Your Résumé Quiz Results Are Here!
My 6-Figure Résumé Quiz Answer Key
Hello! I'm Michele Dye and I've reviewed thousands of résumés for 2 decades as a hiring manager, university instructor and résumé coach. My résumé clients regularly increase their salaries by at least $20,000. And I want to help you get hired for your highest salary ever, even in this competitive market.
QUESTION 1: What did you use to create your résumé?
✅ A: Microsoft Word
❌ B: Canva
✅ C: Google Docs
❌ D: Adobe Illustrator / Photoshop
❌ E: Adobe InDesign / QuarkXPress
❌ F: AI Résumé Builder
Why This Matters
If you're applying to jobs online and uploading your résumé somewhere, that company is using an Applicant Tracking System.
There's A LOT of misinformation on the internet about Applicant Tracking Systems. So, take this advice from someone who's actually used an ATS and has run tests in other ATS softwares...
Not all Applicant Tracking Systems are created equal.
Not all Applicant Tracking Systems have the same features when it comes to sorting and scoring applicants.
Unless you know everything about every ATS and how every recruiter does their job, you need to be prepared in order to have the best outcome no matter the circumstances.
Many ATS softwares will parse out your résumé and put that information into a searchable database. This is what many people online refer to as "the bots."
If parsing is involved, you need to have your résumé properly formatted.
I've run tests on this before.
Résumés made in Microsoft Word and Google Docs are more accurately parsed than documents created in Canva and other design softwares.
In addition, some ATS will have a preference for .docx files over .pdf files.
To make this easy for my clients, I've created a template so they can confidently create their résumé without formatting elements that disrupt ATS parsing.
The Quick Fix
Use my $7 Microsoft Word or Google Doc template.
QUESTION 2: What elements are on your résumé? Check all that apply.
❌ A: Color (other than black)
❌ B: Columns of text
❌ C: Photo
❌ D: Infographics
❌ E: Text Boxes
❌ F: Text in the headers and footers
❌ G: Script or handwriting fonts
❌ H: Monogram or other graphic elements
❌ I: Visual rating system of your skills, birthday, marital status, social security number or other personal information.
✅ J: None of the above
Why This Matters
As mentioned above, if you happen to be applying for a job at a company that is using an ATS, you should format your résumé so that it can be parsed properly.
There are too many design elements that impede this process.
In addition, having your photo on your résumé can automatically disqualify you if the company has a policy to do so. Having your photo on your résumé immediately invites bias into the evaluation process. There's so much opportunity for bias (hello, it's humans judging other humans), and we need to mitigate it as much as possible.
You also need to avoid sharing overly personal information. This is not only for your safety, but also for preventing additional bias against you.
The Quick Fix
Use my Microsoft Word or Google Doc template with a quick training about how Applicant Tracking Systems work.
QUESTION 3: What contact information do you include at the top of your résumé?
✅ A: First and last name
✅ B: Phone number
✅ C: Email address
❌ D: Street address
✅ E: City and state
❌ F: Zip code
✅ G: LinkedIn profile
✅ H: Portfolio link
Why This Matters
Even if you're applying for a remote job, it's still important to list your city and state. Many companies are limited to specific locations where their employees can reside, due to legal, tax and insurance reasons.
Some studies have shown that there has been discrimination based on people's address and Zip code. Crazy, I know.
Pay attention to the job postings. If the job is remote and has a preference for time zones, you should note that, too.
QUESTION 4: After your name and contact information, what is the first section to appear on your résumé?
✅ A: Professional Profile
✅ B: Summary of Qualifications
❌C: Objective Statement
✅ D: Work Experience (or Professional Experience)
✅ E: Education
❌ F: Certifications
❌ G: Leadership
❌ H: Community Service
❌ I: Invited Presentations
❌ J: Professional Associations
❌ K: Awards
❌ L: Skills
Why This Matters
This question has multiple right answers depending on your specific situation.
Recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds skimming your résumé. If they get interested, then they will spend more time reading and perhaps contact you for an interview.
They want to see your most recent job titles and quickly understand if you're a potential fit for the role.
Most people do not approach the Professional Profile or Summary of Qualifications correctly, which can cause them to blend in with the other applicants instead of standing out. This is something that I help my clients perfect. If you don't know how to do this, then I would skip it and go straight to your Work Experience.
The only time your education should be listed first is if you just graduated and are attempting to get hired for your first full-time job after graduation. Otherwise, that section goes later in the résumé.
Having a skills section at the top of a résumé is only necessary for very technical fields like software engineering. Otherwise, it comes much later in your document.
QUESTION 5: How do you describe your work experience?
❌ A: I write about my responsibilities. "Responsible for social media management." "Expertly design marketing strategies to increase brand awareness."
✅ B: I include metrics whenever possible. "Increased sales by 40% YOY using email marketing strategies."
✅ C: I include specific examples that show how my work makes a positive impact for my employer.
❌ D: I copied and pasted my job description.
❌ E: I copied and pasted the job description from the job I want and then inserted it into my work history where applicable.
❌ F: I used AI to do this for me.
Why This Matters
Too many people do this part incorrectly on their résumé. You need to convince your future employer that you have what it takes to be successful in the role you're applying for.
You need to remember that companies are making a significant investment in you if you're hired. They're not paying you so that you can have money to pay your bills.
They are paying you to help them make more money.
They want to see a positive Return On Investment (ROI) from hiring you.
So, you need the right examples from your career to showcase that you are a wise investment that they should make.
It's dangerous to default to responsibilities because responsibilities only tell hiring managers what you were supposed to do, not what actually happened. That's how you end up underselling yourself.
You need to have the receipts that prove you can actually do what you say you can... that's where my Résumé R.O.I. Formula comes in.
I've also run tests on AI writing tools--even the specific ones designed to write résumés--and they do a terrible job. Another reason why you need to avoid this is that other job seekers are using these tools, and you'll end up having an identical résumé with other applicants, especially if you have the same past job titles.
The Quick Fix
Discover the 6 Stories of Success from your career that you need to feature on your résumé. Even if you don't have specific results and metrics recorded, you can still use this framework to showcase all that you have to offer.
This is what helps my clients get hired for their highest salary ever.
QUESTION 6: How do you have your work experience formatted?
✅ A: Job title is listed first, company name is second.
❌ B: Company name is listed first, job title is second.
✅ C: Dates of employment are listed.
✅ D: The company's city and state are listed.
❌ E: My responsibilities / achievements are in paragraph form.
✅ F: My responsibilities / achievements are bulleted.
Why This Matters
Formatting your work experience in a specific way will help recruiters find the information what they want quickly.
They care more about your job title than the company you work for.
Recruiters want to understand your career growth and timeline, so having accurate dates are important.
The Quick Fix
QUESTION 7: How are your dates formatted on your résumé?
❌ A: Numerical: 10/2018 - 10/2020
❌ B: Numerical (no spaces): 10/2018-10/2020
❌ C: Years only: 2018 - 2020
❌ D: Years only (no spaces): 2018-2020
❌ E: Months abbreviated: Oct. 2018 - Oct. 2020
✅ F: Months spelled out with years: October 2018 - October 2020
❌ Months spelled out with years (no spaces): October 2018-October 2020
❌ H: Full date: October 1, 2018 - October 24, 2020
Why This Matters
This is the preferred format for the ATS parsers.
Recruiters like to know months so that they understand how long you were really working at your positions.
The spaces around the dash (-) is important, otherwise the ATS parsers will treat 2018-October as one word.
QUESTION 8: Are you tailoring your résumé for each job application?
✅ A: Yes
❌ B: No
❌ C: No, but I do have versions of my résumé for different types of jobs that I apply for.
❌ D: I'm not sure I fully understand how to tailor my résumé.
Why This Matters
When a recruiter reads your résumé, they need to discern quickly that you are the right person for the job.
To do that, you need to pay attention to what they need and how you can meet those needs.
You also need to make your past experiences relevant to them.
This is something that I help my clients master.
The Quick Fix
You need a system to make this process less tedious and more efficient. I teach my Master Résumé System in my Swiftly Tailor Your Résumé workshop.
QUESTION 9: How many pages is your résumé?
❌ A: 1
✅ B: 2
✅ C: 3
✅ D: 4
❌ E: 5 or More
Why This Matters
This might seem logical... If recruiters only spend about 6 seconds skimming your résumé, shouldn't the information be limited to 1 page?
Time and time again, I've seen 1-page résumés underperform.
So many clients come to me for help when their 1-page résumé isn't getting any interviews.
Every single time we lengthen the résumé in a strategic way, they start getting picked for interviews, and ultimately hired.
A longer résumé can also perform better if the company is using an ATS that has ranking capabilities. Your longer résumé will give you more opportunities to include key words and accomplishments that the company cares about.
To do that, you need to pay attention to what they need and how you can meet those needs.
You also need to make your past experiences relevant to them.
This is something that I help my clients master.
The Quick Fix
If you're concerned about your page count, I can give you feedback on the quality of your content and if anything is lacking, all from the perspective of a hiring manager.
Ready to Get Hired for a $100K+ Job?
My Very Best Résumé Advice That You Can't Get from Google or A.I.
🧐
Wondering if you're including the right information on your résumé?
😱
Worried that you have a typo or two that you don't see?
💬
Tired of asking your mom and friends to read over your résumé?
Confidently Apply for Your Next Role with the Help of the Rapid Résumé Review
✅ Proving you're the right person for the job.
✅ Communicating what the hiring manager really wants to know about you.
✅ Positioning yourself to command top salary.
✅ Submitting a résumé that is compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems.
3 Simple Steps to Get a Professional Résumé Review Quickly
💳
Step 1
Make Your Secure Payment
This blocks off time on Michele's schedule to edit your résumé within 48 hours.
📨
Step 2
Submit Your Résumé
You'll be prompted to submit your résumé in either a Microsoft Word file or a Google Doc. If you want this review for a specific job, please send the job posting.
📧
Step 3
Receive Your Edits & Detailed Feedback
Within 2 business days, you'll receive your résumé back with track changes enabled and additional comments and suggestions. A video will be recorded to further explain any personal feedback.
The Fine Print
Michele Dye, an experienced hiring manager and communications expert will review 1 résumé, up to 2 pages.
The review will include correcting errors and will provide valuable feedback for you to implement on your own via track changes. in Google Docs
This does not include any résumé writing or opportunities to discuss your feedback.
If you want to discuss your résumé changes, you can add on a 30-minute feedback session for an additional fee.
You will receive your review within 2 business days after you submit your the required materials.
For résumés longer than 2 pages, an additional charge of $25 per page will be required. If additional payment isn't received, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed.
Real Résumé Success Stories
“Michele’s coaching boosted my confidence, and the work that we did on my résumé helped me land a job that more than doubled my salary.”
-T.M.
“I got a job offer from my top choice.”
"I wouldn’t have got the interviews had it not been for Michele’s exceptional résumé advice and feedback. I got interviews for all three of the new jobs that I applied for, and they actually said my résumé was fantastic and organized really well. And then I got a job offer from my top choice."
-Alice
"Michele ... helped me land a job within my field and with a great organization."
“Michele's attention to detail and eye for opportunity truly helped me land a job within my field and with a great organization. She worked with me to make my résumé stand out to hiring professionals. Michele identified what my résumé was missing and provided strategies for me to address those areas. Prior to working with Michele, I had just graduated from my master's program and struggled to find a job because of the current labor market and my lack of work experience. I am grateful for the help Michele gave me and will be a repeat customer if I need help in the future.”
-Thomas T.
Meet Your Résumé Coach
For as long as I can remember, I've been obsessed with résumés. Weird, I know, but I love them.
My ability to help others clearly communicate their accomplishments really was honed during my time working in sports information for the Florida Gators.
It was my job to study stats, to study individual and team performance, to analyze what happened, and more importantly, to find all the good things that happened, regardless if we won or lost.
And I've been able to apply those skills to help awesome people like you communicate the value you bring to an organization.
As an added bonus for my clients, I spent 15+ years spent as a hiring manager and served on several executive search committees. I know what companies want to see from prospective employees.
Add in 25 years of working in marketing and public relations, I also know how to help you tell your career story.
In fact, I developed an essential story telling framework that no one else teaches.
It includes 6 career success stories that need to be evident on your résumé.
Most résumé writers and "experts" think sprinkling in results and metrics is all you need.
But, what you need to communicate needs to be much more intentional than that!
And that's why I've been able to help clients get hired for lots of firsts in their career....
🎉 Their first job.
🎉 Their first management position.
🎉 Their first C-suite role.
🎉 Their first 6-figure job.
🎉 Their first job after being fired or laid off.
My strategies have helped clients land jobs that have increased their salary—some by more than 100%! Imagine how that pay increase can change your life.
I look forward to helping you get hired!
Michele Dye, M.A.
Founder of Dyenamic Careers
Copyright 2025 Dyenamic Media LLC. All rights reserved. | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer
No Guarantees
You agree that Dyenamic Careers has not made any guarantees about the results of taking any action, whether recommended on this website or not. Dyenamic Careers provides educational and informational resources that are intended to help users of this Website succeed in business and otherwise. You nevertheless recognize that your ultimate success or failure will be the result of your own efforts, your particular situation, and innumerable other circumstances beyond the control and/or knowledge of Dyenamic Careers.
All testimonials are real. The results obtained by others applying the principles set out in this website do not guarantee that you or any other person or entity will be able to obtain similar results. By visiting this website or interacting with any portion of this website, you agree that you’re fully responsible for the outcomes that may result.