Want to freshen up your resume? Try these simple tips
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It is the time of the year when a lot of employers start advertising new open positions to refresh their staff for the new year. If you are a job seeker looking for your next opportunity, this is the best time for you to give your resume a fresh coat of paint and get ready for the job hunt. Today, the expert resume writers of Resume Mansion share their best tips to freshen up your resume for your job hunt.
Get rid of the long paragraphs
If your resume was written a few years ago, it likely has a lot of long paragraphs, aligning with the resume trends of the time. Todayâs resumes tend to be more concise and seldom carry paragraphs longer than three lines. If you have many text-dense paragraphs on your resume, you should break them down into shorter pieces of text. Use bullet points to bring out the most important information on your resume. You can even use bold text to highlight important keywords on your resume and improve the visual appeal.
Remove the objective
Are you still using the resume you wrote as a student? Then, you still have an objective statement at the top of your resume. Objective statements on resumes went out of style a few years ago. Today, job seekers are encouraged to use a strong summary statement in its place. Listing an objective on your resume will make it look outdated, exposing you to ageism in the hiring process. No matter what stage of your career you are in, removing the objective statement will help you freshen up your resume and age-proof the document.
Lead with accomplishments
Take a good look at the work experience section of your resume. Have you described your past job titles in terms of the duties and tasks you performed? Then, your resume is failing to portray your full potential. You should always focus your resume on your professional accomplishments. When listing professional achievements on your resume, you should use quantified results to describe them. This will help you emphasize the impact you had on previous employers and reflect the value you bring to a potential employer.
Relocate the references
Does your resume still mention three professional references and their contact details? Then, you are wasting valuable resume space for information that may not even be necessary. Unlike the old days, reference checks happen later in the hiring process today. That means you donât need to provide professional references for a potential employer through your resume. Even a line saying âreferences available upon requestâ is unnecessary for a resume today. Create a dedicated professional references document that you can email later.
Remove the passive sentences
Have you begun almost half the bullet points on your resume with the phrase, âResponsible forâŠâ? This is a passive way of describing your contributions. Passive sentences on your resume create the impression that you are a follower. If you want to make a lasting impact on potential employers, your resume should be worded with active phrases. Transform your whole resume into an active voice narrative. Use action verbs and adjectives to describe your achievements. This will help you get more attention from employers.
Want to make the best first impression on potential employers? Resume Mansion can show you just how. Visit www.resumemansion.com and let our expert writers transform your resume.
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