Revamp your resume this fall

It is that time of the year when professionals all over the States start rewriting their resumes in anticipation of the hiring season in the coming new year. Companies will start advertising open positions in a few weeks, and you need to be ready with a killer resume. If you haven’t had a chance to rewrite your resume this year, now is the perfect time for you to get the help of a professional resume writer at Resume Mansion. If you have the time to spare, you can even DIY your resume revamp. Here’s what you need to do:

• Use a professional email address. Did you know that 76% of employers reject job seekers due to using an unprofessional email? Avoid using your current work email in your resume. It is always good to use an email that has your first and last names in it.
• Update the contact info. If you haven’t updated your resume in a while, the phone number or the location listed on your resume may not be up to date. Unlike in the older days, you no longer need to mention your whole address on the resume.
• Recheck your font sizes. Is your resume looking empty? Could be due to small font sizes. Use a font size between 10 and 12 pt for the text of your resume. You can go for larger font sizes for the resume section headings and your name.
• Use reverse chronological order. It is customary to list your most recent qualifications first and work your way backward in your resume. Employers are most interested in the most recent and relevant experiences you have had.
• Check the alignments. If the alignments of the text are all over the place, your resume will not be an easy read. Ensure that all the information is aligned properly so that an interested hiring manager can easily skim through the important information on your resume.
• Remove the older jobs. This advice is for the seasoned professionals out there. You only need to mention the jobs you have had in the last 10-15 years. If you have older jobs that are relevant to the position you are applying for, you can remove their dates and add them to a separate “Early Experience” section.
• Use standard resume section headings. Keep in mind that your resume will be read by the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) before a hiring manager sees it. Quirky section headings like “What I’ve Learned,” instead of “Education,” will get your resume rejected from the competition.
• Rewrite the experience. Your resume was likely written for a different job description than the one you are planning to apply for. This is why you should rewrite your work experience section using keywords relevant to the advertised job.
• Change the resume format. If the functional resume format you are using currently does not seem to do justice to your experience, go for a chronological resume format. If you want to draw attention away from a career gap, the functional resume format is ideal.
• Use the right keywords. Read the job description carefully to notice the keywords used by the employer. Use these keywords in your resume to stand out in the competition. You can use the key skills section of your resume to mention relevant keywords.
• Get the help of a professional. We can only teach you so much about updating your resume through one article. If you are struggling to make the deadline for a job application, talk to a resume writer at Resume Mansion. You can have a professionally rewritten resume with a cover letter to match, in no time.