Is your job search overwhelming you? Is your resume in need of revamping? Don’t worry, CFS has you covered! Check out these small but critical changes you can make to your resume today!

Restructure

The design and format of your resume matters. As you revamp your resume, focus on consistency and readability. Hiring managers and recruiters sift through hundreds of resumes every day and you want your resume to stand out. Recruiters spend an average of six or seven seconds reading a resume, which means your resume’s skimmability is more important than ever. “Keep it easy on the eyes and remember bullet points are your best friend” (Alma Fernandez, CFS Orlando). Swap out paragraphs for bullet points, use standard and easy to read fonts, and organize new subjects with headers.

Add New Content

Your resume should be an accurate representation of your work experience. Did you recently take a course, pass a certification, or receive an award? Add that content to your resume! As you add current content, take out the old, outdated information that is no longer needed. You’ll want to put a heavier emphasis on your experiences and accomplishments that relate to your current objective, instead of any unrelated experience.

Emphasize Your Skills

As you update your work experience, don’t be afraid to put the focus where it belongs and add to your skills section. You want your resume to be compelling and the skills that you’ve learned in different roles are the best way to showcase your past successes. Employers want to see that you have both hard and soft skills to offer. However, according to our expert CFS recruiters, a heavier emphasis on your hard skill set will strengthen your resume and eliminate any fluff. “Instead of simply putting ‘Advanced Excel skills’ on your resume go deeper than that and say, ‘Experience using Pivot Tables, and MACROS’ because this is what the hiring manager will be looking for” (Stephanie Pucci, CFS Madison).

Additionally, your skills section should be customized to each role you are applying for. “If you are targeting an AP role and you only have one mention of AP work, it may be hard to convince your audience that an AP position is the position for you. Your AP experience should be included throughout your skill section as well as at least three times in your resume” (Lanie Headrick, CFS Denver).

Integrate Keywords

Keywords. Are. Critical.

Almost every company integrates keywords and important terminology into their hiring process. Whether that is in their job description, during their interview process, or more commonly through an electronic application tracking system. These keywords are used to find the perfect candidate and if you’re not using these keywords to their full potential, then you may be overlooked.

To identify these keywords, go through the job description and pull out important phrases and words. Take those phrases and words and integrate them into your resume. By doing so, you are optimizing your resume and ensuring that hiring managers notice you. Your attention to detail will not go unnoticed.

For more helpful tips, reach out to a CFS recruiter today!