I’ve been where you are—freelancing, working full-time, updating my resume, building my portfolio, and always looking for ways to stand out to employers. Over the years, I’ve worked for companies on a project basis and as a full-time employee, and I’ve been through countless resume updates, trying to make it as good as possible to get the attention of employers.
In addition to my personal experience, I’ve also helped companies build teams a few times in the past. But for the past seven months, I’ve been working as a project manager and lead, actively hiring Unreal Engine artists and developers from LinkedIn, Discord channels, GameJobsDirect, and similar platforms. Hiring and interviewing has essentially been my full-time job for months now.
I’ve reviewed over 600 resumes and attended more than 200 interviews. Most of the time, I’ve seen really good candidates with poorly presented resumes. In fact, more than 70% of resumes have basic issues that could easily be fixed to help candidates stand out and get noticed by employers.
With all of that in mind, I decided to write this guide to help you structure your resume properly and improve your chances of getting hired.
- Always submit your resume as a PDF. No TXT, DOC, or anything else. Just PDF.
- Keep the file size small—no more than a few hundred KB.
- Avoid attaching high-quality photos or portfolio pieces directly to your resume.
- Ensure that all text in your resume is selectable. This is crucial for recruiters who need to copy or search specific parts of your resume. Many resumes are saved incorrectly, making the text unselectable, which is a major inconvenience.
- All links in your resume should:
- Be functional so they can be clicked directly from the PDF.
- Also display the full URL in the text (e.g., https://linkedin.com/in/yourprofile), so if someone can’t click it, they can copy and paste it manually.
Your resume should start with a header that has three rows:
Full Name and Profile Picture
- At the top, use a big font (like Header 1) for your full name.
- Add a small profile picture next to your name.
Example:
Amir Nobandegani
UE5 DeveloperPosition
- Write your current or desired position under your name.
Short Description
- Add a short, 3-line description about yourself and your specialty.
Example:
“I am a passionate game developer with over a decade of experience specializing in Unreal Engine. Throughout my career, I’ve worked on a wide range of projects, including co-op puzzle games, multiplayer PvP board games, immersive VR simulations, and metaverse platforms.”Links
- Include links to your LinkedIn, ArtStation, GitHub, or other professional profiles. Each link should have:
- An icon for the platform
- The name of the platform
- The full link
- Example:
(Icon) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yourusername
(Icon) GitHub: https://github.com/yourusername
- Include links to your LinkedIn, ArtStation, GitHub, or other professional profiles. Each link should have:
Important for Artists: If you don’t have a portfolio, you’re making a huge mistake. Use platforms like ArtStation or Behance and keep your work updated. Always showcase your best work at the top, but don’t shy away from adding everything you’ve created.
Important for Developers: If you don’t have work to showcase on platforms like ArtStation, create a GitHub account. Open-source a few codebases and make them public. If you prefer, you can create a personal website—but only if you invest the time to make it professional. Otherwise, it can hurt you more than it helps.
This section should focus on your specialties. Don’t clutter it with irrelevant skills or hobbies.
For Artists:
- List the software you know first, followed by your specific skills with those programs.
- Example:
- Blender, ZBrush, Substance Painter
- Hard surface modeling, texturing, UV mapping, organic modeling
For Developers:
- Tailor this section to your focus.
- Example:
- Unreal Engine
- C++, Blueprints, Multiplayer, UI, AI, VR
Avoid These Mistakes:
- Don’t list irrelevant skills like “Google Sheets” or “Bitcoin Mining.”
- Avoid subjective experience levels like “C++ 9/10.” If you include levels, explain what they represent.
This section is for showcasing your best work. If you have a demo reel or portfolio, link to it here.
- Keep it simple:
- Title: Name of the project
- Description: A very short explanation of what you did
- Link: Provide a direct link
Example:
“Developed a co-op puzzle game in Unreal Engine. Focused on creating an efficient multiplayer framework and optimizing performance for VR.”
This is where you list your work history. For each entry:
Title and Company
- State your position and the company name.
- Example: UE5 Developer at Inoland Studio
Dates and Duration
- Include the start and end dates and total duration.
- Example: Jan 2023 – Jan 2024 (1 year)
Description
- Be technical and concise. Don’t just say you were “the best employee” or “worked on 10 games.”
- Explain what you accomplished, what problems you solved, and how you contributed to the project.
Example:
“Developed a multiplayer framework for a co-op puzzle game using Unreal Engine. Integrated C++ and Blueprints for efficient gameplay mechanics and optimized rendering pipelines to improve performance on lower-end systems.”
Freelance Work:
If you worked as a freelancer, combine all freelance gigs into one entry unless a specific project has notable outcomes.
Example:
“Freelance Game Developer (Various Clients)”
“Created VR training simulations for medical professionals, focusing on immersive environments and real-time feedback mechanisms.”
Keep this section simple:
- Degree
- Institution
Example:
Bachelor’s in Computer Science
University of Tehran
Only add a description if it highlights something notable, like a major research project.
Feel free to add any of the following, but keep it clean and simple:
- Languages: e.g., Fluent in English and Persian (Farsi)
- Certifications: e.g., Certified Unreal Engine Developer
- Courses: e.g., Advanced C++ for Game Development (Udemy)
- Hobbies: e.g., 3D Printing, Mechanical Engineering
- References: Just write “Available upon request.”
If you must include a portfolio directly in your resume:
- Optimize all images to reduce file size.
- Place this section at the very end of the resume.
This guide is based on my personal experience and input from a few other recruiters I’ve worked with, so it’s not a definitive formula, but it reflects common practices and expectations. Let me recap everything for you one last time.
It’s important to remember that every recruiter has their own method for reviewing resumes. Here are the two most common approaches I’ve seen:
Role, Description, and Skills First
Some recruiters start by looking at your role, the description of what you’ve done, and your listed software skills. Then they move to your experiences, checking them in the exact order they appear on your resume.Role and Portfolio First
Others will look at your role and immediately check your portfolio to see what you’ve done. After that, they’ll look at your skills and experiences.
Regardless of the method, what matters is that your resume is easy to read and navigate. Unfortunately, most recruiters won’t bother with a poorly structured resume. If they don’t like it or can’t find what they’re looking for quickly, they’ll close it and move on. They’ll likely mark you as rejected.
If you’re applying for jobs and feel you’re a great fit, but you keep getting rejected within an hour, the problem is probably how you’re presenting yourself—and it starts with your resume.
From my experience, here are some of the biggest mistakes that cause recruiters to immediately close a resume:
Plain Text Resumes
Resumes with no structure, formatting, or design are an instant turnoff. They show no effort or professionalism.No Clickable Portfolio Links
If your portfolio only has a username, or if the link is there but not clickable, it’s frustrating for recruiters. Always ensure your portfolio links are both clickable and display the full URL.Unselectable Text
If the text in your resume isn’t selectable, recruiters can’t copy information to save, search, or open links. This small mistake can lead to rejection.Too Much Information
Long paragraphs with unnecessary details are a big problem. For example:- A 10-paragraph “About Me” section.
- Listing 10 separate experiences for someone with only 2 years of work history, with each experience having 10 paragraphs of information.
Keep it concise and to the point.
Having a unique style and good design is always welcome, but never complicate your resume. Stick to industry standards, keep the structure simple, and use large fonts for important sections like titles, links, and skills.
Your resume is your first impression. Recruiters need to find the most relevant information quickly, so make it readable, accessible, and professional.
I hope this guide helps you present yourself in the best possible way. Good luck, and I wish you success in your career!
