10 Resume Success Markers That Hiring Managers Want to See

Job searching is tougher than ever. Companies are downsizing, job applications are skyrocketing, and hiring managers are flooded with resumes. If you want to stand out and land interviews, your resume needs to be a strategic document—one that makes decision-making easy for recruiters.

This post covers the 10 key resume markers hiring managers look for, plus common mistakes to avoid. If you're struggling to get callbacks, this is your roadmap to making your resume work for you.

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Keep It Simple, Remove Friction, Cut the Clutter

Before diving into the top 10 resume improvements, keep these three principles in mind:

• Keep it simple – Your resume isn’t a memoir—it’s a decision-making document. Hiring managers should be able to scan it quickly and get a clear picture of your impact.
• Avoid all friction – Your resume should answer common hiring manager questions before they ask them. If they’re left confused or unsure, they’re moving on to the next candidate.
• Cut the clutter – If a phrase could be used by anyone in any industry, it’s too generic. Make sure every word highlights your unique experience and expertise.

Now, let’s get into the 10 resume success markers hiring managers are actually looking for.

Remove Adjectives & Adverbs—Show, Don’t Tell

Words like "successful," "efficient," and "data-driven" don’t prove anything. Instead of saying you’re "data-driven," demonstrate it. Hiring managers want evidence, not descriptions.

• Replace “successfully increased revenue” with “Increased revenue by 35% through targeted marketing strategies.”
• Swap out “efficiently managed projects” with “Led 10+ cross-functional teams, delivering projects 20% ahead of schedule.”
• Instead of “passionate about customer experience,” say “Developed a client engagement strategy that increased retention by 25%.”

If an Intern Can Say It, Swap It for Specifics

If an entry-level candidate could copy and paste your resume bullet points, they’re too vague.

• Instead of “Expertise in achieving outstanding project results,” try “Led a $500K project that reduced operational costs by 15%.”
• Instead of “Strong leadership skills,” say “Managed and mentored a team of 15, achieving a 95% employee retention rate.”

Specificity sets you apart. If it could apply to anyone, it applies to no one.

Use Scope, Not Just Percentages

Hiring managers don’t always know what a 100% increase means. If revenue grew from $1 to $2, that’s technically a 100% increase—but it’s not impressive.

• Instead of “Increased sales by 50%,” try “Increased sales from $500K to $750K within 12 months.”
• Instead of “Reduced errors by 30%,” say “Implemented a new tracking system that cut processing errors from 20% to 14%.”

Give raw numbers when possible to showcase the true scope of your impact.

Trim Down Wordy Bullets

Hiring managers scan resumes. If your bullets are long and cluttered, they’ll miss the good stuff.

• Keep each bullet 12-18 words max.
• Remove filler words like "highly," "successfully," and "effectively."
• Every bullet should answer: What did you do? How did you do it? What was the result?

Bad: Managed team projects to ensure timely completion and high-quality deliverables.
Better: Led 5-person team, delivering 10+ projects 15% ahead of schedule with zero quality issues.

Cut Career History Down to the Most Relevant Roles

If you’ve been in the workforce for 10+ years, you don’t need every job on your resume.

• Keep the last 10 years of experience relevant to your target role.
• Summarize older roles if they provide critical context.
• Focus on biggest transformations, not a laundry list of responsibilities.

Avoid Overstuffing Two Pages

Just because you can fit everything into two pages doesn’t mean you should.

• If your font is below size 11 or your margins are ultra-thin, your resume is too dense.
• White space improves readability—hiring managers won’t read a wall of text.
• If your best content gets lost, cut the fluff or expand to a well-formatted third page.

Don’t Rely on Fancy Resume Templates

Resume templates don’t get you hired—your content does.

• Many templates prioritize design over strategy, burying important details.
• Start with your career story first, then format strategically.
• Good design is invisible—it should guide hiring managers to your impact, not distract them.

Replace Duties with Accomplishments

Your resume isn’t a job description—it’s a highlight reel of your biggest wins.

• Instead of “Managed budgets and financial planning,”
  • Say “Oversaw $5M budget, cutting costs by 12% through process optimizations.”
• Instead of “Led team meetings,”
  • Say “Implemented weekly strategy meetings, increasing cross-team collaboration by 30%.”

Start with Your Target Role—Not Your Career History

Most job seekers start by listing past roles—this is backwards.

• First, analyze job descriptions for your ideal position.
• Identify common skills, challenges, and responsibilities.
• Then, pull from your experience to craft a resume that speaks directly to that role.

This proactive approach makes your resume feel like a perfect fit before hiring managers even meet you.

A Strong LinkedIn Profile is Non-Negotiable

97% of job seekers are missing a well-optimized LinkedIn profile. If that’s you, you’re leaving opportunities on the table.

Recruiters and hiring managers search for candidates on LinkedIn before reaching out. If your profile isn’t optimized, you won’t show up in searches.

Here’s how to make sure your LinkedIn is helping—not hurting—your job search:

• Use a strong headline (not just “Job Seeker” or “Marketing Professional”).
• Customize your banner image—don’t leave it blank.
• Fill out your experience and summary with key metrics (just like your resume).
• Engage on the platform—comment on industry posts, share insights, and connect with professionals in your field.

Hiring managers are not just looking at your resume—they’re checking LinkedIn, too. Make sure both tell a consistent and compelling story.

If your resume isn’t landing you interviews, these 10 success markers will help you fix it. And remember, it’s not just about what’s on your resume—your LinkedIn, networking, and interview skills matter just as much.

Now, go elevate your resume and land that job!

P.S. Follow me on LinkedIn for more highly-practical guidance.

Referenced Materials:

• Book your Diagnostic and Power Strategy Hour
• Listen to Episode 2: Swap These Three Time-Wasting tasks to Accelerate Your Career Search