Interested in landing a full-time job (or a contracting gig) working with macOS? It’s vital to prep a resume that puts your macOS skills in the best possible light.

It’s always important to remember that recruiters and hiring managers review dozens (if not hundreds) of resumes for every position. That’s a key reason why the HR departments at many companies utilize software that scans resumes for certain phrases and keywords, which allows them to eliminate candidates who don’t possess the most basic attributes for the job.

When it comes to macOS, you’ll want to build a resume that demonstrates you’ve learned the tools, tricks, languages, and frameworks that allow you to effectively build apps and services for the platform. It’s also helpful to show the positive impact of your previous experiences; if you built a macOS app that delivered massive revenue or helped your previous employer complete its strategic aims, you definitely need to mention that. We spoke with experts and compiled the best advice to help you create an incredible resume that’ll get you interviews and lead to more job offers.

Latest and Greatest macOS Skills

You’ll want to assure recruiters and hiring managers that you have the most basic skill set for working with macOS. That starts with reading the prospective employer’s job posting and noting the skills it asks for. Which ones do you know? Make sure those are also listed on your resume; if they’re not listed, your chances of surviving the initial resume scan will decline precipitously.

(If you’re totally new to macOS apps—in which case, you should probably take some time to learn the core skills before applying for jobs—keep in mind that Apple offers lots of documentation about the platform, including how to use Xcode and SwiftUI; start there before continuing on your learning journey.)

Remember to only list the skills you actually know on your resume; most macOS-related jobs will subject you to a technical interview, complete with questions designed to test your knowledge of languages, tools, and the principles of software development.  

Show Off Your Experience

Companies want to know what you’ll do for them. The best way to demonstrate that is to show what you’ve done for previous employers. In the experience section of your resume, describe your previous macOS projects, with a heavy emphasis on those projects’ positive outcomes.

Wondering how to best order your resume? Put the most impactful things as high-up as possible. Arno Markus, LinkedIn Profile Developer and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), adds: “First and foremost, resumes need to be scannable. Headlines are one of the most important parts of any article, book, or email. They must capture attention and make the reader want to read more. The average hiring manager spends six seconds scanning a resume. Your top-third is key to catching their attention.”

To better facilitate the recruiter or hiring manager scanning your resume, opt for bulleted lists for your skills, accomplishments, and experiences. “Ensure each bullet point contains an action verb, task, and metric,” notes Kimberly Tyler-Smith, VP of Strategy and Growth at Résumé Worded. “These elements clearly show recruiters what you did and how it impacted the company or project. Words like ‘created,’ ‘implemented,’ and ‘delivered’ are all great ways to demonstrate your accomplishments in a way that makes it clear that you have a track record of success.”

Resist the urge for excessive description, adds Markus: “When applying for jobs, cut general descriptions of duties. Provide information about the context and scope of work. Ask yourself about the most significant results you delivered for each employer. Describe ‘before and after’ scenarios to illustrate improvements.”

Good Spelling and Formatting is Key

Once you’ve listed your skills and experience on your macOS resume, make sure to double-check your spelling and grammar; an impeccable presentation shows that you’re detail-oriented and care about the position. Tyler-Smith tells Dice: “Poor spelling and grammar on your resume will most likely disqualify you from consideration.”

Formatting is also key; although you might think it’s cute to include thumbnails of your previous macOS apps or other graphical wizardry, hiring managers and recruiters won’t waste time with a document that’s too confusing, wordy, or hard to read. Brandon Hayter, Engineering Lead at KG Industries, tells Dice: “A resume is essentially a piece of marketing for that individual. A poorly formatted resume does not cause an emotional response and will likely be overlooked. Alternatively, a beautiful résumé causes an emotional reaction that the individual would bring value to the team.”

Anastasiia Khlopova, Recruiter at Jooble, adds: “Resume format matters, especially when recruiters have a high flow of candidates for a position. I always pay attention to the resume format because it helps me understand the candidate's experience, main stack, and project tasks. A correctly composed resume helps to make the most accurate conclusion about how relevant the candidate is to the position and how interested he will be in what we offer. An adequately prepared resume will save the recruiter and the candidate time when discussing relevant and irrelevant positions.”

Recruiters and hiring managers pay attention to sequence (i.e., what information is first, and how important is it?), relevance (how relevant is this to a future macOS job?) and content (what does this say about the candidate?). Keep things as streamlined as possible. “One page for every ten years of experience is a good rule of thumb,” Tyler-Smith tells Dice—but that’s not a hard-and-fast rule.

Above all, personalize the cover letter and résumé to the job; hiring managers and recruiters can always tell when you’re relying excessively on a standard-issue template. “Make sure all of your experience is relevant to the job you're applying for and that it's clear how your skills match up with what the company needs,” Tyler-Smith says. “If possible, include links to examples of work you've done so employers can get an idea of how good your work is before they interview you.” You need to show that you care about this specific job, and that you’ll use your macOS skills to help the company accomplish its strategic aims.