Resumes have gone through a significant evolution in the last fifty years. What was once a simple listing of your previous experience has become much more focused on accomplishments and skills. So what are the current resume trends, and how can you update your resume to give yourself the best chance of getting that call back from a great employer?
Hard and Soft Skills
The big ticket for resumes today is to include skills. There are two general categories of skills: hard and soft. Hard skills are the things you’ve learned through school or experience, such as accounting or software knowledge. When listing these skills, be specific. Don’t just say you know how to type; indicate what software you’re comfortable with and your speed and accuracy. Soft skills, such as communication or organizational skills, help you do your job better. Employers are looking for them, so ensure that your resume features these details.
Online Presence
A positive and professional online presence is surprisingly vital in today’s workplace. At the very least, you want to build your complete LinkedIn profile and include the link on your resume. Having a website is also a good idea, and you can create an online portfolio of related work that employers can look at during the consideration process.
ATS Friendly Formatting
There is an increasing reliance on technology in the recruiting industry. Most hiring managers utilize an applicant tracking system to help them stay organized while hiring. That means you must have a resume that can be easily imported and scanned by their software, or you may never appear in their searches. Make sure it’s easy to read, uses bullet points, and incorporates the most important keywords.
Targeted Resumes
Probably one of the most important trends is to create targeted resumes. Rather than sending the same document off to multiple jobs, take a few minutes to customize each resume to reflect each specific position best. You can do this by highlighting the skills that they’re looking for and focusing on the shared background. Always ensure you include a cover letter to show them why they want to read your resume and consider you for the job.
Are you looking for a great new job? CornerStone Staffing can help, so call us today.
