With HR departments using AI to screen candidates, a 'brag book' serves a new purpose beyond performance reviews. It becomes a critical repository of the quantifiable wins, keywords, and specific accomplishments needed to optimize a resume for automated hiring systems.

To get hired in a competitive market, stop spamming resumes. Instead, consistently create and publish content on platforms like LinkedIn that showcases your expertise, knowledge, and passion for your craft. This demonstrates value and attracts opportunities, making you a magnet for recruiters rather than just another applicant.

Instead of editing a single resume for each job, create a master 'bullet vault.' This is a comprehensive document with numerous accomplishment-based bullets covering all core PM skill areas. For each application, you can then quickly select and stack-rank the most relevant points.

Instead of just tweaking resume keywords, recruiter Larry Copponi advises candidates to create a separate document summarizing their key skills in a narrative format. This personal story, sent alongside a tailored resume, provides powerful context and has proven to be a fantastic tool for getting noticed.

Instead of focusing on ATS optimization, a resume should be a narrative that answers: 1) Where do you work? 2) What's the product? 3) Why were you hired (to solve a problem or realize an opportunity)? and 4) What did you achieve? This framework provides the context hiring managers actually need.

When job applications are flooded with AI-generated resumes, they become meaningless. The way to stand out is to bypass the traditional application process by building a public portfolio of your work and expertise through content creation.

When hiring for creative roles like AI Product Manager, the resume itself is evaluated as a product. A generic, plain-text resume signals a lack of creativity and product taste. The design, clarity, and cohesive narrative it tells are direct demonstrations of the candidate's core skills.

The language of job seeking has shifted. Descriptors like "seasoned," "passionate," or "cross-functional," and emphasizing years of experience, are now seen as fluff. Modern candidates must speak in terms of concrete actions and business outcomes they have driven, focusing on what they have shipped recently.

Candidates now use AI to craft flawless resumes tailored to job descriptions, rendering them unreliable for assessing skill or fit. Hiring managers must discard the resume early and use evidence-based interviews against a clear success profile to discern a candidate's true capabilities.