• Recruiters may not understand field‑specific acronyms
• ATS may miss keywords hidden in obscure terms
• Hiring managers spend extra time decoding language

• Replace niche acronyms with plain English equivalents
• Add a brief parenthetical definition for essential terms
• Use universally recognized descriptors (e.g., "gene editing" instead of "CRISPR-Cas9")

• Utilized qRT‑PCR, ChIP‑seq, and RNA‑i to elucidate transcriptional regulation.

• Used quantitative real‑time PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, and RNA interference to study gene regulation.

• Hiring teams can’t gauge the scale of your contributions
• ATS often scores higher when numbers appear
• Lack of metrics makes achievements feel vague

• Add quantitative results (e.g., % increase, number of publications)
• Specify grant amounts, cohort sizes, or citation counts
• Use the STAR format to embed metrics

• Conducted experiments on stem cell differentiation.

• Conducted stem cell differentiation experiments that increased colony formation efficiency by 42% and resulted in two first‑author publications (5 citations each).

• Recruiters can’t tell if you’re a fit for the role
• ATS may discard resumes lacking relevant keywords
• A vague objective wastes valuable top‑of‑page space

• Write a 2‑sentence professional summary focused on the target position
• Include key research areas and desired contribution
• Embed 3–5 core keywords from the job posting

Objective: To obtain a position in a research environment.

Professional Summary: Post‑doctoral researcher with 5 years of experience in molecular genetics and CRISPR‑based therapeutics, seeking a senior scientist role to drive innovative gene‑editing projects at a biotech firm.

• ATS may fail to parse employment periods
• Hiring managers can misread timelines
• Inconsistent dates look unprofessional

• Adopt a single format (e.g., "Jan 2020 – Present")
• Use three‑letter month abbreviations and four‑digit years
• Align dates to the right for readability

Research Assistant, 2020 – March 2022

Research Assistant Jan 2020 – Mar 2022

• Non‑academic employers can’t see relevance
• ATS filters for soft‑skill keywords
• Your resume may appear too niche

• Create a dedicated "Technical & Transferable Skills" section
• List skills like data analysis, project management, grant writing
• Match skill wording to the job description

Skills: PCR, Western blot, cell culture

Technical & Transferable Skills: PCR, Western blot, cell culture, statistical analysis (R, Python), grant writing, project management, scientific communication