Get Your Resume Ready for the New Year!

Get Your Resume Ready for the New Year!

As we get closer to the start of another new year, it’s time once again to break out the resolutions — a promise to exercise, eat healthier and save more. If you’re in the middle of your job search, or simply want to make sure your career is always headed on the right track, it’s also a good idea to take time to update your resume in time for the New Year.

Here are five quick and simple ways to do just that.

 

  1. Add Your Latest Work Experience

If it’s been a while since you actively sought work, you’ve probably acquired new work experience and training. Now is the perfect time to add your latest skills, training and experience to your resume. Be sure to quantify your experience, which makes your accomplishments more appealing. Use relevant keywords to show hiring managers you’re the right person for the job.

 

  1. Switch to Contemporary Fonts

Times New Roman and Arial may have been the de facto resume fonts back then, but switching to contemporary fonts like Calibri and Helvetica is a quick way to give your resume a clean and new look. If you really want a serif font, try Garamond and Cambria — anything but Times New Roman.

 

  1. Add Links to Your Social Media Profiles

Again, if it’s been years since you last embarked on a job search, social media probably wasn’t as big as it is now. So, it won’t hurt to add URLs to your online assets, whether it’s a LinkedIn profile, a personal website containing your portfolio or articles you wrote on Medium. Just be sure these are actually relevant to the role you’re applying to.

 

  1. Optimize for Speed Readingresume tips

In today’s recruitment landscape, hiring managers are inundated with hundreds of resumes, which means the average manager will only spend a few seconds looking at your application before making some sort of decision.

The odds may be stacked against you, but you can still put your best foot forward by making it easy for them to skim through your resume’s most important points. Make sure you do the following:

  • Give your resume a clear structure that takes the reader from your name, to your work experience, skills, training, and education
  • Use bullet points
  • Keep formatting and alignment consistent

 

  1. Add or Refresh Your References

In the years that have passed since you last applied for jobs, you’ve probably met and worked under people you can use as referrals in your resume. Be sure to add these people instead of just writing “References available upon request.”

 

For more job search tips, be sure to check back on this blog. If your job search seems to have slowed down, let the staffing services specialists of Star Staffing connect you with our network of local employers.