resume builder skill

A comprehensive Claude AI skill for creating professional, ATS-optimized resumes following Harvard Career Services standards and r/EngineeringResumes best practices.

Built with real-world hiring knowledge from recruiters at Google, Amazon, Meta, and other top tech companies.

---

What This Skill Does

This skill transforms Claude into an expert resume consultant that:

• Creates resumes from scratch with proper formatting, structure, and content
• Optimizes existing resumes for ATS compatibility and recruiter readability
• Writes impact-driven bullet points using the Google XYZ formula and STAR method
• Produces both .docx and .pdf formats with verified text extractability
• Supports English and Spanish with natural language adaptation (not literal translations)
• Adds real clickable hyperlinks for email, GitHub, and LinkedIn
• Follows the 5-second scan test — recruiters see what they need immediately

---

Quick Start

Option 1: Install the Skill in Claude.ai

1. Download resume-builder.skill from this repository
2. Go to Claude.ai → Settings → Skills
3. Upload the .skill file
4. Ask Claude: "Help me create my resume"

What is a .skill file? It's a packaged set of instructions for Claude AI — like a plugin. Once installed, Claude uses it automatically when you ask about resumes. Read the full installation guide →

Option 2: Use with Claude Code

git clone https://github.com/dabydat/resume-builder-skill.git
cp -r resume-builder-skill/skill/ ~/.claude/skills/user/resume-builder/

Option 3: Read the Guides Manually

The reference files in skill/references/ are standalone guides you can use without Claude:

| File | What You'll Learn | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | format-and-structure.md | Page layout, fonts, spacing, PDF conversion process | | bullet-writing-guide.md | XYZ formula, STAR method, 50+ action verbs (EN/ES) | | ats-and-keywords.md | ATS truths vs myths, keyword strategy, tailoring process | | common-mistakes.md | Harvard's top 5 errors, formatting/content anti-patterns |

---

Knowledge Sources

This skill was built by researching and synthesizing best practices from:

| Source | What It Covers | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | Harvard Career Services | Resume structure, action verbs, formatting standards | | r/EngineeringResumes | Tech-specific resume advice, community-tested patterns | | The Tech Resume Inside Out | The hiring pipeline, ATS myths debunked, recruiter perspective | | Tech Interview Handbook | FAANG resume optimization, ATS-friendly formatting | | Columbia University STAR Method | Bullet point writing framework | | Google XYZ Formula | Achievement-based resume bullets |

Full source traceability: Every URL scraped, every key point extracted, and where each insight is applied is documented in docs/SOURCES.md.

---

Repository Structure

resume-builder-skill/
├── README.md                          ← You are here
├── LICENSE                            ← MIT License
├── .gitignore
├── resume-builder.skill               ← Installable skill file for Claude.ai
├── docs/
│   ├── INSTALLATION.md                ← Detailed installation & usage guide
│   └── SOURCES.md                     ← Full source traceability (every URL, what was extracted)
├── skill/                             ← The skill source files
│   ├── SKILL.md                       ← Main skill instructions
│   └── references/
│       ├── format-and-structure.md    ← Layout specs, PDF conversion
│       ├── bullet-writing-guide.md    ← XYZ/STAR formulas, action verbs
│       ├── ats-and-keywords.md        ← ATS truths, keyword strategy
│       └── common-mistakes.md         ← Anti-patterns to avoid
└── examples/
    ├── Example_Resume_EN.docx         ← Sample resume (Word, editable)
    └── Example_Resume_EN.pdf          ← Sample resume (PDF, print-ready)

---

Key Principles

1. Domain Context Is the Secret Weapon

The single most impactful improvement for any resume. Instead of:

❌ "Developed web applications using React and NestJS"

Write:

✅ "Developed fintech web applications for credit risk assessment and transaction processing using React and NestJS, handling 500K+ loan applications annually with PCI-DSS compliance"

2. XYZ Formula for Every Bullet

Google's recommended format: "Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]"

Action Verb + What You Did + Technical Context + Business Impact

3. ATS Is Not Your Enemy

The biggest myth in job searching is that "robots reject 75% of resumes." In reality, ATS is just a database. Humans do the screening. Optimize for human readability first.

4. Always Deliver PDF

.docx renders differently across operating systems and Word versions. PDF preserves your exact formatting. The skill always produces both formats with verification that the PDF is text-based (ATS-parseable).

---

Example Output

The examples/ folder contains a sample resume generated with this skill, featuring:

• A fictional senior software engineer profile ("Alex Morgan Rivera")
• Proper Harvard-format structure with skills at the top
• XYZ-formula bullet points with real domain context (healthcare, fintech, logistics)
• Clickable hyperlinks for email, GitHub, and LinkedIn
• Technology lines per role
• 2-page layout demonstrating proper spacing and readability

---

Formatting Specs (Quick Reference)

| Property | Value | | ---------------- | ----------------- | | Font | Calibri | | Body text | 10.5pt | | Name | 16pt Bold | | Section headings | 11.5pt Bold | | Tech lines | 9.5pt Italic Gray | | Margins | 0.75 inches | | Line spacing | 13pt | | Layout | Single column | | Delivery format | .docx + .pdf |

---

Trigger Phrases

Once installed, the skill activates when Claude detects any of these contexts:

• "Create my resume" / "Build my CV"
• "Optimize my resume" / "Improve my CV"
• "Make it ATS-friendly"
• "Review my resume" / "Resume review"
• "Tailor my resume to this job description"
• "Help me get hired"
• "Hoja de vida" / "Curriculum vitae"
• Any mention of job applications + resume/CV

---

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you have suggestions for:

• Additional action verbs (especially in other languages)
• Industry-specific domain descriptors
• Regional resume conventions (Asia, Europe, Middle East)
• Additional ATS research or recruiter feedback
• More example resumes for different industries/experience levels

Please open an issue or submit a pull request.

---

License

MIT License — see LICENSE for details.

---

Credits

It was built based on the collective wisdom of Harvard Career Services, the r/EngineeringResumes community, The Tech Resume Inside Out by Gergely Orosz, and insights from recruiters at top tech companies.

---

"A resume is not an autobiography. It's a marketing document. Include only what makes a recruiter MORE likely to call you."

---

💛 Support This Project

If this skill helped you land interviews or improve your resume, consider supporting the project:

Your support helps maintain and improve this skill with new research, more languages, and better examples.