Do you want to boost your chances of securing employment with your desired organization? If yes, one of the best steps you can take to achieve this goal is refreshing your resume. Revamping your resume will help to ensure that you stand out in a pool of candidates – a pool that is likely to become increasingly competitive in the coming years.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations have shifted to remote work and remote hiring, meaning they have a newly enhanced capacity to recruit global talent for every job role at an unprecedented scale. With this in mind, job hunters need to do everything in their power to bolster their resumes and improve their employability prospects. If you’re wondering where to start in updating your resume, below you will find a list of the five key criteria every excellent resume – including yours – should have.
1. Professional Summary
This section of your resume is dedicated to outlining your key professional experience, education, and skill sets as they relate to the position you are applying for. This section should be brief (one to two sentences), engaging, and easy to read. Remember that this summary should only feature skills and achievements relevant to the industry you are hoping to work in and/or the role you are aiming to fill.
2. Objective
Employers want to know that you have your own professional goals, and they want to know what they are. This is why every excellent resume will include a professional objective section. One to two sentences in length, this section provides employers with a picture of your ambitions and how their organization fits into the achievement of this objective. Check out some resume objective examples for inspiration on how to write yours.
3. Work Experience
While it may seem obvious to include your work experience on your resume, it’s essential to include your experience that is most pertinent to the role and organization you are applying for. If you have been working for several years, only include the most recent and most relevant experience, capping it at the last 10 years.
If you are a student or a new graduate, you can include summer jobs and internships on your resume to strengthen it. If you have little to no relevant work experience, don’t stress – you can still write an excellent resume that will grab employers’ attention and potentially secure an interview. Check out tips on how to do that here.
4. Education
For many jobs, a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is required. Therefore, it’s vital that you include your educational background on your resume. You can also include academic achievements, awards or scholarships you received during your studies to strengthen your resume even further.
5. Specific and Pertinent Skills
It’s essential to list the skills and qualifications that make you an excellent fit for the position you hope to fill. Whether it’s computer programming skills, data analysis, SEO and marketing, make sure you highlight the competencies that you would use the most in the role you are applying for.
Clearly, the ever-changing nature of the job market requires adaptability among job seekers. By updating your resume to ensure it includes these five key criteria, you will give yourself a competitive edge and improve your chances of landing your dream job.