Career guides that get you hired

Practical, researched advice on resumes, cover letters, interviews, and job search strategy, with examples you can copy.

25 articles

Page 2 of 3

Filter by topicShow

Manager and employee sitting side by side at an office desk reviewing a printed development plan

Career Growth22 min read

Individual Development Plan (IDP): Template and Examples

Write an individual development plan that gets approved: a fill-in IDP template, eight examples (including federal and teacher IDPs), and manager scripts.

Sales representative wearing a headset on a call at a desk with a laptop and an open notepad

Resume Guides by Role14 min read

Sales Resume: Examples and Writing Guide From SDR to Manager

Write a sales resume that proves quota attainment: a full AE sample, an entry-level sample, field sales bullets, objective examples, and BLS pay data.

Experienced professional reviewing a printed resume with a pen and marking older jobs to trim

Resume Writing19 min read

How Far Back Should a Resume Go? The 10–15 Year Rule Explained

How far back should a resume go? Use the 10–15 year rule, a career-stage table, and worked examples for handling older jobs, dates, and age bias.

Job seeker at a home desk reviewing a resume score report on a laptop screen with notes beside it

ATS & Keywords16 min read

What Is an ATS Score? How Resume Scores Work and How to Raise Yours

Learn what an ATS score measures, what a good ATS score is, and the edits that raise it, with a real before-and-after test run and score bands.

Person writing a list of skills on a notepad beside an open laptop on a wooden desk

Resume Sections22 min read

How to Write the Skills Section of a Resume (With Examples)

Build the skills section of your resume the way recruiters search: how many skills to list, how to group and order them, where to put them, and 12 examples.

Woman typing the first lines of a cover letter on a laptop at a cafe table beside a notebook

Cover Letters15 min read

How to Start a Cover Letter: Opening Lines That Work

Learn how to start a cover letter with an opening that earns a full read: a three-part formula, 12 example openings, lines to avoid, and a way to test drafts.

Customer support agent wearing a headset and smiling while working on a laptop in a bright office

Resume Guides by Role13 min read

Customer Service Resume: Examples and Writing Guide

A full customer service resume sample, plus CSAT and handle-time metrics, objective examples, and bullets for bank, call center, and first-job resumes.

Close-up of a printed resume page on a desk showing clean typography, section headings, and bullet points

Resume Writing20 min read

Best Resume Fonts and Font Sizes for Readability and ATS

The best font for a resume is one recruiters read at a glance. Compare 12 fonts, exact sizes, spacing, and margins, and keep them intact in your PDF.

Recruiter at an office desk comparing printed resumes beside a computer showing an applicant list

ATS & Keywords16 min read

ATS Myths: What Applicant Tracking Systems Really Do to Your Resume

ATS myths tested: the 75% rejection stat, auto-rejection, the white-text trick (we ran it), PDFs, and keyword stuffing, plus what gets your resume seen.

Job seeker researching a company's team page on a laptop while taking notes in a notebook

Cover Letters17 min read

How to Address a Cover Letter (When You Don't Know the Name)

Learn how to address a cover letter: use the most specific greeting you can confirm, or Dear Hiring Manager. Covers titles, no-name, school and UK cases.

Accountant reviewing financial spreadsheets on a laptop next to a calculator and printed reports

Resume Guides by Role13 min read

Accountant Resume: Examples and Writing Guide

Write an accountant resume that proves accuracy: a full CPA sample, a fill-in template, format and section order, CPA status wording, and BLS pay data.

Person at a laptop attaching a resume file to an email before sending a job application

Resume Writing19 min read

Should You Send Your Resume as a PDF or Word Document?

Resume PDF or Word? See when each format is right, how ATS software handles both, how to turn a PDF into a Word file, and how to name your resume file.