What Your Resume Should Look Like In 2017
Resume trends continue to shift in and out of fashion. From profile photos, QR codes, and company logos, it's hard to tell which ones will give you the best or worst impression to a hiring manager. The essentials will never go out of style: straightforward listing of your work experience and accomplishments in a clean format. With the job marketing looking to continue to boom in 2017, it will be even harder to compete in the market. Follow some of these tips from Time Magazine to make your resume fresh and captivating.
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Pay Attention To Format
You don't need to grab a design professional to update the look of your resume. Try introducing a pop of color and changing out that typeface from a typical Times New Roman to a more modern alternative. -
Make the Top Count
The top third of your resume is the first spot that hiring managers view. That being said, use the space by directing the reader to a site where you have samples of your work, LinkedIn profile, phone number, email address, and more. On the subject of an email address, ditch the Hotmail or Yahoo account for a Gmail account. Hiring managers might see the AOL or Yahoo email address as an indication that you're living in the past. -
Promote Your Brand
Ditch the objective. Instead, focus on a "qualification summary". In your summary, call out your achievements and attributes that make you valuable to an employer. Place this section in the top section as well. -
Emphasize Key Skills
Your listed skills will reinforce the value you can bring to the role. Try to match keywords from the job listing with your skills. Applicant tracking systems and resume-scanning software will pick up on these matching keywords and can flag you as a potential candidate. Avoid using ‘soft skills’like, “quick learner and hard worker with a great attitude”. Stick to the ‘hard skills’; tech and social media knowledge is relevant in today's job market. -
Highlight Performance
Once again, this is where your a qualification summary helps to achieve this. You may also want to add awards and benchmarks from your employment history. Promotions, boosts in sales, and cost savings are some examples for what you can include. If you need help with coming up with content, look at past reviews and see what your past employers have had to say about you. -
Show Key Work Metrics
As you list off your work experience, don't just list titles and dates. Explain your role and what you did in that role. Follow with points that dig deeper into the "what you did" part by using any metrics and stats you have at your disposal. -
Control Your Timeline
Your resume should show off your most relevant work history. If you're beyond an entry-level employee, your internships and other early jobs are taking up space. Remove any work experience that is over 10 years old unless it plays a pivotal role in your narrative. You can also leave out graduation dates.
source: http://time.com/money/4621066/free-resume-word-template-2017/
