In today’s competitive job market, a well-crafted resume is essential to landing your dream job. It is often the first impression a potential employer will have of you, so it is crucial to make a lasting impact. However, many people make common mistakes in their resumes that can hinder their chances of getting hired.

That’s where this article comes in. We’ve compiled the 50 best tips for fixing your resume to help you showcase your skills and experience in the best way possible. Whether you’re just starting your career or looking to advance, our tips will help you make your resume stand out from the crowd.

Throughout this article, we will highlight the importance of a well-crafted resume and discuss the common mistakes that people make. We will also provide an overview of the 50 tips we will cover, ranging from formatting and structure to content and language.

So, whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to update your existing resume, read on to find out how you can revive your resume and take your job search to the next level.

Understanding the Purpose of Your Resume

When it comes to reviving your resume, it’s important to understand its purpose. Employers want to see a clear and concise summary of your experience, skills, and qualifications. Your resume should highlight your relevant achievements and demonstrate that you have the necessary expertise to excel in the job you’re applying for.

What Employers Want to See in a Resume

Employers want to see a well-organized resume that gets straight to the point. They want to understand your strengths and how they align with the role they’re hiring for. This includes your relevant work experience, education, certifications, and skills. Be sure to include metrics and concrete examples of how you’ve contributed to past organizations to demonstrate your ability to drive results.

Tailoring Your Resume to the Job Description

To give yourself the best chance of landing an interview, it’s crucial to tailor your resume to the job description. Take the time to review the job posting thoroughly and understand the requirements of the role. Then, adjust your resume to highlight your relevant skills and experience, using similar industry terminology and keywords that are in the job description.

Identifying Your Unique Selling Points

Your unique selling points are what sets you apart from other candidates in the hiring process. Take the time to identify your strengths, passions, and unique experiences that you can bring to the role. Highlight these in your resume, using concrete examples that demonstrate how you’ve excelled in past roles or how you bring a new perspective to the table.

In sum, understanding the purpose of your resume is crucial to reviving it. Make sure to tailor your resume to the job description and highlight your unique selling points, to give yourself the best chance of being selected for an interview.

Formatting Your Resume

When it comes to formatting your resume, there are a few key factors to keep in mind. These include choosing the right font and size, making proper use of white space, and designing an eye-catching resume that grabs the attention of potential employers.

Choosing the Right Font and Size

First and foremost, it’s important to choose a font and font size that is both professional and easy to read. Times New Roman and Arial are both classic choices that are widely accepted in the business world. Make sure to choose a font size that is at least 10 point, but no larger than 12 point. Anything smaller can be difficult to read, while anything larger can look unprofessional.

Proper Use of White Space

White space refers to the blank areas on your resume that are not filled with text or images. Proper use of white space is important for a few reasons. It makes your resume easier to read and understand, as it allows the reader’s eyes to rest and absorb information without feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, it can also help to draw the reader’s attention to specific sections or information that you want to stand out.

Tips for Designing an Eye-Catching Resume

Lastly, when it comes to designing an eye-catching resume, there are a few key tips to keep in mind. First, use bullet points to break up large sections of text and draw attention to specific accomplishments or skills. Second, use a consistent formatting style throughout your resume, including font sizes, headings, and subheadings. Finally, consider using color or visuals sparingly to add interest and personality to your resume without going overboard.

By following these tips for formatting your resume, you can ensure that your resume stands out from the crowd and impresses potential employers.

Writing an Effective Resume Summary or Objective

Your resume summary or objective statement is the perfect opportunity to make a strong first impression. It’s the first thing hiring managers will read, so it’s important to craft a compelling headline that grabs their attention and makes them want to keep reading.

Start by considering your key qualifications and experience, and then write a brief summary that highlights these strengths. Be sure to tailor your summary to the specific job you’re applying for and include keywords that are relevant to the position.

By following these simple tips, you’ll be on your way to creating a resume summary or objective that stands out from the rest and helps you land your dream job.

Highlighting Your Work Experience

Your work experience is a critical section of your resume that hiring managers scrutinize to evaluate your potential. Therefore, it’s crucial to make this section shine by organizing your work history chronologically, emphasizing your accomplishments and successes, and quantifying your achievements with numbers and metrics.

The first step of showcasing your work experience is to place them in reverse chronological order. Start with your most recent job and then work your way back. This format is ideal because it makes it easy for the hiring manager to follow your career progression. Additionally, it highlights your most recent experiences, which are often the most important in evaluating you for the job at hand.

Emphasizing your accomplishments and successes is a powerful way to not only highlight your abilities but also show how you can bring value to the organization. Instead of just listing your job description, make sure to include specific achievements from each job. This could be anything from exceeding sales targets to implementing a new system that streamlined processes. Use action verbs that convey your contribution to the company, such as “developed,” “initiated,” or “negotiated,” to give the hiring manager a better understanding of your capabilities.

Finally, quantifying your accomplishments with numbers and metrics can add more weight to your achievements. If you managed a team, how many people were on it? What was the percent increase in sales under your leadership? Did you implement a new process that saved the company X amount of dollars? These figures provide concrete evidence of your abilities and demonstrate your potential to bring value to the company.

To summarize, organizing your work history chronologically, emphasizing your accomplishments and successes, and quantifying your achievements with numbers and metrics are all crucial components of highlighting your work experience in your resume. Taking the time to craft this section thoughtfully can make all the difference in securing your dream job.

Showcasing Your Education and Credentials

When it comes to crafting a successful resume, showcasing your education and credentials can significantly enhance your chances of getting hired. Here are some tips for highlighting your academic accomplishments, certifications, relevant coursework, and professional development:

Listing Your Degrees and Certifications

Make sure to list your highest degrees first, followed by any other relevant academic achievements. It might also be helpful to indicate the educational institutions where you received your degrees, the locations, and the dates. Furthermore, if you have any professional certifications, it is advisable to list them, including the certifying body, the date of award, and the period of validity.

For example, if you have a Master’s degree in Marketing Management from Harvard University, you could list it as follows:

Master’s degree in Marketing Management, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 2018
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 2016
Google Analytics Certification, Google LLC, 2020

Highlighting Relevant Coursework

If you have taken any coursework that is applicable to the job you are seeking, make sure to highlight it. This will help the employer understand that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform the core functions of the job. You could list relevant coursework either separately or under the relevant degree.

For instance, if you are applying for a job as a Social Media Manager, you could list the following coursework:

Social Media Marketing
Content Marketing
Digital Analytics
Consumer Behavior

Including Professional Development and Training

It is also essential to showcase your professional development and training, especially if they are relevant to the job you are applying for. Such training and development programs could include conferences, seminars, online courses, workshops, or even self-study programs. You could list them under a separate section titled “Professional Development” or include them under the “Education” section.

Here’s an example of how you could include professional development in your resume:

Professional Development
- HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification, HubSpot Academy, 2020
- Facebook Blueprint Certification, Facebook, 2020
- Social Media Strategies Summit, San Francisco, CA, 2019
- Google Ads Certification, Google LLC, 2018

Showcasing your education and credentials is a critical aspect of reviving your resume. By listing your degrees, certifications, highlighting relevant coursework, and professional development, you will increase your chances of landing your dream job. Remember to ensure that your resume is tailored to the specific job you are seeking and is a reflection of your skills, expertise, and unique qualities.

Including Key Skills and Abilities

During the recruitment process, employers seek resumes that highlight candidates’ qualifications and competencies. Therefore, including a section that showcases your skills and abilities is a crucial aspect of your resume.

To begin with, you need to identify the skills that employers are looking for. One way to do this is to analyze job postings and company websites to understand the qualifications and requirements. This will give you a better understanding of the specific skills that are valued by employers in your industry.

Once you have identified these skills, it is important to showcase both your hard and soft skills in your resume. Hard skills refer to the technical abilities you possess in a particular field, while soft skills refer to interpersonal and behavioral traits such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.

When showcasing your skills and abilities, it is essential to provide examples that demonstrate your proficiency in these areas. For example, if you are a marketing professional, you could mention your experience in market research, brand management, and content creation as hard skills. You could also mention your strong communication skills, creativity, and attention to detail as soft skills, with examples such as creating a successful ad campaign or collaborating effectively on a team project.

By including specific examples that showcase both your hard and soft skills, you can provide employers with a true sense of your abilities and what you bring to the table. Doing so helps you stand out among other applicants and increases your chances of securing an interview and ultimately the job.

Including a section on your skills and abilities is essential. By identifying the skills that employers are looking for, showcasing both your hard and soft skills, and providing examples of your abilities, you can create a compelling resume that is sure to impress potential employers.

Utilizing Keywords and ATS Optimization

As a job seeker, it’s crucial to understand the importance of incorporating relevant keywords and optimizing your resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to increase your chances of getting noticed by hiring managers.

Understanding the importance of keywords

Keywords are words or phrases that are specific to a particular job or industry. They’re typically used by hiring managers or recruiters to filter through the large pool of resumes they receive. Including the right keywords in your resume can significantly increase your chances of getting shortlisted for an interview.

To identify the relevant keywords, carefully review the job description and requirements and tailor your resume to match them. Use similar terminology and phrases to describe your skills and accomplishments to demonstrate to the hiring manager that you are well-suited for the job.

Optimizing your resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Many companies utilize ATS software to screen resumes before sending them to hiring managers. These systems scan resumes for relevant keywords and phrases that match the job description and requirements. Therefore, it’s crucial to optimize your resume for ATS to ensure that it passes the computerized screening process and is seen by a human.

To optimize your resume for ATS, consider the following:

Use standard font types and sizes to ensure that your resume is easily scannable by the ATS software.
Avoid using fancy graphics, images, or tables as they may confuse the system.
Use relevant keywords and phrases throughout your resume, including the summary, job titles, skills, and accomplishments.
Keep the formatting simple and consistent throughout the entire document.
Save your resume in a compatible file format such as .docx or .pdf.

Avoiding overuse of buzzwords and jargon

While using relevant industry-specific jargon and buzzwords can help demonstrate your familiarity with the field, overdoing it can make your resume challenging to read and understand. It’s essential to strike a balance between using industry-specific terminology and using plain English.

To avoid overusing jargon and buzzwords, consider the following:

Avoid using jargon if it’s not necessary or is being used to show off.
Consider that an average person outside the industry may be reviewing your resume, so use plain English where possible.
Use industry-specific terms sparingly and ensure that the context in which they’re used is clear.

Incorporating relevant keywords and optimizing your resume for ATS can significantly increase your chances of getting shortlisted for an interview. However, it’s essential to balance the use of industry-specific terms and buzzwords to make your resume easy to read and understand by human recruiters.

Writing for Impact: Tips for Crafting Compelling Bullet Points

When it comes to crafting effective bullet points for your resume, writing strong action verbs is crucial. Instead of simply listing your duties and responsibilities, use action words to illustrate how you positively impacted your previous employer. Some examples of strong action verbs include:

Achieved
Improved
Increased
Implemented
Managed
Influenced

Another way to make your bullet points more impactful is to use quantifiable results and metrics. Using numbers to back up your accomplishments and contributions shows potential employers that you have a track record of success. For example:

Increased sales revenue by 20% over a two-year period
Reduced company expenses by $50,000 annually through process improvements
Managed a team of 10 employees, resulting in a 75% decrease in turnover rate

Lastly, it’s important to focus on the impact of your work in your bullet points. Instead of simply listing your duties, explain how your work positively affected the company or team. This can include things like:

Successfully leading a project that resulted in a new product launch
Establishing a new process that streamlined workflow and saved time and money
Mentoring and coaching team members to achieve their own successes

By incorporating these tips into your bullet points, you can effectively showcase your expertise and accomplishments to potential employers, proving that you are a strong candidate for the job.

Creative Resumes: Examples and Best Practices

In today’s competitive job market, it’s important for job seekers to make a strong first impression with their resume.

As you can see, these designs range from sleek and modern to colorful and whimsical. The key is to choose a design that fits your personality and the industry you’re applying to.

But it’s not just about the design – it’s how you use it to make your resume stand out. Here are some tips for using design to your advantage:

Use color sparingly. A pop of color can draw the eye to important information, but too much can be overwhelming and distracting.
Choose a legible font. It’s important that your resume is readable, so stick with a font that’s easy on the eyes.
Use white space. A cluttered resume is hard to read, so make sure there’s plenty of white space to help guide the reader’s eye.
Include visual elements. Icons and graphics can help break up text and make your resume more visually appealing.

But while a creative resume can help you stand out, it’s important to balance creativity with professionalism. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for. Make sure your design choices are appropriate for the industry and company you’re applying to.
Highlight your skills and accomplishments. Ultimately, your resume should showcase what you can bring to the table.
Keep it concise. Even with a creative design, your resume should be easy to skim and understand.
Proofread, proofread, proofread. A typo can detract from even the most beautiful design, so make sure to double-check for errors.

By following these tips and best practices, you’ll be able to create a creative and professional resume that stands out in a sea of applicants.

Proofreading and Editing Your Resume

One of the most crucial steps in reviving your resume is proofreading and editing. Nothing turns off a potential employer more than a resume filled with grammatical errors, typos, incorrect information, and inconsistent formatting. Here are some of the most common errors to watch out for:

Spelling mistakes
Grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes
Inconsistent formatting
Using passive voice instead of active voice
Exaggerating accomplishments or responsibilities
Including irrelevant or outdated information

To avoid these errors, it’s important to adopt some best practices for proofreading and editing your resume. Here are some tips to consider:

Give yourself a break: Take a break after writing your resume and come back to it with fresh eyes. This will help you identify errors that you might not have noticed before.
Use a spell checker: Use a spell checker such as Grammarly to avoid spelling and grammatical errors.
Read your resume out loud: This will help you identify awkward phrasing and improve the flow of your resume.
Keep it simple: Use simple language and avoid jargon that the employers might not understand.
Follow a format: Use a clear and consistent format throughout your resume. This will make it easier for the employer to scan and read your resume.

Getting feedback on your resume is also essential to identify areas for improvement. Here are some tips for getting feedback on your resume:

Ask a friend: Ask a friend or family member to review your resume and provide feedback.
Consult a professional: Consult a professional resume writer or career coach for feedback on your resume.
Attend career fairs: Attend career fairs and bring copies of your resume for review and feedback from experts in the field.

Proofreading and editing your resume is a critical step in reviving your resume. By avoiding the common errors and adhering to the best practices, you can create a polished and professional resume that inspires potential employers to take action. By seeking feedback from trusted sources, you can gain valuable insights and further improve your resume.