target role
Underline the job title, recurring skills, and mandatory requirements. This is the market's language, and your resume should be written in it, whenever true.
Tip from someone who has read many: if, after this exercise, you find that you meet 60 to 70% of the requirements, apply. Job postings describe the ideal candidate, and rarely does the hired person meet everything.
Step 2: Choose the right format and structure
A winning resume is clear, predictable, and easy to navigate. At this point, excessive creativity is the enemy of results.
The file
- PDF with selectable text* (or Word, if the job requests it). Never an image or scan;
- Clear name:* FirstNameLastNameJobTitle.pdf, not CVfinal_v9.pdf;
- One language only*, the language of the job posting.
The length
One page for those starting out; two for most professionals. More than that only for very long and specific career paths. In 30 years, I've never hired someone for having a longer resume.
The order of sections
| Section | What it contains | Tip | | --- | --- | --- | | Header | Name, phone, email, city, LinkedIn | Contacts in the body of the page, not in the document header | | Professional Summary | 3 to 4 lines with role, years of experience, and a key achievement | Tailored to the job | | Work Experience | From most recent to oldest position | Job title, company, location, and dates (month and year) | | Education | Course, institution, year | Those with little experience can place it before experience | | Skills | Technical skills and tools | Only those you can demonstrate | | Languages and Certifications | Level of each language and relevant training | Only what is relevant |
Use conventional titles: "Work Experience", "Education", "Skills". ATS systems look for names they recognize, and so do recruiters.
The header
- Name* highlighted, without exaggerated titles;
- Professional phone and email* (firstname.lastname, no playful nicknames);
- City* (full address is unnecessary);
- LinkedIn*, with an updated profile consistent with the resume.
A photograph depends on the market and the job. If you include one, use a professional image with a neutral background. If not required, it can be omitted without detriment.
Step 3: Write a professional summary that grabs attention
The summary is the first text the recruiter reads. In three or four lines, it must state who you are, what you do well, and why you are relevant to the job.
The formula
Role + years of experience + strong areas + a key achievement or differentiator
Example (administrative):
"Administrative Assistant with 6 years of experience in calendar management, filing, and customer service, proficient in Excel and Word. Reduced internal request response time by 30% through the organization of a new digital filing system. Seeking a director support role in a company where I can contribute to organization and efficiency."
Example (technical sales):
"Technical Sales Representative with 8 years of experience in B2B sales in the distribution sector, with a portfolio of over 60 clients and achievement of targets in five of the last six quarters. Strong negotiation skills and long-term relationship management."
What to avoid
- Empty phrases: "dynamic, proactive, and motivated professional," which appear in thousands of resumes;
- Speaking in the third person in an odd way ("the candidate is...");
- Objectives that have nothing to do with the job.
Summary test
Read your summary and ask: "If the recruiter only read this, would they understand why they should call me?" If the answer is no, a concrete fact is missing.
Step 4: Transform tasks into results
This is where a resume becomes a winner. Most people list what they were told to do. Winners show what they achieved.
The strong point formula
Action verb + what you did + measurable result
| Task (weak) | Result (strong) | | --- | --- | | "Responsible for customer service." | "Served an average of 40 clients per day and maintained a 95% satisfaction rate in internal evaluations." | | "Handled purchases and suppliers." | "Managed the procurement process and negotiated contracts with 15 suppliers, reducing purchasing costs by approximately 10%." | | "Prepared reports for management." | "Developed monthly sales reports in Excel that began to support management's stock decisions." | | "Coordinated a team." | "Coordinated a team of 8 salespeople and exceeded the quarterly target on two occasions." |
Where to find the numbers
If you don't have exact numbers, don't give up:
- Scale:* how many people you managed, how many clients you served, what budget you controlled;
- Frequency:* per day, per week, per month;
- Before and after:* what changed with your intervention;
- Honest estimates:* "approximately," "more than," "on average."
Action verbs to choose from
Managed, coordinated, implemented, optimized, negotiated, reduced, increased, developed, organized, launched, trained, analyzed, resolved, led.
How many bullet points per position?
Three to five for recent positions; one or two lines for older ones. Prioritize what is most relevant to the job.
Career paths with gaps or changes
Periods without work are normal. Indicate dates honestly and, if it makes sense, a line explaining (training, family care, personal project). Never hide dates: it raises more suspicion than the gap itself.
Step 5: Education, skills, and languages without noise