4 Ways to Keep Your Resume Fresh

Posted April 8, 2014 & filed under Job Search, Resume

If your job search has been on hiatus, chances are that your resume needs a tune up. New wax and some tinkering can help you to get more mileage out of every word.

But what goes and what stays? Follow these tips as you think over how to give your resume the jumpstart it needs.

Stale Experience

Has a particular technology in your toolkit fallen out of use? Including outmoded technology can make a resume sound dated. Identify which technologies should be sent to the scrapyard and highlight those which are living in the limelight. Older technology should only be included if it can clinch an interview with a company that still uses it or is transitioning over to newer methods.

Irrelevant Jobs

A good resume does not need to include the unabridged chronology of your career. Unless you are applying for an entry level position, omit high school jobs or other irrelevant positions. Likewise, any position over 10 years in the past should be left on the cutting room floor. The only exception is when you’ve been with a single company for 10 years and you need to include variety.

Overused Words

Some words get to be so well worn that they’ve lost their meaning to hiring managers. Are you creative? Are you a team player? Those are great qualities, but describing yourself as such doesn’t convince hiring managers of much. Cut these types of words from your resume and replace them with examples in your career that highlight those qualities.

Hobbies

Unless your hobby relates directly to your career don’t include them. Though you may find your vintage beer can or mounted butterfly collection to be fascinating, it’s not something to put on a resume.

If you’re looking for other ways to attract hiring managers and add some spring into your step with a new career, give our team a call. We can present your best face to employers and help you get the job of your dreams.

by James Walsh

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