Make Your Resume Readable

As a hiring manager, I read a lot of resumes, and after a long day, it’s exhausting to figure out what people actually did in their roles. Often, the resumes list impressive-sounding details but don’t clearly communicate what was achieved. The main problem? Many resumes lack the big picture—what product the person worked on and what problem they were solving.

Take this as an example:

[Original Example]

Software Engineer - IBM (Sep 2022 – Jan 2024)

- Created Services to sync databases in real time with ServiceNow Configuration Management Database and Single Source of Truth using Debezium.

- Worked in an agile, collaborative environment across software architecture, understanding both front-end and back-end concerns, while specializing in the back-end.

The issue with this? It’s hard to understand what exactly they were working on. Was there a product or a bigger problem being solved? What value did their work create? This is where the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) can help. It provides clarity and helps turn vague bullet points into clear, impactful stories.

Here’s how the STAR method could improve the same example:

[Improved Example Using STAR Method]

Software Engineer - IBM (Sep 2022 – Jan 2024)

-Developed real-time database synchronization services for IBM’s Next Generation Data Center using Debezium, reducing manual sync time by 80% and improving system reliability for the ServiceNow Configuration Management Database.

Situation: IBM’s Next Generation Data Center required real-time data synchronization for ServiceNow Configuration Management Database.

Task: I was responsible for developing services to sync these databases as a Single Source of Truth.

Action: Leveraged Debezium for real-time database synchronization, ensuring seamless integration with ServiceNow.

Result: Reduced manual synchronization time by 80%, contributing to faster issue resolution and improved system reliability.

By using the STAR method, the bullet points become clearer and more focused on the product, the problem, and the value created.