5 Tips for a Polished and Professional Resume
LEt’s talk resume
Your resume is a valuable opportunity to give a strong first impression to a prospective employer.
Whether you are adding to an existing resume, maintaining your existing resume, or completely tailoring for a new opportunity, the below tips can help you put your best foot forward.
Customize your resume for each position
By tailoring a version of your resume for each specific role, you are able to highlight how your skills best suit the job.
Even if you do not have extensive work experience, you can add and remove volunteerism, projects of note, valuable coursework or research, part-time positions, or other relevant information to align your background with the requirements of the role.
For those with a more robust career, it may be helpful to keep a complete list of your previous employment, including manager names, role obligations, quantifiable achievements, etc. This will be especially helpful when drafting a unique resume for a new position to which you can apply transferable skills. LinkedIn is a great place to track prior roles, accomplishments, volunteerism, publications, and other professional achievements.
Use keywords
The use of keywords will help your resume get noticed and not just by your human interviewer.
According to Conrad Benz, “Many large corporations use something called Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software to sort through the many applications they receive on a regular basis. These systems search for keywords and phrases relevant to the position and filter out applicants whose resumes don’t include the content the employer is looking for.” ATS is a great example of how companies are utilizing artificial intelligence in the workplace (and is a great networking chitchat tidbit!). But how do you beat the bots? Benz has an answer for that too: “Includ[e] keywords from the job description, using a standard resume layout, and avoiding graphics on your resume.” By tying your resume to the position description (discussed more below), keeping your resume document readable (ditch the Papyrus font), and avoiding clipart, which confuses the ATS system, you can give yourself the best opportunity to advance to an interview.
But which keywords are key? Consult the position description. For the most effective review, read the description completely and highlight the action verbs and important nouns. Pay special attention to the responsibilities of the role and job expectations. From there, you can ensure that you include relevant or necessary experience and skills on your resume. You can even use the exact wording from the description if coupled with your unique background and how you, specifically, reflect the desired qualifications.
Begin with action verbs, emphasize measurable results, avoid fluffy adjectives
Every resume writing article will tell you the same thing: begin with action verbs, highlight results, and avoid the fluff. But sometimes, that is easier said than done and you may only have “fluff” to report. Let’s present some easy choices to make your resume more vibrant.
Show, don’t tell. You can be illustrative without overdoing the adjectives. First, reframe previous experience in your mind: think less about the work you did and more about the impact you created. Did your work impact your company’s bottom line? Perhaps the research you conducted for your manager led to a measurable result or the launch of a successful initiative? You can also discuss how you served your company’s internal and external stakeholders. Did you “make copies and get coffee” or did you “Completely and accurately conduct administrative responsibilities with a high level of detail?” Did you “flip burgers” or did you “execute orderly instructions, while maintaining a high level of customer service?” Did you work in teams? Sounds like “a collaborative setting to drive mutual goals” to me! If you are unsure of the impact of your work, seeking answers to these questions may be an opportunity to communicate with your higher-ups and show an interest in contributing to the company’s success.
Beware the overshare. If possible, select your coursework, projects, roles, or duties that were most impactful and are most relevant to the gig. Keep the resume precise and do not overinflate; employers can tell during your interview that you may have oversold your qualifications. Further, stay in your lane of professional focus - your work may have impacted other departments but keep in mind that you are not applying for a role in that department. An employer wants to see that you can narrowly focus on the area requested; each work description on your resume is an opportunity to demonstrate expertise by showing tasks and impact in a singular focus. You can always use your LinkedIn to discuss complicated projects of note in more detail.
Don’t sweat if your work experience isnt “fancy.” For more information on finessing your experience in writing, see this article written by Lil Zhang at The Muse.
Order of operations
Let’s quickly run down the order of your resume.
List all pieces starting with newest first, using years only - dating with specific months is falling out of vogue. Modern resumes are ditching the Objective statement and home address, but be sure to include the following information.
Typically, you will begin with Work Experience then Education. If you are in school, or recently graduated, consider school your “Work.” You can list relevant coursework, projects, list professor recommendation names, or student organizations or committees. The debate rages on the inclusion of GPA; in competitive industries or roles, definitely yes, but it is not always necessary. Volunteering is another common resume inclusion, as are part-time roles and non-traditional experiences, such as study abroad, hobbies, relevant personal background, or continuing education.
Wrap it up
After careful consideration, your resume will be ready for submission.
Always save as a PDF to preserve your desired formatting and include your name and the name of the company for whom you have tailored that resume version. Be sure to update at least annual with new projects of note, achievements, impact, promotions or metrics of success. Microsoft Word has a selection of resume template to get you started, as well as a the plethora of options on the internet. Between these resources, input from your professional supporters (such as your mentor or school’s career services department, if available to you), and a little practice, you can be as confident on paper as you are in person.
Citations
“Resume Writing: Resume Tips and Strategies.” GCFGlobal.org, https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/resumewriting/resume-tips-and-strategies/1/.
Benz, Conrad. “30+ Best Resume Tips to Help You Land a Job in 2023.” 30+ Best Resume Tips to Help You Land a Job, Resume Genius, 18 Aug. 2022, https://resumegenius.com/blog/resume-help/resume-tips.
Greenawald, Erin. “43 Resume Tips That Will Help You Get Hired.” 43 Resume Tips That Will Help You Get Hired, The Muse, 24 Jan. 2022, https://www.themuse.com/advice/43-resume-tips-that-will-help-you-get-hired.
Zhang, Lily. “A Cool Trick: How to Spin 1 Resume Bullet 5 Different Ways.” A Cool Trick: How to Spin 1 Resume Bullet 5 Different Ways, The Muse, 19 June 2020, https://www.themuse.com/advice/a-cool-trick-how-to-spin-1-resume-bullet-5-different-ways.
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