A shortlisted resume tips

When you haven’t updated your resume in a while, it can be hard to know where to start.

What experiences and accomplishments should you include for the jobs you’ve got your eye on?

What new resume rules and trends should you be following?

1 Basic resume tips

1.1 Keep an up to date resume outline with a complete list of your skills and experience.

To make it easier to customize your resume for different job applications, create a resume outline or worksheet on your computer. Include previous positions, specific bullet points, and notable projects.

Then, when creating each resume, simply copy and paste relevant information. This is your collection of achievements to keep your resume up to date.

Take some time every few months to update your resume, add new responsibilities and skills.

By keeping your resume updated, you'll be ready for any opportunities that come your way. Even if you're not actively looking for a job, there are still plenty of good reasons to have an updated resume.

1.2 Put the most crucial and pertinent information at the forefront, showcasing your expertise and confidence.

Highlighting your most relevant qualifications in the top third of your resume. This section is the hiring manager's first impression and serves as a hook to encourage further reading. If your most recent position is not the most relevant, consider starting with a skills section or writing a resume summary.

1.3 Be selective in what you include on your resume..

Consider your resume as a document that markets you as the ideal candidate for the job. Focus on showcasing only the relevant achievements and skills for each application, even if it means leaving out some experience. This is known as customizing your resume and it helps the reader understand why you're a good fit for the position.

1.4 Be confident and keep it concise..

The ongoing debate is whether to use a two-page resume. However, the main idea is to keep the information concise. Limiting it to one page helps prioritize what really matters. If you have enough relevant experience, training, and credentials to showcase, you can choose a two-page resume. But if you can tell the same story in less space, it's better to do so.

1.5 Choose the right resume format for your needs.

There are different ways to structure your resume, like the functional resume or combination resume. However, the reverse chronological resume, where you list your most recent experience first, is usually the best option. If possible, avoid using the functional or skills-based resume, as it may cause confusion for hiring managers.

1.6 Include relevant links.

To make your resume less overwhelming, concentrate on the most essential information. Add a URL to your personal website, online portfolio, work samples, or a relevant social media profile where you can offer further details about your qualifications. Avoid hyperlinking crucial keywords on your resume, as it can disrupt employers' resume storage and parsing tools.

1.7 Be aware of the ATS.

Employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to organize and search for resumes. Understanding how ATS works can help make your job search more efficient. Keep in mind that these tips are also designed with ATS in mind.

2 Resume tips for your work experience

2.1 Keep your work experience recent and relevant.

Include only the most recent 10-15 years of your career and relevant experiences for the positions you're applying to. Prioritize the importance of information on your resume. If you have to choose between including another college internship or providing more detail about your current role, prioritize the latter (unless the internship is more relevant to the position you're applying to).

2.2 Write strong, achievement-focused bullet points.

Bullet points in each job entry are important for your resume. They show your skills, how you've used them, and what you've done for previous employers.Start with strong action verbs, include relevant skills from the job description, and focus on your achievements instead of just listing your responsibilities.Clearly communicate the benefits of your work to your boss or company to demonstrate the value you can bring as a potential hire.

2.3 Use as many numbers as you can.

Use facts, numbers, and figures whenever you can in your bullet points. How many people were affected by your work? By what percentage did you exceed your goals? Quantifying your achievements helps the hiring manager see the level of work or responsibility needed to achieve them.

2.4 Use important keywords from the job description.

Analyze the job description and list the commonly used words as bullet points.Ensure that your resume includes terms mentioned in the job description.This not only helps you customize your resume for the specific job, but also improves its searchability in an ATS (Applicant Tracking System).

2.5 Curate your bullet points and experiences.

Regardless of your tenure or achievements in a job, limit the bullet points to eight for your most recent and relevant position. For older jobs, aim for four to six bullets.

3. Resume tips for your education

3.1 Put experience first, education later.

If you're not a recent graduate, prioritize your experience over your education. Your most recent jobs are likely more important and relevant to getting the job than your college education.

3.2 Also keep it in reverse chronological order.

Typically, when sharing your educational background, start with the most recent or advanced degree and list them in reverse chronological order. However, if older coursework is more relevant to the job, consider listing it first to capture the reviewer's attention.

3.3 Highlight honors and achievements, not GPA.

If you graduated with high honors, highlight it. You don't need to mention your GPA, but you can if it's impressive. Instead, showcase your summa cum laude status, honors college participation, relevant projects, or awards. Nowadays, employers value the skills you gained in school more than your GPA.

4. Resume tips for your skills

4.1 Don’t forget your skills section.

Make sure to include a section that lists all the relevant skills you have for a position, especially those mentioned in the job description. This should include technical skills like software and project management tools, as well as specific knowledge of how to perform relevant tasks. Avoid including skills that are expected of everyone, such as using email or Microsoft Word, as this may make you appear less technologically savvy.

The skills section is important for confirming your required skills, but they should also be mentioned in your bullet points, where you can demonstrate how you've used them in the past.

To highlight different types of skills that may not fit into one category, such as foreign language, software, and leadership skills, you can divide your "Skills" section. Create separate subsections like "Language Skills" or "Software Skills" under the main section. The aim is to make it easier to read and access.

4.2 Demonstrate, don’t state, your soft skills.

When talking about soft skills on a resume, avoid using common buzzwords. Instead, concentrate on showing important qualities like leadership and communication skills in your bullet points. Demonstrate, don't just state.

5. Resume tips for formatting

5.1 Keep your resume format simple.

We’ll talk about getting creative in order to stand out in a minute. But the most basic principle of good resume formatting and design is keeping it simple. Make your resume easy on hiring managers’ eyes by using a reasonably sized default font like Helvetica or Arial and leaving a healthy amount of white space on the page.Your main focus here should be on readability for the hiring manager (and that annoying ATS).

5.2 Make your contact info prominent.

You don't have to put your address on your resume. Just make sure to include your phone number, professional email address (not related to another job), and links to your LinkedIn profile and pronouns if you want.

5.3 Make your resume easy to skim.

Hiring managers don't spend much time on each resume. Make your resume easy to skim to provide maximum information in minimum time.

5.4 Stand out with ATS-friendly design elements.

Unique resumes, such as infographics, videos, or presentations, can help you stand out. However just make sure that they actually get read. If you're uploading your resume online, make sure to use formatting elements that are ATS-friendly.

Do’s

• Bold and italic text
• Underlining (in headings or over hyperlinks)
• Bullets
• Different text alignments
• Columns that can be read straight across

Don’ts

• Text boxes
• Graphics, graphs, or other visuals
• Headers and footers
• Less common fonts
• Columns that can only be read from top to bottom

6. Resume tips for other sections

6.1 Include relevant certifications and licenses.

Include relevant certifications or licenses on your resume if they are required for the job, such as those in nursing, teaching, or driving.

6.2 Show relevant personality.

Only include “relevant interests" section on your resume. For example, if you are applying to a music company and you play the guitar, definitely include it. However, for a software developer job at a healthcare company, it is probably not necessary to include hobbies like hiking.

6.3 Add awards and achievements—when they’re relevant.

Include awards and accolades, even company-specific ones, e.g., "Earned top billing awards three quarters in a row."

6.4 Cut the short-term jobs.

If you only worked at a job for a few months, you may want to remove it from your resume to avoid looking like you change jobs frequently. It's okay to leave out very short-term jobs from your resume, as long as you're honest about your experience if asked in an interview. However, if the short-term job is highly relevant to the job you're applying for, you should still consider including it.

6.5 Explain serial job hopping.

If you’ve job-hopped frequently, you can include a succinct reason for leaving next to each position like “company closed,” “layoff due to downsizing,” or “relocated to new city.” By addressing the gaps, you’ll proactively illustrate the reason for your frequent job movement and make it less of an issue.

6.6 Explain a long break in jobs.

Returning to work after a long break? Start with a summary statement at the top, highlighting your top skills and achievements. Then, go through your work history, including any part-time or volunteer experience.

6.7 Be intentional about career gaps.

While career gaps are becoming more common, it's important to present them in a way that's relevant to a future employer. You can talk about the skills you gained or any professional endeavors you took on during that time.

If you didn't focus on professional development, that's okay too! However, not every employer will appreciate it if you get too creative in that section of your resume. For example, if you took time off to raise kids, it might not be necessary to describe this parenting experience on your resume using phrases like "adeptly managed the growing pile of laundry." Instead, state what you did plainly and include any professional skills you may have acquired or activities you may have engaged in.

7. Resume tips on resume finishing

7.1 Proofread.

Edit your resume thoroughly, ensuring it's typo-free. Take a break and review it again later. Ask family or friends for their feedback.

7.2 Save it as PDF or Word.

Unless stated otherwise, always submit your resume as either a PDF or Word document. These formats can be easily opened and read by an ATS. If you're sending your resume via email, PDFs are more likely to keep the formatting consistent on different computers and programs.

7.3 Name your file clearly.

To easily find your resume, save it as "Tom Lee Resume" instead of just "Resume." You can also include the position title in the file name , e.g., "Tom Lee Project Manager Resume".