5 Tips for Creating a Strong Resume

1. Use keywords throughout your resume

Make sure you are using the keywords that recruiters would be searching for within your job descriptions. For example, if you are applying for a role that requires time management skills, make sure to highlight that skill set throughout your previous roles. Create multiple versions of your resume targeted towards the roles you are applying to.

2. Be intentional with your objective

There are many opinions on this topic, but we suggest only having an objectives section on the top of your resume if you are applying for a specific role. For example, if you are looking for a Brand Manager role, your objective could be something like: 

With seven years experience in the Marketing field, I am seeking a role as a Brand Manager to lead your team in their social strategy and brand development across all channels. 

This is much more impactful that a generic objective like: 

Experienced Marketing professional seeking a new role. 

3. Make sure you have updated contact information

This may sound simple, but let this be your reminder to have the correct email and contact information listed. Along those lines, make sure your email address is appropriate. Keeping your email simple and professional can be the difference between moving on to interviews or being passed on. 

4. Remove outdated experience 

As a general rule of thumb, if your role was 10+ years ago and you have more recent experience, it’s a good idea to remove old work experiences. Let’s say you had a semester-long internship during college in Event Planning, but now you’re 14+ years removed from school and you’re in a new field. It’s unnecessary to keep that information on there and would be a good idea to simply remove it to focus on your more relevant work experience. 

5. Simplify, simplify, simplify

The amount of time spent initially screening your resume is shorter than you may think, so make sure you stand out for the right reasons. Keep your resume simple to navigate, with headers that outline what your sections are, and job titles/companies that stand out. Now, this doesn’t mean go crazy with your fonts and colors, but it does mean be conscious of spacing and type sizing. 

Looking for additional resources? Check out LiveCareer and Resume.com for additional help!