Your resume is often your first, and sometimes only, chance to impress a potential employer.
Whether you’re entering the job market fresh out of college or you’re an experienced professional exploring new opportunities, a clean, compelling resume can dramatically improve your chances of landing an interview.
Here are ten actionable steps to quickly enhance your resume.
Why a Tidy Resume Makes a Big Difference
A tidy, well-organized resume speaks volumes about your professionalism, attention to detail, and clarity of thought. Hiring managers typically skim resumes quickly during the initial screen, which makes clarity and readability critical to earning a second look.
- Use a Clear, Professional Format: Choose a straightforward, clean format that allows hiring managers to find information easily. Stick to standard fonts and keep formatting consistent throughout your document. Remove your headshot and excessive decoration of your resume. List only your current city / town, but remove the street address. Utilize a professional email address, make a new one if needed.
- Lead with a Strong Summary: Your resume summary should clearly state who you are, your professional strengths, your career goals, and highlighting the value you’d bring to a new opportunity. Be concise; three to four compelling sentences are all you need to set the stage.
- Quantify Your Achievements: Employers love numbers. Use specific metrics or statistics to showcase your achievements. For example, “Increased sales by 15% in six months” makes a stronger impact than simply “boosted sales.”
- Focus on Relevant Experience: Highlight job roles, internships, or volunteer experiences most relevant to the job you’re applying for. Tailoring your experience section helps employers quickly see your suitability.
- Remove Outdated or Irrelevant Info: Your high school summer job might not be relevant anymore, nor your high school diploma or GPA. Keep your resume concise by cutting experiences that don’t directly support your current career goals. It is also generally suggested that any jobs held over 15 years ago be removed.
- Use Active, Concise Language: Strong verbs and short sentences keep your resume dynamic and engaging. Replace vague phrases like “responsible for” with powerful verbs such as “managed,” “led,” or “developed.”
- Tailor Your Resume to Each Job: Generic resumes rarely make an impact. Personalize your resume to match each job description by highlighting relevant keywords and required skills. This will mean having multiple resumes, tailored to particular roles and / or industries.
- Include Key Skills and Certifications: Clearly list relevant skills, certifications, or software competencies. This section helps your resume get noticed by AI-powered applicant tracking systems (ATS) and human recruiters alike. Remove any expired certifications or licenses unless in process of renewing.
- Proofread and Then Proofread Again. And Maybe One More Time: Simple errors can lead to immediate rejection. Review your resume multiple times and consider asking someone else to look it over for spelling, grammar, and formatting issues. Make sure your resume is as consistent as possible. Utilize appropriate tenses in bullets for current and previous roles. Follow the same format for each role (i.e. company, title, dates).
- Keep It Current and Finish Strong: Update your resume regularly, even when you aren’t actively job hunting. Adding new skills, responsibilities, or achievements as they occur ensures your resume is always ready to go. Make sure your resume does not become excessive, generally keeping to 3 pages when possible. Remove “References Available Upon Request” from the end of the resume as well, as this is assumed.
Pro Tip: Hiring managers are drawn to resumes that show clear progression and tangible impact. Don’t just describe your roles, highlight how you’ve contributed to the organization’s success.
How AP Can Help You Stand Out
At AP, we know what employers in the Rochester area look for because we speak with them daily.
As a trusted professional recruitment agency, we offer expert resume reviews and personalized career guidance designed to help you stand out from the competition.
Get Resume Help Today
Ready to transform your resume and boost your job search success? Our recruiters at AP are ready to offer personalized advice tailored specifically for you.
Contact us today, and let’s make your resume shine.