3 Common Resume / CV Problems I See When Reviewing Friends' Drafts, and How to Fix Them

I've recently reviewed a few friends' resumes / CVs, and the same problems kept coming up. Here they are.

Update your resume regularly

Writing a resume isn't easy, especially when you're rushing it because someone just asked you for one, whether that's a headhunter or a friend who's going to refer you internally. In just two pages, you need to show what sets you apart while clearly presenting your achievements and abilities. Rush it out in a day or two, even with AI helping, and it usually shows.

The best approach is to update it regularly. Every time you step back and reflect, you'll have new ideas and get a better sense of how to make yourself stand out.

If you've been too focused on work and forgotten to update your resume, now's a good time to do it.

Focus on achievements

Most of us in Taiwan are fairly modest and feel awkward writing about our own contributions. (Some candidates go the other way and oversell, which is why every claim needs evidence behind it.)

HR and hiring managers read a lot of resumes every day, and they really only have a few minutes for each one. If yours runs long and reads like a log of everything you did, it's hard to pick out the key points, and it's easy for them to lose patience and skip it. That's a wasted opportunity.

Write three to five points per job at most. (If you have more, look closely at whether you've written too many things that don't matter.) When you write them, start with the result and back it up with clear numbers. For example:

1. This project took sales from X to Y.
2. This feature optimization reduced system costs from X to Y.

That's concrete and convincing, and far better than a long-winded description.

The STAR method

Storytelling is a valuable communication skill. How do you make your point short and clear? Use STAR.

1. Situation: the context in which this happened.
2. Task: the task you needed to take on or initiate because of that situation.
3. Action: how you got the task done, especially your solutions.
4. Result: the results you (and your team) achieved through that work. Remember the point above: back it up with numbers.

Once STAR becomes a habit, you can lay out what you want to say quickly and in order. Interviewers will remember it, too.

Final thoughts

The faster things change, the more you need a calling card you can hand over at any moment. I hope you all land your dream job.

Want to know how a resume dies in the first round once it's sent? I wrote up the three most common ways here: 3 Resume / CV Mistakes That Get You Screened Out in the First Round.

You don't lack answers. You just haven't been asked the right question yet.

This post in Chinese: https://www.uncleric.com/2026/08/cv-resume-three-common-issues.html

I'm Eric Lu ("Uncle Eric"). I write about food, travel, and careers.