When was the last time you updated your resume? Whether you’re currently looking for a role or just want to be ready for when the right opportunity comes your way, it’s important to have a resume that is no longer than 6 months out of date. Longer than six months and you may have trouble recalling specifics about your responsibilities and accomplishments. As one of the country’s top resume writing and career coaching providers, the team at ResumeSpice has put together a list of six quick tips you can use to give your resume a quick refresh.
#1: Keep a Destination in Mind
Your resume displays your career history and accomplishments, but it should project your future career destination. When you’re thinking about what to emphasize, consider where you want to go next. If job duties at a past position don’t apply to future career goals, then reducing the amount of information about that role makes sense. Concentrate on the experiences that relate to your future career destinations.
#2: Goodbye, Objective
Get rid of the professional objective. Objectives tell the reader what you want out of a role rather than what you can do for a company. Chances are high that no one will read your objective, so instead replace it with a professional branding statement which briefly identifies your unique expertise, tenure, and career highlights.
#3: Show Them Your Proudest Moments
The strongest resumes demonstrate outcomes alongside duties and responsibilities. Employers and recruiters want to know what you’ve achieved. A few brainstorming questions will help reveal key information for each role:
- What areas did you excel at in past positions?
- What accomplishments are you most proud of?
- Which achievements can you back up with figures, dollars, and percentages?
- What information would entice an employer to request an interview?
#4 Keep it Clean
Make your resume easy to read. As you create your updated resume, remember that recruiters and employers have a small window of time to view it. Avoid excessive bullet points, images, cramped text, and unconventional formats.
#5 Contact Information
If you only have your name and address, it’s time for an update. Your mobile number, email, and LinkedIn profile should all be listed. Remember, edit your LinkedIn profile URL to avoid an odd-looking link on your resume.
#6 Keywords are Your Friends
Most companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to find candidates. If you don’t use keywords from the job posting, you could be screened out before you even start. Keywords should be used in moderation, so don’t overdo it or you may get flagged by a company’s ATS.
Need more help creating a strong resume? Call ResumeSpice. As one of the country’s leading professional resume writing services, we can help you produce a winning resume. Contact us today to learn more at 832.930.7378.
