The Only Constant is Change
If you’ve recently been laid off after 20 years at the same company, been out of the job market for a while, or never had to actively seek your next role, you may be surprised that your old resume format isn’t getting the job done, so to speak. The world is different from even 5 years ago, nevermind 10 or 15. Recruiters are different, hiring managers are different, job candidates are different, automation is different, attention spans are different, etc.
Here are some tips for updating your resume for the current job market along with some examples of how to update your approach.
1. Gather specific job titles and dates
Don’t use a single job title for a 15-year career at the same company. Show career progression and growth. Include start/end years. Months aren’t needed unless you’re new to the workforce.
OLD: Sales Rep, Customer Service Department, Bigg Corp. (August 12, 2010-January 1, 2023)
NEW: Bigg, Inc., Houston, TX | 2010-2023
- Customer Service Director | 2018-2023
- Sr. Customer Support Supervisor | 2014-2018
- Team Lead | 2011-2014
- Service Specialist | 2010-2011
2. Focus on results
Instead of listing your activities, focus on RESULTS. What IMPACT did you make? How is your company better off than now than it was before you were hired? Always start with a verb (action):
OLD: Responsible for following up on leads, compiling product information and making cold calls.
NEW: Increased leads by 25% Y/Y by simplifying the lead generation process and creating more effective call scripts. Personally uncovered $1.4M in new business. Reduced case resolution from 4 days to 3 hours, saving the company $375K annually.
3. Include metrics
Quantify any information that describes your level of impact or scope of responsibility.
OLD: Managed Human Resources team. Responsible for screening and hiring new employees.
NEW: Led Human Resources team of 5 managers and 31 recruiters to screen 478 applicants. Hired 27 new employees in 10 months. Increased retention by 4% Y/Y.
4. Identify specific skills
Make a list of your skills that are valuable in today’s job market. These will be critical keywords for candidate screening systems. In addition, you can include up to 50 skills on your LinkedIn profile, so make the most of that opportunity. If you don’t have new skills to highlight, go out and learn something new.
OLD: Information Systems, Metrics, Advertising, Microsoft Word, Typing 85 WPM
NEW: Agile Development, Augmented Reality (AR), Business Analytics, Blockchain, Cloud Engineering, Digital Marketing, GAI
5. Highlight recognition
Create a list of any awards, certifications or recognition you achieved, along with relevant dates.
OLD: Success sales professional with strong track record of
success
NEW: Rep of the Year 2024, Innovation in Action Award 2022, Sales Champion 2021
6. Include unique attributes
Hiring managers are looking beyond just skills that match the job posting; they know that a good “cultural” fit between candidate and company is critical to success. Soft skills (e.g. consensus building, conflict resolution, influencing stakeholders) are helpful as well.
OLD: References available upon request
NEW: Interests include animal rescue, triathlons, international travel, and Habitat for Humanity volunteering
7. Remove education dates
Especially for anyone over 40 in the job market, it’s best to omit specific dates related to your education unless you’re within 10 years from graduation.
OLD: UNC-Chapel Hill, B.A., Art History 1986
NEW: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Bachelor of Arts, Art History
8. Consider omitting ancient information
If you have more than 15 years of work experience, details from your first couple of jobs may no longer be relevant. Including recent stats from the past decade is good, but earlier roles can be shortened, unless they’re a critical part of the story of your career. You can also group them into a single heading such as “Other Experience 1993-2004.”
OLD: Auto Mechanic, Tom’s Gas Station 1986-1989 summers
NEW: Marketing Intern, General Electric, 2005-2007
BEYOND THE RESUME . . .
9. Leverage LinkedIn
More people will see your LinkedIn online profile than your actual resume. Write a descriptive, first-person summary that captures your personality, values, relevant passions and key accomplishments. Add individual job highlights from your new-and-improved resume. Add specific project details to demonstrate your skills. Write recommendations for others. This demonstrates your empathy/EQ skills, teamwork, appreciation, leadership and writing skills. Ask for recommendations and endorsements from current and former coworkers.
10. Become a SME
Share articles and write posts regularly on various social sites (e.g. LinkedIn and Twitter) to establish yourself as a subject-matter expert (SME) in your field of choice.
That’s it! There’s no need to do all of this in one sitting. Just do as much as you can and give yourself a deadline for overall completion so it doesn’t drag on too long. Schedule small blocks of time in your calendar.
After this exercise, see if you can create a system for capturing this type of detail every quarter in a single location that you can find easily for future resume updates.
If you need help creating or updating your resume, writing your LinkedIn profile summary, or leveraging LinkedIn, Cary Communications can help. Please contact us for a free consultation.
