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AI-Ready Resume Checklist
Free
10+ pages, research-based, with examples. Spot the gaps and make your resume AI-ready in a few hours.
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Four ways to build your resume with Prof O
Each step builds on the one before. Start where you are and move up only if you need more help.
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Do it yourself
Resume Guidebook
$20
50+ pages of examples and explanations. Work through it and finish a complete resume in about a day.
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Most complete
Resume E-Course
$120
Everything in the Guidebook, plus videos, community access, and a personal written assessment of your resume by Prof O. Bonuses: cover letters and an online-presence playbook.
Explore the E-Course04
Limited availability
Bespoke 1-to-1
From ~$450
Work directly with Prof O, one to one, on your resume and your next career move.
Ask about BespokeNot sure where to start?
Take the 2-minute resume diagnostic.
Answer a few quick questions and find out whether your resume needs a tune-up or a full revamp, and which step fits you.
Questions
Questions about resumes
Getting started
Where should I start?
Start with the free checklist, or take the 2-minute diagnostic if you're not sure how much work your resume needs. Both are free, and they'll show you whether a quick fix or a deeper rebuild makes sense.
What's the difference between the Guidebook and the E-Course?
The $20 Guidebook is self-guided: 50+ pages of examples and explanations you work through on your own. The $120 E-Course includes the Guidebook content plus videos, community access, bonuses on cover letters and your online presence, and a personal written assessment of your resume by Prof O.
What does “AI-ready” mean?
Many employers now use software to screen resumes before a person reads them. An AI-ready resume is structured and worded so that screening tools read it correctly, while still persuading the human who makes the decision.
Who is Bespoke 1-to-1 for?
Bespoke is for people who want to work directly with Prof O, one to one. Availability is limited, and pricing starts at about $450.
Online presence
Do hiring firms really check your social media before inviting you to interview?
Yes. In one survey of 1,000+ employers, 70% researched candidates online, and 57% found something that led them not to interview or hire. Your online presence is an extension of your resume.
Is having no online presence at all a safe choice?
No. About half of hiring firms say they are less likely to interview a candidate they cannot find online. You need a professional presence that supports your resume.
If your social media accounts are private, can employers still see your posts?
Often, yes. Reposts, followers (who may work at your target firms), and archived copies of the web can all expose “private” content. Audit it, clean it, and post professional content regularly.
Format and file
Is a creative, multi-column resume template a good way to stand out?
No. Applicant tracking software and AI screeners often misread columns, tables, and boxes, and people find them harder to scan. A traditional single-column format wins: substance over form.
How long does a recruiter spend on a first look at your resume?
Roughly six to thirty seconds. Your resume must be scannable: bullet points, short phrases, readable fonts no smaller than 10 points, and margins that print well.
Is “resume.pdf” a good file name?
No. It gets lost in a hiring firm’s folders. Use something like “LASTNAME First Resume [date] [job reference],” and send a PDF unless told otherwise.
Should you include a “References available upon request” line?
No. Employers assume you will provide references if asked. Use the space for achievements.
Resume content
Should you have a Career Summary or a Career Objective at the top of your resume?
Most candidates should write a Career Objective. A Career Summary generally fits only decades-long careers or unusual, highly technical backgrounds.
Is your career objective about what you want, or what you offer the firm?
Most are about the candidate (“to secure a position that provides experience…”). A strong objective is employer-focused. It shows professional fit and how you will help the firm and your future co-workers create value: a win-win.
Does your resume list job responsibilities, or achievements?
Firms hire achievers, yet most resumes only list duties, titles, positions, and responsibilities. Instead write each bullet point as an achievement with actions, results and data as convincing support. The Resume Guidebook and particularly the Resume E-Course have details and numerous examples.
Is “Proficient in Excel” a strong resume line?
No. It’s an unsupported self-claim, and “Excel” is software, not a skill. An achievement such as “Completed the KPMG 75 top audit Excel functions course” proves the skill instead.
Do you know if your current resume includes self-claims?
Words like “excellent communicator,” “detail-oriented,” “proficient,” and “strong team player” are self-claims. Research shows less self-promotion increases evaluators’ perception of fit. Replace each claim with an achievement, or make sure an achievement supports it.
What if you don’t yet have the skills a firm wants?
Don’t give up. Start building them, and show it: “Completing online course: Introduction to Alteryx” or “Taking CPA review course to pass the exam in 2026” signals you are achieving.
Who are the two “gatekeepers” your resume must pass?
First, applicant tracking software scanning for keywords. Second, an HR screener who may not know the job in detail. Both look for keyword fit.
Cover letters
Can you reuse the same cover letter for every application?
Reuse the structure, not the substance. Tailor the achievements, your forward-looking reason for applying, and one detail that shows you researched the firm. Keep it to one page.
Your next resume starts with one free step.
Start with the free checklist below. When you're ready for more, the Guidebook, E-Course, and Bespoke options are here.