Your resume will be clicked open and after a 10-20 second scan the recruiter will either pass it to next stage or think to themselves "Sounds good… but what makes them senior?”.

Before that happens, ask yourself:

• Would a recruiter understand your seniority in 10 seconds?

• Is it clear what kind of problems you solve?

• Do I sound like someone who owns systems, not just works on them?

If the answer is “mostly, but not clearly” → the rewrite helps.

Let me help you make your resume say "technical leader, not just experienced coder."

Signals Recruiters Look For to Identify Seniority

Recruiters and hiring managers are scanning for proof of senior-level impact, not just experience. Key signals include:

• Clear senior title: Use “Senior Software Engineer,” “Technical Lead,” or equivalent in LinkedIn headline and CV summary.

• End-to-end ownership: Highlight responsibility for features or systems from design to deployment, not just individual tasks.

• Architectural / technical decisions: Show contributions to system design, migrations, refactoring, or large-scale infrastructure.

• Scale and impact: Include measurable outcomes when possible (e.g., system now supports 5× users, improved reliability, enhanced developer experience).

• Cross-functional collaboration: Emphasize working with product, design, AI/ML, or other teams.

• Mentorship and leadership: Highlight mentoring, knowledge sharing, or team leadership.

• Modern stack relevance: List current technologies (Node.js, React, TypeScript, AWS, Docker/Kubernetes) that match the target market.

• Product-minded mindset: Show engagement with user experience, conversions, or usability improvements.

Red Flags to Avoid

Certain cues can signal mid-level or weaker seniority, even if the candidate is experienced:

• Vague ownership language: “Helped” or “assisted” instead of “led,” “designed,” “owned.”

• Overly narrative descriptions: Long paragraphs with no impact metrics or measurable outcomes.

• Stack dumping: Simply listing technologies without context or ownership doesn’t communicate seniority.

• Short tenures without framing: If brief roles aren’t contextualized, they may raise questions.

• No progression story: A senior profile should show growth (feature → platform → architecture → leadership).

• Buzzword overload: Avoid generic descriptors like “enthusiastic” or “passionate” without substance.

ATS Optimization

Automated tracking systems are often the first “reader” of your resume. To optimize:

• Use standard job titles and headings: “Senior Software Engineer” rather than creative alternatives.

• Include relevant keywords: Languages, frameworks, cloud platforms, methodologies (Node.js, React, TypeScript, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD) that also match the job description.

• Concise bullet points: Begin with action verbs (“Led,” “Built,” “Designed”) and include technical + impact context.

• Avoid headers/footers with important info: ATS may skip them. Instead use standard headings like "Experience" instead of "My Journey".

• Format consistently: Avoid tables, graphics, or unusual fonts that can break parsing.

Bonus!

• Have a different approach for Linkedin vs Resume. LinkedIn should mirror the resume but expand on ownership, collaboration, and impact storytelling.

• Tailor for the target market: Startups often want MVP, experimentation, and full-stack ownership. Large companies may focus more on architecture, scalability, and team leadership.

• Highlight “soft tech skills”: Mentorship, code reviews, collaboration, architecture discussions — these differentiate senior engineers.

• Don’t oversell: Avoid adding technologies or responsibilities you didn’t perform; authenticity matters more than fluff.

• For every bullet, ask yourself: 1. Could a mid-level engineer write this? 2. Is ownership explicit? 3. Does this show product or system responsibility? If the answer is “yes, maybe, not really” → rewrite.