Job Searching? Update Your Resume

If you have been furloughed or laid off, what is the first thing you should do to position yourself for your next role? Our advice is to update your resume.

Our team reviews hundreds of resumes a week. Here are a few tips to help yours stand out:

1. Put yourself in the hiring official’s shoes. As you update your resume, pretend you are the person on the other end of this process who is reading it. What can you write that will help them know in 30 seconds or less that you are the right candidate for this job?

2. Make it visually appealing. You don’t need pictures or colors—but including an eye-catching header, consistent font and formatting, symmetrical margins and enough white space for your text to catch the eye goes a long way.

3. Remember bullet points are your friend. In a world where everyone’s attention span is short, describing your experience with concise bullet points is the way to go.

4. Give some love to your most recent job. Too often we see resumes where a candidate has one to two bullet points to describe a job where he or she has worked for 10 years. Your most recent experience is important—emphasize it.

5. Share your data. Data is good. If you can quantify your success, do it. Learn more in my post “Tips on Creating a Stand-Out Deal Sheet.”