A new year inspires us with thoughts of new beginnings and opportunities. Whether seeking employment or expanding your professional horizons, revamping your resume should top your to-do list. But not every online template will present the best version of you to your prospective employer. So, here are five tips for giving your resume a marvelous makeover this year!
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Keep It to One Page
What applies in fashion and home decorating also holds in writing resumes: less is more. It may seem you can’t do your talents justice on one page, but it’s crucial to note that hiring personnel rarely look beyond the first page when reviewing multiple applications. If you want to stand out, tell a prospective employer what makes you unique, and do it concisely. You’ll find that one page is sufficient to highlight your name and contact details, application goal, related work experience, and character references.
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Use Action Verbs
When you outline your work experience, start each bullet point with an action verb. This strategy keeps you from repeatedly saying “I” and invigorates your job descriptions. Here are some sample bullet points that condense facts into brief, potent statements:
- Maintained and operated a forklift at multiple work sites.
- Installed electrical outlets in clients’ homes.
- Established rapport with customers who called for live support.
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Focus on Work Experience that Relates to the Position
Now, if you’re fresh out of high school or trade school, you won’t be able to list related previous employment. However, you can list classes you’ve taken or apprenticeships you’ve completed that relate to your chosen profession. Either way, describe the experience that proves you’re the best fit for the open job.
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Use Key Terms from The Job Post
In the past, hiring managers personally sifted through hundreds of physical resumes. Today, most applications arrive electronically, dispensing with the mountains of paper previously linked to the hiring process. An additional timesaver for hiring managers is the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), which lets managers search hundreds of applications via specific keywords. ATS then pulls the resumes containing the selected terms.
While this simplified process is a boon for managers, it may place job seekers at a disadvantage. Unless you include the manager’s desired keywords in your resume, your application may never come to light. To maximize your chances, scour the job post for keywords to incorporate into your resume. Often, these keywords are the action verbs, required licensures, degrees, or proficiencies mentioned in the post. Strengthen your application by including at least five or six key terms from the job post in your revamped resume.
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Save Your Resume with the Date in the Title
Now that you’ve gone through all the hard work of revamping your resume, you’ll want to pull it up again when a new job post catches your eye. Of course, you’ll need to retool your related experience and scout out a new list of key terms. However, your concise job descriptions and precise action verbs will probably survive several modifications for similar jobs! Dating each revamp ensures you’ll always pull your most recent resume version when you start a fresh application process.
If 2024 is about new opportunities, put your best foot forward by revamping your resume and meeting those opportunities head-on.
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