Resume Tips

Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Resume

1. Proofread. This should be a no-brainer, but almost all resumes had typos and formatting inconsistencies. Make sure your resume is perfect, and hire a professional if you’re not confident in your proofreading skills.

2. Remove “Fluff.” One of my pet peeves is the use of flowery resume language. If you’re a results-proven, detail-oriented leader with excellent verbal and written communication skills, I’m talking to you. This type of language makes hiring managers’ eyes glaze over and doesn’t do much to “sell” your credentials. Instead of saying that you have these skills, prove it with examples of past successes throughout the resume.

3. Add a Headline. A Headline calls out your objective as well as one or two of your top qualifications, and is a modern twist on a traditional “Objective” section.

4. Add a Summary. If you don’t have a Qualifications Summary, write one — immediately! The summary can present the top reasons why employers should contact you — your value proposition. If you lead your resume with a compelling summary, employers will be more likely to read the rest of your resume.

5. Include Important Skills. You can create a separate “Key Skills” section or incorporate your skills in the Summary section. Either way, an easy-to-skim, bulleted list of your job-related skills will appeal to hiring managers.

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Resume Tips

6. Add Accomplishments. And while you’re at it, quantify them (if possible) so employers can understand the impact of your work.

7. Avoid Using Personal Pronouns. Employers know that your resume is about you, so write in an “implied” first-person voice.

8. Focus on the Last Ten Years or So. If your work history is extensive, keep in mind that most resume reviewers are concerned about your recent employment. You can keep the early positions, but cut down on the amount of space used and consider summing it up in an “Early Career” section.

9. Add an Online Folio. If you don’t already have one, create an online career folio or blog that can bring your branded message to life. Once you have established an online presence, you will increase your chances of getting found when an employer or recruiter Googles you.

10. Ditch the “References Available” Line. Employers expect you to have references if you’re in a job search, and this line is just wasting space at the end of the resume.