Updating your resume can increase your chances by 20% of getting the job you are applying for. However, adding new information to your resume is not enough on its own. Following are five top tips for updating a resume that will help you stand out from the crowd and showcase your qualifications and accomplishments in the best possible light.
Start by Listing Accomplishments
Make a list of all your major accomplishments from the time you last wrote a resume up until the present. These should include job-related accomplishments such as promotions, workshop attendance and successful handling of specific company projects as well as other accomplishments such as learning a new language or mastering a business software program.
Choose Old Accomplishments to Purge
A resume should never be longer than two pages, which means that in many cases adding new content will automatically mean purging old content. Start by eliminating job experience that is not highly relevant to the job you are applying for. Deleting your earliest job experiences can also be a good idea.
Choose Relevant Keywords
Companies that post job advertisements online tend to receive thousands of applications. For this reason, they use software to weed out resumes that appear irrelevant to the job at hand. To avoid having your resume trashed before a human gets around to looking at it, research industry-relevant keywords and use them in your resume.
Update the Format
Bosses are busy people who don’t have the time to spend hours looking at resumes. Make your resume easy to read by using bolded headings and bullet points that convey the most important information in quick, easy to read format. You will also want to make sure your text is easy to read both on computer and when the resume is printed out. Recommended font options include Arial, Calibri, Tahoma and Helvetica.
Check Contact Information
Double-check your contact information to make sure it is up to date. Even the best resume is utterly useless if a potential employer cannot get in touch with you.
Keeping your resume current will enable you to apply for jobs with confidence, knowing you are putting your best foot forward. It will also increase the odds of your being hired for the job you are applying for, as potential employers will be able to clearly see that you are a professional who is dedicated to and serious about your line of work.