I've hired at Amazon, Deloitte, and PwC. I've worked with top executive recruiters. If you've sent 1 or 100+ resumes and heard nothing back, THIS is why.
Recruiters spend 10 seconds on your resume; automated bots even less. That's it!
The #1 killer? Telling INSTEAD of showing.
Ethan Evans (ex-Amazon VP) nails it: “Happy words are destroying your resume.”
"Led cross-functional initiatives" tells me nothing.
"Cut fulfillment costs 23% across 4 distribution centers" tells me everything.
Here's the system that actually gets interviews:
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟬-𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗺 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁
Hand your resume to someone for 10 seconds. Ask them:
• What level am I?
• What's my lane?
• What's one credible win?
If they can't answer all three, you're losing to clutter.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸
Stop listing keywords. Start extracting proof.
For every bullet, ask: "What evidence reduces hiring risk?"
✅ Metrics (%, $, time saved)
✅ Scale (users, sites, budget)
✅ Named systems or programs
✅ Before/after deltas
❌ "Managed stakeholder relationships."
✅ "Aligned 6 VPs on $15M budget reallocation approved in one meeting."
If a bullet doesn't scream impact, cut it. Brevity wins.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁-𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮
Structure every bullet: Result → Action → How → Scope
Replace squishy words with concrete proof:
• Metric
• Impact
• Time saved
• Risk removed
• Speed (weeks, not "quickly")
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿
The resume alone is a low-percentage game. ATS and AI-based systems are a lottery.
The REAL system: Resume + LinkedIn profile + 3-5 targeted reach-outs per role.
Find the hiring manager or a team member. Lead with value, not an ask. Referrals get your resume read with a favorable disposition. Cold applications get filtered by algorithms.
💡 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵
Your resume's only job is to get the interview.
Every word that doesn't prove impact is working against you.
💬 What's one bullet on your resume you're proud of? Drop it below. I'll tell you if it passes the 10-second test.
💥 I'm Howard — an executive coach (and former Amazon Bar Raiser) helping high-achieving professionals navigate what's next.
🔔 Ring my profile for more.