5 Tips for Improving Your Resume

The following post offers 5 Tips for Improving Your Resume.

Building an ATS-friendly and visually appealing Resume is a challenging process that requires attention to both the content on your document as well as the overall layout, structure, and presentation of that content.

Read: Understanding Your Resume’s Audience

Related: Considerations When Evaluating Multiple Job Offers

When putting together your Resume, the goal is to accurately display duties, responsibilities, and achievements while communicating to the reader what you’re targeting and how you differentiate yourself.

With this overview in mind, here are some simple tips for improving your Resume.

Avoid Typos

It’s been said the average hiring manager visually scans a Resume for six seconds before making a yes/no determination. With so little time devoted to reading your Resume, you may get the impression that they won’t notice any typos. That is wrong. Typos stick out to people who review Resumes on a daily basis. On quick tip for this is to print your Resume and read it out loud to help you catch any errors.

Limited Graphics and Images

A touch of creativity and color is a nice touch sometimes. However, graphics and pictures are notorious for causing compatibility issues with ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) resulting in damaged formatting to your Resume. Be very careful about using graphics and pictures. For professionals in the visual arts, include a link to your personal website or LinkedIn page to show off your portfolio.

Incorporate ATS-Friendly Language

Companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) or an HR professional with limited experience to screen candidates. Therefore, customizing your Resume is key. Do not take it for granted that the gatekeeper will know you have particular skills. Review two job postings of interest and make sure you incorporate keywords you see throughout the Resume. For instance, a candidate for an Accounts Receivable Specialist position is likely to find phrases such as “collect on past due accounts” or “process credit memos” in job postings. That applicant should incorporate those keywords into his/her resume.

Consistent Formatting

Some people center their contact information while having the section headings left-justified. Other people use periods at the end of some bullet points but not others. I advise everyone to keep the formatting consistent throughout the Resume. Center your contact information and headings. Proofread your Resume for consistency in presentation. Moreover, the presence of grammatical spelling errors in a resume will give a bad impression. While proofreading can help you a lot, it is better to take the help of an online grammar checker to leave no chance for the presence of any mistake in the content of your resume.

Create Multiple Versions

A common mistake is for people to try and make a Resume that is all things to all people. The result, however, is a marketing document with nothing specific to sell. If your background includes experience in purchasing and HR, make separate Resumes. That way, you can highlight keywords and accomplishments that are relevant to each type of position. You increase your odds of getting past HR screeners with a targeted Resume.

In Conclusion

I hope this article provides a better idea of some quick ideas for improving your Resume. By following these measures, you’re better positioned when searching and applying to jobs online.