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How to Update Your Resume

7 TIPS + TRICKS THAT WILL MAKE YOU STAND OUT

Article by Kate Baxendale

Photography by Stock Images

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in the United States rose to 14.7 percent in April 2020 due to the current health crisis. Many industries, especially the hospitality and leisure industries, have been hit especially hard. Whether you were fortunate enough to maintain employment during this time or not, now is a great opportunity to update your resume. The instability in today's job market is an indication that you should have your resume ready to present to prospective employers at a moment's notice. Here are 7 tips and tricks for updating your resume.

Contact Information

If it's been a while since you've reviewed your resume, it may be time to update your contact information, such as your phone number or email address. There's no need to provide your street address on a modern resume. You are welcome to provide the city and state if you feel it is relevant (the company is hiring local candidates only, for example).

Career Updates

If you are currently employed, be sure to include any new responsibilities, title changes, professional certifications or new skills you have acquired.

Out-of-Date Information

Your resume should only include relevant work experience from the last 10 to 15 years. If you have little to no professional experience, you can leave less relevant job positions to show that you have held steady employment.

READ MORE: Guide to Updating Your Resume

Lose the Objective + Use a Professional Summary Instead

"Gone are the days of stating why you want to boost your skills, share your talents, and optimize your career path. The truth is, your objective is clear. If you are sending out your modern resume, your objective is to land an interview. An objective statement serves no purpose and should be eliminated from today's resumes. Rather than wasting this prime real estate at the top of the resume, be sure to capitalize on it with other valuable information."

Instead, write a professional summary that provides a high-level view of your career thus far. Highlight any major accomplishments, and discuss your unique qualifications and skills that set you apart from other candidates.

READ MORE: How to Format Your Outdated Resume: The 7-Step Modern Resume

Remove Personal Information

Sorry, but recruiters and HR personnel aren't interested in your hobbies or how many children you have. Keep your resume focused on professional and career-related information only.

Use Keywords

Many companies use an applicant tracking system to filter through incoming resumes. If your resume is missing the keywords—words or short phrases that relate to the job—your resume won't be considered. To find the keywords you should include on your resume, search job listings you are interested in and review the "requirements," "qualifications" and "responsibilities" portions of the listings. Pay attention to the keywords used and incorporate them into your resume.

READ MORE: Tips for Using Resume Keywords

Resume Templates

At first glance, is your resume looking a bit dated? Crowded or overwhelming? Just blah? Consider using a professional resume template. Zety.com has plenty of templates to choose from so your resume looks clean, modern and organized—a resume recruiters will actually read.

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