One of the most common issues that people have who are re-entering the job searching group after a long hiatus is that they have a resume which is obsolete. If you want to get a job these days, you are going to have to do a lot more to your resume than just update it with your last job. You will need to give your resume a full-on health check in order to make sure that you stay relevant in this working world.
Giving your resume a health check is actually quite simple. There are only a few things that you should really check for in a resume – the relevancy it has to today’s job search, how up to date it is, whether or not it is written in an acceptable and current format, and whether or not it will meet expectations of human resources directors. Even though it is simple in theory, giving your resume a health check can be quite difficult at times. Here are some of Resume Rescue’s smartest tips to ensure that the resume you send out is actually worth your expected salary.
• Make sure that the resume is in a current format. If the resume is in an old school format, it won’t grab the attention of HR. Drop the objective section, drop the high school graduation date if you are in your 40s or 50s, and start making your resume look more modern. It will help you immensely.
• Drop out dated words. If you notice that the way that you phrase certain things in your resume is no longer considered to be relevant, or worse (gauche), you need to start rewriting your resume. Make it more politically correct if necessary, and make it more simplistic if necessary.
• Make sure that your contact information, as well as the contact information of any references, is up to date. If your contact information isn’t correct, you’re not going to receive that call to an interview. Yet so often, job seekers will make this critical yet easily made mistake. Check to see if your phone number, email, and address are still correct.
• Check with a professional resume writer if necessary. Let’s face the facts – some people are just not good at writing, and that bad writing can interfere with getting a job that is actually well-deserved. If you are worried that your writing isn’t presenting the best possible image with your future potential employers, you need to call in a professional who can give your resume a serious overhaul. With every purchase of our eBook, you get a FREE review of your resume.
• Ask yourself if you’d hire you for the position in question. If your resume doesn’t meet or exceed expectations set forth by hiring managers, you are not going to get the job. You need to check to see if you are writing down the right qualifications, education, and experience you have that proves that you fit the job description’s basic requirements. If you don’t, you need to go back and get more experience, write a new resume that displays your new qualifications, or just hire a professional who can showcase your strengths in a way that can impress potential employers.
• Be critical. Look for spelling errors, grammatical errors, or other issues. The harsher you are with your resume, the better.
If you need more help on your resume format and content then be sure to check out our eBook – A step by step guide to help you apply for your dream job without losing your mind. It contains a resume template that is already formatted ready for you to use today.
Remember, being a job hunter means that you need to get the best out of your resume. A great resume is one that is healthy, so if you feel like you haven’t been giving your best image to date, it may be time to conduct a health check on your resume.
