Did you know that 85% of employers use AI to screen resumes today? Only those who make it through this first screening are checked by a recruiter. This process is understandable, given that thousands of applicants seem to be applying for the same job these days, and only one or a few people need to be selected. This article will help you produce a resume that will stand out and pass all checks.
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title: 'Creating a Developer CV: How to Leverage ChatGPT and Canva for a Standout Resume'
Creating a Developer Resume: How to Leverage ChatGPT and Canva for a Standout Resume
As a developer, how can you make every paragraph in your resume stand out? Because, as you now know, that might be the only thing a recruiter reads in your entire resume. Today, AI and many tools (ChatGPT, Canva, etc.) have been developed to help with things like that, and you will only be at a disadvantage if you don't learn to leverage them to produce better results. Before now, I used to blindly apply to any front-end role I found on Indeed or LinkedIn because I needed a job so urgently back then. After many rejection emails, I had to sit back and study what I was doing wrong. Thankfully, I learned how to craft a strong resume that passes any ATS (Applicant Tracking System) scan, which is exactly what I will be revealing to you in this article.
We will cover:
- How to include the right keywords to pass the ATS scanner phase.
- How to use ChatGPT to craft a compelling personal summary.
- How to modify Canva's free resume template for better structuring.
If you want to know these tips, let's get right into it.
Resume vs. CV
So many people confuse the two. Let’s look at the difference and why most companies request resumes rather than CVs.
A resume is a French word for "summary." Think of it like a short commercial. It's one or two pages long, highlighting your skills and experience that directly apply to the specific job you want. It's like saying, "Look! I can do this job because I've done similar things before and I'm really good at these skills!"
A Curriculum Vitae (CV), on the other hand, is Latin for "course of life." This is more like a complete biography about your work and education. It can be several pages long and lists everything you've ever done, from work experience to awards you've won. It's like saying, "Here's my entire history, everything I've accomplished!"
A resume should contain:
- Top Section (containing your name, contacts, portfolio site, GitHub and LinkedIn profiles, and country)
- Profile Summary
- Work Experience
- Education
- Tech Skills
- Awards/Certificates
- Referee (optional)
- Hobbies (optional)
Personalizing Your Resume Content with ChatGPT
One of the best ways to use AI tools like ChatGPT is for research, writing corrections, and making your original content even better. In this section, we will look at how you can use it to personalize your resume writing.
Writing About Your Tech Skills
You alone know the skills you are efficient at, so we will use ChatGPT to make the presentation even better. This is very important because most recruiters look for your skills after going through your work experience. So it has to be compelling, too. For example, instead of writing: "Proficient in JavaScript, CSS, and Node.js," you can use ChatGPT to enhance it like this:
Without anybody telling you, you can see that the generated version is even more detailed and compelling than the previous one. But you shouldn’t just stop here. You should know most people will also prompt something like this, and your goal should be to make your resume stand out. So how can you achieve this? Well, it's time to personalize it.
Everybody is different, so should your resume be. ChatGPT has done its work with including the right words and making it more compelling; now you have to rewrite it with your own words to add that human connection and make it read original yet professional. One way to detect a generated content is the unnecessary use of big words. Try to use clear and simple words as much as possible. If your recruiter can't understand what you are saying, then what's the use?
"Over the past three years, I've honed my skills in JavaScript, CSS, and Node.js, building web applications that are not only user-friendly but also scale beautifully. I'm passionate about creating intuitive interfaces and optimizing website performance to ensure a smooth experience for everyone."
Now, this is much better. It is not just compelling and detailed like the other one; it adds a storytelling tone, which your recruiter can relate to.
Describing Your Projects
It's advisable to showcase at least three projects most relevant to the work you are applying for. And when describing your project achievements, use bullet points and remember that conciseness and impact are keys that matter when describing your project. For example, instead of writing: "Led a team of developers to build a school admin dashboard," ChatGPT can help you improve this to:
This is way better because, for recruiters, it's not good enough that you could do this or that. How did your work contribute or impact the product you led to develop? And what tools were you able to use to make this possible? That’s what matters to every company, and you should take note of that.
Also, remember to edit with your own genuine information. One way to find out the impact of the product you have helped to develop in your previous work is to ask the marketing team or whoever is in charge of sales.
Using the Right Keywords
No matter how good you think your resume is, always check it with the ATS scan to confirm. Some ATS tools like Jobscan will not only ask you for your own resume but will go further to tell you to paste the job requirements of the company you want to apply to and then scan to check if you meet the job requirement and for some other keywords such as:
- Years of experience
- Job position
- Location
- Skills and any bonus advantages
- Qualifications or certificates if the job requires one
So, now that you have this knowledge, how can ChatGPT help you refine your resume to contain the right keywords?
One way to do this will be to upload your resume document in ChatGPT with the job requirements and prompt ChatGPT to refine and identify areas where your resume can be a better match. Like this:
ChatGPT will review your resume, identify areas that need improvement, and show you how to revamp it to include all the missing keywords.
As shown above, making these changes will not only make your resume pass the ATS scan but also tailor it to perfectly match the candidate such a company is looking for.
Repeat this simple practice with every company you apply to and see wonders. If done right, one thing is certain—you will surely get a response.
In the next section, you will learn how to easily structure your perfect resume to look professional and be easy for a recruiter to scan and read.
Designing Your Resume with Canva
Over the years, there has been a debate on the best structure to use for your resume. I am one of the few people who believe simple is always a better choice, and it's most true regarding your resume. Whether your photo or address should be included will be less important if you understand that a recruiter will likely spend less than ten seconds viewing your document. Now, the real question is: what do you want them to see first? Is it your photo or home address?
Picking the Right Template
Canva has many free professional templates you can easily modify and use for your resume today. Knowing the right one to use might just land you your next job.
Over the years, I have found that simple, direct layouts with fewer design elements have gotten me more jobs than the ones that appeared colorful and beautiful. Now you get the clue that your photo or home address are not that necessary except when requested. In short, your resume does not allow giving out any personal information.
Also, I strongly recommend a horizontal format for your resume. Something with this structure:
This is not to say that other structures won’t work, too, but studies have shown that focusing on one piece of information at a time is better than seeing multiple sections at once and deciding which one to concentrate on. Whichever you choose, do not let your resume be more than two pages long.
Here are some free good developer resume Canva templates you can choose from:
Showing Off Your Skills Visually
As a web designer, you will understand the importance of using icons or visuals together with content to communicate better when designing. Your resume is no exception, especially when you want to list your skill set. You could be creative around it by using a pie chart to show the percentage of your efficiency in each designing tool like Figma, Photoshop, etc., but if you are a developer, I will discourage you from doing this. Just go simple.
Now that you know how to create your content with ChatGPT and how to identify the right resume template in Canva, let's go ahead and learn how to put the two together.
Putting Your Content and Design Together
Here's how to make sure your ChatGPT content fits nicely into your Canva resume template.
- Matching Size and Style: Before you start pasting your content into any chosen template, look if it uses bullet points or paragraphs to list skills. Also, ensure the layout, sections, and space allocated for each section (summary, work experience, skills) is enough for your content to fit properly.
- Formatting for Readability: Highlight key points and section headings using bold. Avoid any funny editing or use of multiple fonts, as that will make it look unprofessional.
- Break Lines: Canva allows for adjustments within sections. By simply dragging the joints, you can enlarge or fit in your content properly.
Customizing Your Resume Look
As you now know, too much designing of your resume can lead to an unprofessional feel and look. The use of different colors or unique layouts can be tempting to try out all for the sake of personalizing your resume but don’t try it. Nobody really cares about how beautiful your resume is; it just has to be professional, compelling, concise, and contain the right keywords.
Testing Your Resume
Several tools can help you scan your resume and identify areas of improvement. These include:
Let's go through a step-by-step guide on how to use Jobscan to scan your resume.
- Upload a PDF format of your resume.
- Paste the job description you are applying to and click on "scan."
- Review the results.
Push to score far more than fifty percent to be on the safe side.
Fine-Tuning Your Resume
Proofreading your resume is very important. It's a huge red flag to see any technical errors or typos on your resume; it shows you are not careful and well-detailed enough. You can use tools like Grammarly to catch and fix errors early. To make sure everything is perfect, share it with friends to get feedback as well.
Getting Feedback with ChatGPT
After you are done with your resume and have downloaded the PDF format, you can also use ChatGPT to get feedback and corrections for your resume. Simply upload your resume PDF document and ask ChatGPT to analyze and give feedback on it. Just like this:
The AI will work its magic and suggest areas you can improve on. Study to see if it also makes sense to you before correcting your document.
Conclusion
We have come to the end of this article. I hope you learned how to use ChatGPT to refine and enhance your resume content (experience, personal summary, skills) and how to modify a Canva resume template to better structure your refined content for a more professional look and feel.
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