Vent: I wasted 6 months applying for jobs with a generic resume

Parker Coleman · 2026-03-11T00:15:04.262204+00:00

A hiring manager in Austin finally told me my resume looked like everyone else's and didn't show what I actually did. Anyone have tips for making a resume stand out without lying?

the_parker7mo ago

My old boss in Tampa said resumes are like movie trailers, not summaries. You need the best 3-second clips. For my last job hunt, I cut all the fluffy words and just put three bullet points per job that started with a strong verb like "cut," "built," or "fixed," followed by a hard number. It forces you to pick your real wins.

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fiona2527mo ago

That's such a common trap to fall into... my friend had the same issue until she started adding little stories about specific problems she solved. It really is about showing the work behind the job title, not just listing duties. Makes a huge difference.

1

angela4167mo ago

Honestly, @the_parker has a point about strong verbs, but sometimes you need more than three bullet points to show your skills. Maybe try a skills section with the tools you actually used on those projects.

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