How to improve your résumé


Do you feel as though your résumé just doesn’t have the clout it once did? Are you being passed over for jobs that you are more than qualified for without even being given a chance to interview? Perhaps the issue is with your current résumé, and it’s time to mix it up a little – especially as you move from being an entry-level employee to mid-level, your résumé needs to grow with you. Here are some tips on how to make your résumé work for you.

Add your LinkedIn profile

If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, you need one. It is your online professional résumé where other people can recommend you and endorse you for various skills. Before you put it on your résumé, make sure you have customized the public URL to include your name as this looks much better than a string of random numbers and letters. If you are sending your résumé as a .pdf attachment, you could also make it a clickable link.

How to improve your résumé

Make your goals clear

If you’ve had several different positions or jobs over the past few years, your career goals may not be clear to your future employers, and they may not feel as though you know what you want from your job. Make this clear to anyone reading your résumé by adding a professional title to the top of the page and perhaps a subheading too to show the area you are targeting. This will help outline your job goals and show that you are serious about your professional trajectory.

Work on your elevator pitch

Your résumé needs to sell you before an interview does. Think of yourself as a product and a résumé your marketing pitch so really sell yourself. Don’t just repeat boring cliches, really summarize your qualifications and relevant skills, setting the tone for the rest of the résumé. If you have something really interesting and unique, such as being bilingual, make sure you highlight this early on as this is something that is really valuable in the workplace market.

Showcase your Areas of Expertise

A specific Areas of Expertise section on your résumé is a fantastic way of making sure that recruiters can clearly see your skills and proficiencies. Another excellent reason for this section is for when applications are sent through a keyword scanner or electronic filter to ensure that it is passed on to HR.

Let go of your internships

Now that you are no longer an entry-level professional, it is time to remove your internships from your professional experience section. Hopefully a few years after graduation, you will have gained enough experience to entirely trump your college internships and your most recent work experience is going to be far more relevant for your future jobs.

How to improve your résumé

Mix full sentences and bullet points

A lot of people tend to either stick to just paragraphs or bullet points, however, you can mix them up to make your résumé easier to digest and more aesthetically pleasing. For example, when you are writing up your work history, you could write a short blurb describing your position and then breaking down important information that prospective employers will be looking for, such as major achievements.

If things are not going to plan with your job search, don’t feel as though it is necessarily your fault – perhaps your résumé needs a few minor tweaks so that any future potential employers can see how amazing you are!

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