Is Your Resume Still Relevant? 4 Steps On How to Improve It

In today’s fast moving world, it can be hard to know how to write a resume. A previously acceptable cover letter may now be seen by hiring managers as being outdated, and bullet points in resume writing may no longer be appropriate. If you want to know how to write a resume that’s relevant, keep reading!

Never forget that the first impression of your resume won’t be the information it holds, but how it looks. Think about the job ad, what your potential employer is like, and what the human resources team might be looking for. If the job ad calls for a fun creative person, then make sure your resume reflects this.

If the job description seemed very formalised, then keep your job application looking that way, too. Regardless of whether it’s a traditional resume or a creative one, lend yourself to the hiring process by making it look good – even if the new job is a stuffy financial position, keep fonts and spacing consistent throughout, with “contact me” information like your phone number clearly available.

Your LinkedIn profile and other professional social media are a fantastic way for you to highlight relevant experience and additional skills that you may not have been able to explore fully on your resume. Large companies and even small businesses are almost certainly going to consider your LinkedIn. Use it as a way to show off a bit more detail about your current job, dream job and other professional experience you may have, especially volunteer work, which shows real personal strength of beliefs.

If you’re a recent graduate it can also let you show other accolades that you may have recieved at other times, such as during high school, which is a bit of a no-no to list on your resume. Even if you don’t usually post regular updates, make sure to update your profile or make a post when you do something significant so that hiring managers can see what you’ve done over the years. Here’s a great article with advice on how to take your LinkedIn to the next level!

Don’t think that your grade point average is more important than your work experience
While of course in an entry level job your grades may be taken into account, nothing is more important than your job experience and work history. Most job seekers have some sort of formal qualification nowadays, so HR will look closely at your current job, previous jobs and what it says about your career goals and what you’ll have already learned. Never underestimate in your job search the importance of soft skills that can only be learned through work experience. If you don’t have any work experience, read this article on how to make it happen.

Even if it’s a fun creative company, you’ll always run the risk of going wrong if you don’t keep the basics professional. That means you need at least a serious email address, no cutesy “monstergirl22@hotmail.com” , create a professional gmail account. Also make sure that all of your details are correct, so that if the company is using an applicant tracking system you don’t get lost. Avoid common resume mistakes by getting at least three people to proofread your resume, and avoid just copying and pasting a resume sample or resume examples. Start there and then double and triple check them, just in case! You’d hate to miss out on your dream job because your resume writing format wasn’t up to scratch.

Your resume should essentially be a guide to your work life that inspires HR to get you in for the interview process. In order to encourage this, don’t just use a resume builder or popular choice free resume templates, make sure you’ve followed all of the above to make a profile that’s well rounded and going to make them want to be your career coach and help you grow with their company.