📄 Resume & Portfolio Templates

The one bullet formula to rule them all

Every bullet should follow this shape. If there's no number or outcome, it's decoration.

Did X  →  using Y  →  which resulted in Z (a number, if you can)

No real metric? Estimate honestly ("~50 users", "reduced load time noticeably"), or describe scope ("handled auth, CRUD, and deployment solo").

The one-page structure (in order)

• Header: Name, role you want, email, phone, GitHub, LinkedIn, portfolio link. No full address needed.
• Skills: Group them (Languages, Frameworks, Tools). List what you'd be comfortable being asked about.
• Projects (your star section): 2-3 projects, each with 2-3 impact bullets and a live/GitHub link.
• Experience: Internships, freelance, teaching assistant, anything real. Same bullet formula.
• Education: Degree, institution, graduation year. Add relevant coursework if you're early-career.

Keep it to one page. Use a clean, single-column layout so applicant tracking systems can read it. Save and send as PDF.

Quick resume do's and don'ts

Portfolio checklist

A portfolio makes you findable and believable. It doesn't need to be fancy, it needs to be clear.

• A short intro: who you are, what you build, what you're looking for.
• 3-4 projects with: the problem, your solution, the tech, and a link to the live demo + code.
• A 2-minute demo video for your best project. Recruiters love not having to run your code.
• Clear contact: email, GitHub, LinkedIn, and a downloadable resume.
• Fast and mobile-friendly. Recruiters open links on their phones. GitHub Pages is free and perfect for this.

Good news: the 12-Week Roadmap and AI Era Job Hunt guides walk you through building exactly this kind of visible proof of work.

Resume anatomy (what goes where)

A clean, single-column layout that both recruiters and applicant tracking systems can read. Here is the shape to aim for:

Freshers: put Projects above Experience. Your projects are your strongest evidence when you have little work history.

The 6-second scan: what recruiters look for first

A recruiter's first pass is fast. Make these easy to spot in seconds:

• Your target role near your name, so they instantly know the fit.
• Recognizable skills / tech grouped together, not buried in paragraphs.
• Numbers that jump out (users, %, time saved). The eye lands on digits.
• Links to GitHub and a live demo, clickable and obvious.
• Clean structure: clear headings, generous spacing, one page.

Action-verb bank (start every bullet strong)

Swap weak openers like "Responsible for" or "Worked on" for verbs that show ownership and impact.

Beat the robots: ATS-friendly formatting

Most companies run your resume through an Applicant Tracking System before a human sees it. Keep it readable:

Quick test: open your PDF and try to select the text. If you can highlight it as text, an ATS can read it.

Section-by-section mini templates

Project Name  |  Tech: React, Node, PostgreSQL  |  [Live] [GitHub]
- Built X that did Y, used by ~N people, improving Z by __%
- Owned [auth / API / UI], solving [specific challenge]

Role  |  Company  |  Month YYYY - Month YYYY
- Did X using Y, which resulted in Z (number)
- Collaborated with [team] to ship [feature] on [timeline]

Want these tailored to your real projects? Paste a rough bullet into ✦ Ask AI and ask it to rewrite with impact.

Top mistakes that get resumes rejected

• No numbers. "Improved performance" says nothing. "Cut load time by 40%" sells you.
• Two pages as a fresher. One focused page beats two padded ones.
• Typos. They read as carelessness. Proofread, then have a friend check.
• One generic resume for every job. Tailor the top skills and summary to each role.
• Listing duties, not results. Recruiters hire outcomes, not job descriptions.
• No links. Every project should link to a demo or repo. Proof beats claims.