Two Resume Green Flags That Impress This Former Google Exec

Jenny Wood, who has worked at Google for nearly 18 years, from November 2006 to September 2024, has had the opportunity to hire many people, particularly when she held more senior roles like director in media operations. Additionally, she founded one of the largest career development programs in the company's history.

In March 2025, Wood will release a book titled "Wild Courage" that provides career advice, as she currently does in her newsletter.

Here are two resume green flags for those seeking work or additional job opportunities in the new year.

One-line bullets show 'such intentionality'

Wood prefers short bullet points under job titles, stating, "I prefer bullet points that are concise and don't exceed one line."

Keeping job descriptions concise is a sign of intentionality and discernment. It shows that you are being brutal and cutting what doesn't need to be there, which is considerate of the person reading your resume. Multi-sentence bullets can be difficult to read and take longer to process.

"When you use one-line bullet points, you appear like a superstar," she remarks.

Add quirk to your resume as 'a differentiator'

Second, Wood loves some personality on a resume.

She mentions her love of baking and performance through a muffin and a mic icon in the "passions" section of her resume.

Wood describes the story of a woman she profiles in her book "Carlye." According to Wood, when Carlye applied for a job at Google, the last line on her resume stated that she was always searching for the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie recipe.

Carlye's quirky personality and eagerness to learn set her apart from other candidates during the interview process. After being confirmed as just as qualified and fun as her resume suggested, Carlye landed the job.

"Wood states that in a highly competitive job market with numerous candidates possessing similar skills, background, experience, and pedigree, personality is the key factor that sets individuals apart."

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