The Resume Refresh You Need
October 14, 2022
Amidst fears of a looming recession, companies across nearly every industry are resorting to workforce downsizing. These layoffs come as a surprise to many workers who—like most (happily) employed people—haven't looked at their resumes since their last job interview and are now left scrambling. Since only 10% of employees update their resume with each new work assignment, it's safe to assume that laid off workers will need to overhaul their resumes before beginning to search for a new role. To get started, we’re sharing our top resume tips to help catapult your resume to the front of the line.
Address the Elephant in the Room
Although there isn’t a consensus on where the best place to disclose a layoff on a resume or cover letter is, one thing is for certain: you must be careful to not let it overshadow the rest of your resume. Keep in mind that a layoff is usually not an indication of poor performance, and potential employers recognize that being laid off is more often a case of bad luck than a reflection of your value. Whether you include your layoff in your professional summary, your professional experience, or your cover letter, be sure to keep it factual and to the point.
Use Engaging and Actionable Language
A resume isn’t just a place to list off your employment history; it's also an opportunity to showcase your skills and pitch yourself as a valuable team member. Using colorful yet meaningful language can help paint a clear picture of your achievements to potential employers. Choosing the right words and phrases, along with accurately capturing your soft skills, is paramount for a successful job search.
When refreshing your resume, review the language you use throughout the document. Is your resume active? If not, add in engaging language by using the following action verbs to describe your experience:
- Launched
- Implemented
- Solved
- Delivered
- Negotiated
- Facilitated
- Organized
- Drove
- Enhanced
- Cultivated
- Enabled
- Produced
- Spearheaded
- Managed
Using these words to quantify your accomplishments and establish ownership over outcomes will help create a tone of confidence and achievement. Speaking of quantifying, you can make almost any achievement quantifiable. Ask yourself the following questions to assist in measuring your accomplishments:
What were you tasked to do? How did you achieve the results? What were the results?
Avoid Common Mistakes
You want your resume to stand out, but for a good reason—not because it's boring or unoriginal. Instead of including these overused phrases, let your accomplishments convey the sentiment for you. To avoid having your resume discarded, remove vague and self-indulgent descriptors, such as:
- Go-getter
- People person
- Hard worker
- Responsible
We’d be remiss if we didn't also mention one of the most overused skills to avoid including on your resume. The use of Microsoft Office products (and related applications) is so widespread and essential that employers will often assume that a candidate is familiar with the software. Rather than wasting space with a “skill” that nearly all candidates have, instead include any certificates of achievement or certifications relevant to the job you’re applying for to help highlight your hard skills.
Let Your Personality Shine Through
We recently conducted a LinkedIn survey asking employers what personality traits they seek when interviewing, Problem-solving, communication, creative thinking, and adaptability rank among the most reported soft skills that employers are looking for—essentially, they want to know that a candidate is a team player.
During your resume refresh, be sure to highlight these qualities to catch the eye of the hiring manager and secure an interview. Remember that simply stating your soft skills isn’t enough; you must show off these traits through specific experiences and by using action words.
Partner with a Recruiter
Now that you have the keys to refresh your resume, it’s time to begin navigating the process of looking for and applying to jobs. While searching for a job can be an intimidating endeavor for some, partnering with a recruiter can make the process easier, as they offer resume advice, client insight, interview preparation, and much more. If you’re struggling with your job search, need assistance with a resume refresh, or simply want to learn more about what a recruiter can do for you, get in touch with one of our talented recruiters today!
