Guides & templates

Job-search playbooks & templates.

The same frameworks our strategists use to land members interviews: free to read, free to download, no account needed.

The short version

This is the Marqee guides hub: free, downloadable playbooks and copy-paste templates for resumes, LinkedIn, recruiter outreach, referrals, and interviews. Each one is the real method a Marqee strategist uses when they run a member's search. Read them to do it yourself, or have us do it for you. Stop applying. Start interviewing.

5 guides
Covering every stage of the search
40+
Copy-paste templates & scripts
12 fixes
In the LinkedIn checklist alone
$0
Free to read & download, no signup
Inside the playbooks

What each guide gives you — and who it's for.

01 — Resume

The Marqee resume playbook.

The exact section-by-section method we use to rebuild a resume around a single target role: a sharp positioning summary, results written as outcomes (not duties), and clean formatting an applicant tracking system can actually parse. Includes a fill-in-the-blank bullet formula and a one-page ATS-safe template.

Best for: anyone whose resume reads like a job description, and career changers who need a credible new story.

02 — LinkedIn

The LinkedIn profile checklist.

Twelve concrete fixes that turn a passive profile into one recruiters find and message — a keyword-rich headline, a first-person About section, the photo and banner that signal seniority, and the experience entries that surface in search. Includes a before/after example and a 15-minute audit you can run today.

Best for: professionals and executives who want inbound interest, not just outbound effort.

03 — Outreach

Recruiter outreach templates.

A set of short, specific messages for cold-emailing recruiters and hiring managers, plus follow-ups that don't feel pushy. Each one leads with a one-line reason you're writing and a single clear ask, the structure that earns replies. Includes versions for LinkedIn, email, and the post-application nudge.

Best for: new grads breaking in and anyone who freezes at the blank message box.

04 — Interview

The interview prep workbook.

Question banks organized by role type, a repeatable framework for structuring strong answers under pressure, and a worksheet for turning your real experience into stories that land. Includes the questions to ask them, and a salary-conversation script for the offer stage.

Best for: anyone who lands interviews but stalls before the offer, and first-time interviewers who want a system, not nerves.

05 — Referrals

The referral discovery guide.

How to find the warm path into a company you'd otherwise apply to cold, mapping second-degree connections, alumni, and former colleagues, and exactly how to ask for an intro without making it awkward. A referred candidate is far likelier to be seen, so this is often the highest-value hour in a search.

Best for: visa & international talent and anyone targeting competitive employers.

Compare at a glance

Which guide for which stage.

PlaybookUse it whenYou'll walk away withBest for
Resume playbookYour applications aren't converting to screensA role-tailored, ATS-safe resumeEveryone — start here
LinkedIn checklistRecruiters never reach out firstA searchable, recruiter-ready profileProfessionals, execs
Outreach templatesYou need to start the conversationMessages and follow-ups that get repliesNew grads, switchers
Interview workbookYou interview but don't get offersStructured answers and a salary scriptAnyone in late stages
Referral guideYou're applying cold to top employersA warm intro and a way to askIntl talent, competitive roles

New to the search? Work top to bottom. Mid-search and stuck? Jump to the row that matches where you stall.

Why trust these

Written by the people who run searches for a living.

From real searches, not theory

Every framework here comes from work our strategists do for members each week — finding roles, tailoring materials, running outreach, and submitting applications on their behalf. These are the methods that earn interviews, not generic advice.

Reviewed by named experts

Our guides are written and reviewed by the Marqee strategy team — real career experts, not anonymous content. Meet them on the strategists page and read how we source and check our work in our editorial standards.

People first, technology quietly behind

Software helps our team move fast, but a person makes every call — which role fits, how to frame a gap, when to push a referral. The advice here reflects that same judgment, so you get top billing instead of getting lost in the pile.

Want the thinking behind the method? See how it works → or read the blog →.

FAQ

Questions about the guides.

Yes. Every guide and template here is free to read and download, no account required. They're the same frameworks our strategists use when they work a member's search on their behalf.

A skills-led reverse-chronological format. Lead with a short positioning summary and transferable wins, then list roles by date so an ATS can still parse them. Our resume playbook walks through it section by section.

Make your profile searchable and outcome-led: a keyword-rich headline, an About section written in first person, and your top results in the experience entries. The LinkedIn checklist covers the 12 fixes that matter most.

They do when they're short, specific, and lead with relevance instead of a pitch. Our outreach templates are built around a one-line reason you're writing and a single clear ask, which is what earns a reply.

The guides teach you the method; the service runs it for you. With a plan, a real strategist finds roles, tailors materials per role, runs outreach, and submits applications on your behalf — so you spend your time interviewing. See plans →

Start with the resume playbook — a sharp, role-tailored resume makes every other channel work harder. Then fix your LinkedIn profile, then layer in recruiter outreach and referral discovery.

We refresh them as hiring practices and ATS behavior change. This hub was last reviewed on June 26, 2026, by the Marqee strategy team.

Last reviewed June 26, 2026 by the Marqee strategy team. Suggest a guide →

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