How I turned my resume into a job magnet

I stopped tweaking fonts and started landing interviews. Here’s how.

You know the drill.
New job. New tab. Same old resume.
Tweak the font. Move a bullet point. Stare at it like it’ll magically become impressive.

That was me.

Until I realized, I didn’t need another version of the same resume. I needed a smarter one.

Start With a Resume Template That Works

What I stopped doing:
Building from scratch in Google Docs. 😩

What I switched to:
Using a clean, tested template that actually passes ATS filters.

• ✅ Jake’s Resume (Overleaf) – Slick + ATS-approved

• ✏️ Jake’s Template (Resume.lol) – Easier for quick edits

Pick one. Fill it. Done.

Tailor It (Because One-Size-Fits-None)

I used to send the same resume to every job.
Big mistake. Here's the fix:

How I customize now:

• I read the JD like a hiring manager: What do they really want?

• I match their keywords + skills to mine

• I highlight measurable outcomes, not vague tasks

• I use verbs that punch: boosted, led, built, scaled

And yes, I get feedback before sending it off from professors, mentors, and even Reddit.

Let ChatGPT Optimize It For You

No need to guess what’s missing.
This prompt turned my generic resume into something job-ready:

Paste the JD. Paste your resume. Let ChatGPT work. You’ll have better edits in 60 seconds than you’d make in 3 hours.

Act as a senior hiring manager with over 20 years of experience in the [PREFERRED INDUSTRY]. You have firsthand expertise in the [DESIRED ROLE] and a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in this position. Your task is to identify the ideal candidate based solely on their resume, ensuring they meet and exceed expectations for [JOB DESCRIPTION].

Rewrite Every Line With Power Verbs

If your resume says “Responsible for...” anywhere, delete it.

Change your resume to use these keywords:

Weak Verb – Power Verb

Worked on – Executed, Led

Managed – Spearheaded, Orchestrated

Helped – Boosted, Facilitated

Built – Architected, Engineered

💡 With numbers examples:

"Boosted web conversion by 43% through A/B testing."
"Executed product strategy that grew ARR by $1.2M."

My Weekly Resume Routine (What Actually Works)

Here’s what I do now, every time I apply:

1. Start with Jake’s template (Overleaf or Resume.lol)

2. Drop resume + JD into ChatGPT → Get edits

3. Update with measurable outcomes + action verbs

4. Run through TealHQ or ResumeWorded → Get >85% match

5. Apply through Simplify or directly

The whole thing is just 5 minutes. That’s it.

Final Thought:

Stop obsessing over the layout.
Stop sending the same thing to everyone.
Use AI to your advantage and focus on the only thing that matters: do they see your impact in 5 seconds or less?

You don’t need to rewrite your whole resume.
You just need to rewrite it correctly.

Save this. Use it. And if you land a callback, you know where to find me.

Until next week,

Jugal