Most professionals spend some time at the beginning of the new year reflecting on their career and planning for what is on the horizon. However, not everyone gives their resume the same level of care, especially on an annual basis.
If you haven’t adjusted your resume within the last 12 months (or longer), now is the perfect time to give it some touch ups. Here are some tips on how to “wow” employers with your resume this year.
Out With the Old
As you go down your career path, it is common to simply add new details to your resume to cover your last position without giving much thought to the prior jobs on the list. However, failing to pare down your resume regularly can be a mistake, especially if some of those details don’t provide the hiring manager with value.
Take a hard look at your resume and see if any of the information is no longer relevant based on the positions you intend to target. If so, don’t be afraid to cut out those details or even entire jobs.
In cases where you aren’t sure if those roles may be relevant in the future, consider crafting a master resume that holds all of the information. Then, remove points according to your target position and save that updated version as a new document, leaving the original master resume intact.
Craft a Meaningful Professional Summary
The days of the objective statement are long gone. Instead, if you are going to put a short statement front and center, it should be a well-crafted professional summary.
A professional summary serves a few possible purposes. First, it can highlight relevant skills. Second, it can include notable accomplishments. Third, it can provide a hiring manager with a glimpse into your professional interests.
Ideally, you want your professional summary to showcase why you are an exceptional candidate for a specific role, and you can also use it as a platform to assert your interest in that particular job. However, it must be concise to be impactful, so limit yourself to around three sentences.
Don’t Overload on Bullets
Bullet points are meant to draw the hiring manager’s eye. But, if your resume looks like it has a case of chickenpox, the bullets won’t fulfill their intended purpose.
First and foremost, don’t use bullets anywhere put in formal lists. Your job titles and section headings don’t need bullets to stand out, especially if you use a slightly larger font, all caps, or bold text to make them stand out.
Next, keep each list fairly short, usually landing around three to five points per section. Focus on key accomplishments when you select the content for each bullet and use the SAR method to details the situation, action, and results of each achievement.
By using the tips above, you can create a resume that “wows” employers in 2019. If you would like to learn more about crafting a winning resume, the team at CPS Recruitment can help. Contact us to speak with one of our resume specialists today and see how our expertise can benefit you.