important tips for writing a resume

43+ Resume Tips and Tricks to Land Your Next Job in 2024

Haven’t updated your resume in a while?

We feel you!

There’s a lot that goes into crafting a resume, and unless you’re an expert, the whole process can be overwhelming.

Worry not, though. We’re here to help!

In this value-packed guide, we’re going to give you 43+ of the best resume tips & tricks. Follow these tips to the T, and you’re bound to land your next job.

If you have the time, we’d recommend reading the guide end-to-end. We didn’t include anything that’s “Optional.”

If you don't, that’s fine too! We divided the guide into 3 chapters, with the most important ones on top...

• Fundamental Tips - These resume tips are a game-changer. Whether you follow them or not can be the deciding factor in whether you’re getting hired.
• Essential Tips - These resume tips are very important, but not as important as the Fundamentals. 
• Nice-to-Have Tips - These resume tips aren’t that ground-breaking, but they can still have an impact on your job-search.

Let’s get this started.

19+ Fundamental Resume Tips and Tricks

1) use a professional email address.

No one wants to contact that guy with the tacky email from high school (We’re looking at you, [email protected]).

Create a professional email address for anything related to your job-search and career. 

Any combination of [first name] and [last name] will do.

• [email protected]
• [email protected]

If you have a common name and the email is taken, consider using your initials ( e.g. [FirstNameInitial][LastName]@gmail.com ), or even buying your own custom domain name.

2) Double-Check Your Contact Information

Even the most confident writer is not safe from typos.

Make sure that all your contact information on your resume is accurate, both email and phone number.

After all, even if you’re the most qualified person in the world, it’s not going to matter much if the HR manager can’t contact you.

3) Include Phone Number and Country Code

It’s always a good idea to include your phone number in your resume.

Sure, in most cases, the HR manager will reach you on email. But what if the email gets lost, for whatever reason? Or worse - it goes to your spam section.

If you’re applying for a foreign job, you should also include a country code .

For example, if you’re from Denmark and you’re applying to another country, you’d want to include the country code (+45) in front of your number.

4) Mention Achievements Over Job Responsibilities

When listing your work experience , include achievements instead of responsibilities whenever possible.

Chances are, the HR manager already knows what your responsibilities were from your job title. 

Fun fact: your responsibilities are probably literally the same as everyone else's in your profession.

Instead, to stand out, you want to include as many achievements as possible.

Here’s some achievement examples:

• Exceeded sales KPIs by 25% for 3+ months straight.
• Generated over $25,000 in sales in 1 month.

Compared to responsibilities:

• Generated leads through cold calling.
• Carried out sales operations and managed existing clients.

See the difference? The first example shows that you’re a high achiever. The second shows that you’re a sales manager.

In some fields, though, you might not have any real achievements. If you’re a server, for example, you can’t have “served 200+ people really well” as an achievement.

In that case, it’s totally OK to stick to responsibilities.

Not sure which achievements to mention? Check out our list of 40+ achievements for every field

5) Stick to Relevant Work Experience

Speaking of work experience, make sure you only include previous positions that are relevant to the job you’re applying for .

Make sure that all work experience entries are…

• Timely - Only mention your last 3-5 positions max. No one cares what job you did 15 years ago.
• Contextual - Applying for the role of a dentist ? You don’t have to mention that one time you worked as a pre-school math teacher.

If you don’t have a lot of experience in the field (or no experience at all), though, you can include whatever you have. It’s better to have some experience rather than none .

6) Focus On Other Sections If You Have No Experience

What if you’re a student who’s never worked a day in their life?

The good news is that you don’t need work experience to have a good resume.

In fact, for entry-level jobs, the hiring manager doesn’t expect you to have any experience.

If you want to stand out with a no-experience resume, you can focus more on other sections, such as:

• Coursework - Want to show the HR manager that you have the right know-how, even though you don’t have experience? Mention any relevant courses you took in university.
• Extracurricular Activities - You’ve probably heard the famous college saying - “extracurricular activities are good for your resume.” Well, here’s some good news. It’s not just a rumour, they actually are! List your extracurricular activities just as you’d list your work experience, and you’re good to go.
• Projects - Done some interesting projects in your free time? Maybe you grew an instagram page to thousands of followers. Or, you worked on a part-time startup in uni? Whichever the case, you can add it to your resume.

Want to learn how to write a convincing student resume? Be sure to check out our no-experience resume guide !

7) Be Super Specific - Add Numbers, Data, and Experiences When Possible

Everything you write in your resume should be very specific .

Back every claim with specific experiences, numbers, or data.

What do we mean by that? Well, compare these 2 examples:

• Results-oriented sales manager with 5+ years of experience in the fin-tech industry. Driven over $500,000 worth of enterprise software sales at Company X. Deep knowledge of multiple CRM tools, including SalesForce, PipeDrive, HubSpot CRM, and more.
• Sales manager looking for the next step in their career. Previous experience involves doing sales for several software companies. Deep knowledge of CRM software.

See the difference between the two examples?

The first is very specific, mentioning numbers, data, experiences, etc.

The second, on the other hand, is very generic. The only thing you learn from it is that the candidate does sales.

8) Gap In Your Resume? Explain What Happened

A gap in your resume can be a huge red flag - but only if you don’t address it.

The hiring manager is going to assume the worst by default. So, it’s a good idea to be direct and insert 2-3 sentences acknowledging the gap and explaining what happened.

To do this, just make a small note under your latest work experience entry:

MadeUpHospital

Jan 2016 - Jun 2017

*Quit due to medical reasons in 2017, looking to rejoin the workforce.

• Responsibility #1
• Responsibility #2
• Responsibility #3

Need more tips & tricks on how to get your career back on track? Check out our complete guide to getting back to work after a long period of unemployment !

9) Mention Promotions and Career Progression

Recently got promoted? Congrats!

Make sure to mention that in your resume. 

Company Name

Latest Position

• Dates Worked
• Promotion Explanation (can be an achievement)
• Achievements/Responsibilities

Older Position

10) Use Active Language

Language matters.

The way you present your achievements can amplify their significance, or downplay their worth.

Compare these 2 examples:

• Spearheaded company X’s content marketing operations.
• Responsible for content marketing at company X.

The first example makes you seem more in-charge, like what you did had a huge impact.

The second, on the other hand, sounds super plan, as if you straight up said “I did content marketing.”

You should use action words to make your achievements sound a LOT more significant. 

Some of our favorite action words include:

• Accelerated
• Accomplished
• Contributed

Not sure which action words you want to use? Check out our complete list of 340+ best action verbs for your resume .

11) Tailor Your Resume to Job Ad

Imagine 2 resumes:

• The first describes THE person you’re looking for. They possess all the relevant skills and experiences, and they’re accurately listed in the resume.
• The second MIGHT be the person you’re looking for, but you’re just not sure. They seem to have some relevant experience, but not others.

Which one would you pick? Exactly!

So, how do you make YOUR resume look like the first example?

By tailoring it to the job ad!

How? Well, let’s look at the following job ad:

We’ve highlighted some of the essential skills in blue above. 

Now, to tailor your resume to these requirements, all you’d have to do is mention in your resume that you:

“Have 5+ years of experience in online marketing.” 

• You can mention this in your resume summary.

“Have experience with social media marketing.” 

• This can go in either the “Skills” or “Work Experience” section

“Have a B.A. in marketing or business.” 

• This, of course, belongs in the education section.

“Have experience in managing $20,000+ monthly ad budget on Facebook.” 

• You can mention this in either Work Experience or Resume Summary

If your resume mentions all the essential job requirements, there’s no reason for the hiring manager NOT to call you back!

12) Create a Convincing Cover Letter

Do you want to get an interview in just about every job you apply to?

Well, that’s going to require a bit more effort than usual: you’re going to have to create a killer cover letter.

For most job-seekers, the cover letter is an after-thought. 

They put 100% of their focus on the resume, and re-use the same cover letter for every position they apply for.

Here’s the thing, though: a cover letter is as important as a resume. In a lot of cases, it can even be the deciding factor on whether you get called in for an interview or not.

So, want to know how to write a good cover letter? Here’s what it should include:

• Your Contact Information.
• Hiring manager’s contact information.
• Opening paragraph - Brief introduction to your career, 1-2 top achievements and intent (why you’re applying for this company or position) 
• The body - Go through your experiences and achievements in more detail. Explain how your background is relevant for the position they’re hiring for.
• Closing paragraph - Summarize your main points, and include a call to action (“if you’re interested, I’d love to chat!”)

There’s a LOT more to creating a good cover letter than what we just covered. Check out our complete guide to cover letters for a more detailed walkthrough on how to make one!

13) Keep Your Resume 1-2 Pages at Most

An ideal resume length is 1 page .

Nope, no excuses. 95%+ of job-seekers don’t need to go past the one-page limit.

After all, HR managers receive over 1,000+ resumes for each open position. They don’t have the time to read your autobiography.

There are some exclusions to the one-page rule, though. You can go up to 2 pages if:

• You’re applying for a job in academia. In which case, it’s OK to go up to even 3 pages.
• If you’re an experienced executive with a decade’s worth of work experience.

Want to learn more? Check out the guide on how long should a resume be ! 

14) Use a Reverse-Chronological Resume Format

Part of creating an effective resume is choosing the right format to tell your story.

If you ask just about any career expert (including us), they’d recommend you to stick with the reverse-chronological format .

That means starting off every resume section with your latest experience, and working your way down to the earliest.

In some rare cases (if you have a career gap, for example), you might want to go for a different resume format, such as the Functional Resume or a Combination Resume. If you want to learn more, check out our guide to resume formats .

15) Include White Space

White space refers to the space in your resume between all the sections and paragraphs of text.

When formatting your resume, you should keep some space in between your sections so that it’s easier for the HR manager to skim your resume.

Here’s some basic layout info you should keep in mind when it comes to white space:

• Margins - aim for 1-inch margin on all four sides of your resume to maximize white space.
• Line spacing - go for 1.0 or 1.15 line spacing between text and double lines after subheadings.
• Bullet points - limit up to 6 points within each section.

Not sure if you’ve got your resume layout right? Check out our guide!

16) Use the Right Resume Font

You want your resume to be easy to read, right?

But at the same time, you also want it to stand out.

That means that you should pick the right font, and the right font size.

Here’s what we recommend:

• Best resume fonts: Ubuntu, Robot, Overpass
• Best resume font size: 11-12pt for normal text, 14-16pt for section titles and headers

Check out our full guide on best resume font, size, and format for more info and practical examples.

17) Make Your Resume ATS-Friendly

ATS is an applicant tracking system that many businesses use to screen resumes.

The way this works is, the ATS scans your resume to see if you mention the right keywords, and if you don’t, it automatically discards your application.

So, how do you make sure that a robot doesn’t reject your resume that worked so hard on?

Well, it’s 2 things:

• Pick a Tried-and-Tested Format - Here’s the thing: if the ATS can’t scan your resume, it will automatically discard it. So, you want to use a resume that’s built with ATS in mind. We might be biased, but we’d recommend trying out Novorésumé. We build our resume with with ATS in mind, making it scannable by applicant tracking systems world-wide.
• Sprinkle the Right Keywords - Just as we explained in the “Tailor Your Resume” tip, go through the job ad and figure out what keywords the ATS could be looking for. Then, sprinkle them all around your resume. Head over here if you want to learn more about ATS & keywords .

18) Don’t Lie On Your Resume

This one’s pretty obvious, but we thought we’d mention it anyway:

Don’t lie on your resume. Ever.

You’re going to be found out sooner or later and it’s going to cost you your job, or even your career.

It’s just not worth it.

19) Use an Online Resume Builder

Ever used Word editing tools to build your resume?

Then you probably know what we mean when we say that it’s a total pain.

You spend hours perfecting your resume, and then you make a single, small layout change, and BAM! The whole resume gets messed up.

Want to save yourself from all that hassle?

Use an online resume builder !

All you have to do is pick your favorite resume template , and start filling it in.

Whether you’re a recent graduate, or a professional with a decade of work experience, we have the right format for you!

13+ Essential Resume Tips and Tricks

20) include your job title in resume.

Your professional title should be the job title you’re applying for word-for-word.

Applying for a job as an advertising account executive?

Make sure to include the position name in your resume (below your name) as it’s written in the job ad. 

Ditch the buzzwords - no hiring manager likes those.

• Software Developer
• Code Monkey Ninja Samurai Hero

21) Name Your Resume Correctly

Once you’re done optimizing your resume and you’re ready to send it in, make sure the PDF version has the right name.

The ideal format is FullName - Resume .

• John Doe - Resume.pdf
• John Resume - Final Final Final Version Fixed 

22) Use Correct Subheadings

You’ll want your resume section subheadings to be accurate and easy to find.

So, to help the HR manager reading your resume, try to keep things simple.

• Resume Summary
• Work Experience
• Organizations
• Background Information
• Career History
• Groups Part Of

Bonus Points - this can also help Applicant Tracking Systems read your resume. They recognize “Work Experience,” but not “Work History.”

23) Include Only Relevant Social Media

Wondering if you should include social media links in your resume?

As a rule of thumb, you should only mention the ones that are relevant to your profession and career.

Here’s a brief overview of what you might include:

• LinkedIn - If your LinkedIn is updated, you can mention it for most professions.
• Stack Overflow / GitHub - If you’re a software engineer.
• Medium -Are you a freelance writer or blogger? Include your Medium.
• Quora - Are you an influencer in your field? Mention your Quora account (as long as you have a decent number of answers).
• Website/Blog - Do you have an online presence? Maybe a personal blog that positions you as an expert? If so, make sure to mention it.

24) Include Resume Objective or Summary

The hiring manager looks at your resume for 5-6 seconds max to decide if they’re going to read the rest or not.

Want to catch their attention in a snap?

Use a resume objective or summary.

Both of these sections act as an introduction to your resume, and are used to show that you’re qualified for the job from the get-go (before the HR gets to read the rest of your resume).

So, what’s what?

Both of these sections go in your resume header, right under your contact information section.

A resume objective is mainly for students, or professionals switching their careers. An objective is a 3-4 sentence snapshot of your professional goals and aspirations.

A resume summary is a 3-4 sentence summary of your resume. You use this instead of a resume objective if you’ve previously worked as the position you’re applying for.

• Multilingual customer service representative looking to provide Company X provide stellar customer experience. Strong communication skills, fluent in English, German, and French. Basic knowledge of CRM systems.
• Proactive UX designer with 5 years of experience in delivering enjoyable web and mobile products within the FinTech industry. Designed UI/UX and other marketing materials for 6 apps and 3 games at Company X, 2 of which were features in the App store. Skilled with Sketch and Adobe Creative Studio.

25) Don’t Use Personal Pronouns (“I”, “Me”)

Once you put your name at the top of your resume, it’s already implied that everything you mention in your resume applies to you.

So, there is no need to unnecessarily repeat “I did…” in your resume countless times.

• Managed data entry integrity within the applicant tracking system, ensuring timely entry and visibility of recruitment activity within ATS/CRM technologies.
• I managed data entry integrity within the applicant tracking system. I ensured timely entry, and I worked on the visibility of recruitment activity within the ATS/CRM technologies.

26) Consider Optional Resume Sections

Still have extra space to fill within your resume and want to show off your other important qualifications?

You can include some of the following optional sections to help your resume stand out:

• Hobbies and interests - While this is not a game-changer, they can really help show YOU are as an individual. 
• Volunteering experience - If you try to help others in your free time, while expecting nothing in return, chances are that you’re the type of employee who’s in it for more than just the money. This can be a huge plus for the HR manager.
• Certifications and awards  - Do you have any relevant certifications and awards in your field? As long as it’s relevant, feel free to include it.
• Publications - Are you a freelance writer or a distinguished author? You can include your published works (online, academic journal, etc.) here.
• Projects - Working on a side project can really show off your passion for your field. Hiring managers love employees who do cool work in their free time.

27) Tailor Your Skills to The Job Position

When scanning your resume, one of the most important things hiring managers look for is whether you have the right skills or not.

They’re not looking for just any skills, either. They’re looking for the skills that are going to help you excel at the job you’re applying for.

So, you need to tailor your skills section for each position you apply for.

You can usually figure out which ones are worth mentioning by scanning the job ad.

As a given, make sure you don’t mention anything that’s not directly related to your job.

For example, no one cares about your Photoshop design skills if you’re applying to work as a cashier.

Not sure which skills you can include? Check out our comprehensive list of 150+ must-have skills for any resume .

28) Cut the Fluff

Fluff is way more common than you’d think.

A lot of university students and fresh graduates often fill up their skills section with buzzwords like:

• Critical thinking
• Communication

But if you take a step back and think about it, those skills don’t mean anything. You know it, we know it, the HR manager knows it.

Without providing an example, they’re just a waste of space.

Just about everyone is good at “ communication ” - it doesn’t mean anything without experience to back it up.

So, go through your resume again, and think about this: does everything I say provide clear value?

If the answer is “No,” we’d recommend cutting it and replacing it with something more interesting.

Don’t have much experience? Struggling to fill in your resume? Check out our guide to making a no-experience resume .

29) Proofread With a Tool Like Grammarly

You can’t afford to have any typos on your resume.

There’s nothing more ironic than someone claiming to have an “eye for detail” with a bunch of spelling mistakes in their resume.

So, to be positive that your resume is typo-free, you can use a tool like Grammarly when you’re going over your final edits.

While Microsoft Word and Google Docs do a decent job of detecting errors, it’s always a good idea to have a backup spelling tool just in case.

30) Be Consistent With Section Formatting

Be consistent with your section formatting so that your overall resume is easy on the eyes.

This includes things like:

• Line spacing.

31) Include Volunteering Experience

You can’t go wrong with volunteering experience.

It’ll make you stand out regardless of your job position or industry. 

If the volunteering experience is somehow related to your career and has some transferable skills, you can even include it in your work experience

Here’s what that might look like:

Volunteer Camp Instructor

FireTech Summer Camps

06/2018 - 09/2018

Courses taught:

• Coding games with Java
• Python and electronics with Minecraft
• Teen coding with Python

32) Include Irrelevant Jobs if You Have No Other Experience

As a general rule, when applying for a job, you only list work experience that’s relevant for the position.

But what if you have none?

In that case, it’s totally OK to mention ANY work experience you might have, even if it’s not relevant for the job you’re applying for.

Look at it this way: the recruiter is more likely to hire someone that's worked A job, rather than a person that's never worked a day in their life.

11+ Nice-to-Have Resume Tips and Tricks

33) include languages and proficiency.

Most companies are international nowadays, and being bilingual is a great way to gain a competitive advantage.

Even if knowing a foreign language isn’t necessary for the job you’re applying for, it might come in handy at some point in the future.

When listing languages, you should always include your skill level:

• Intermediate

Oh, and it goes without saying that you shouldn’t lie about your skill levels.

Trust us, you don’t want to end up in a situation where the interviewer is a native Spanish speaker, and you exaggerated your “Proficient Spanish.”

34) Don’t Include “Reference Available Upon Request”

This is another common mistake many people still make.

Having a whole section dedicated to that one phrase is just a waste of space.

Hiring managers know they can always request your list of references - so what’s the point of mentioning it?

35) Don’t Include a Photo (If You’re From the US and UK)

There’s a lot of confusion around photos on resumes .

Some people always use a photo on their resume.

Others believe it’s a strict no-no.

So, which one is it?

It depends on your location.

There are strict anti-discrimination labor laws in some countries, namely:

• United Kingdom
• United States

If you’re from one of those countries, don’t include a photo on your resume.

Obviously, there are some exceptions to the rule - such as, if you’re applying for a modelling job.

If you’re from anywhere else in the world, though, you can include a photo. 

36) Feeling Stumped? Get Inspired by Resume Examples

Have doubts about your resume design or layout?

Check out some of our job-winning resume examples .

We made sure to cover samples for several different fields, including business, computer science, and more!

37) Read Your Resume Out Loud

While it may sound awkward, reading your resume out loud is the best way to spot any awkward phrases or spelling mistakes.

Sure, Grammarly is useful, but it often misses a lot of really obvious mistakes (which the HR manager probably won’t!).

This is going to be monotonous, yes. But it’s the best way to proofread your resume and it also beats any spell checking tools out there.

38) Clean Up Your Online Presence

Imagine this:

The recruiter LOVES your resume.

They’re about to call you in for an interview, but before that, they decide to check up on your online presence.

Big mistake.

The first thing that pops up when they Google your name is your Facebook page, with very embarrassing photos from your last night out.

Not really that appropriate for a Senior Banker.

Want to avoid such awkward situations? Make sure your online presence is working FOR you, not against you:

• Change your Facebook Privacy setting to “Friends” to make sure random people can’t see your profile.
• Clean up your Twitter account, make sure you’re not posting anything too scandalous.
• Google your name and see if you can find anything off. You can ask Google to remove any private sensitive information .

Do you have a LinkedIn profile? You should! It shows the recruiter that you’re serious about your career.

Make sure to optimize your LinkedIn profile so that it complements your resume!

39) Consider Putting Education First

The most important sections of your resume should come first.

Are you a student with very limited work experience?

Consider putting your education section on top of your work experience.

This places a lot more focus on your education career, as opposed to any irrelevant jobs you might have worked.

Of course, if you have worked a job in your field, you’d always want to put work experience on top.

40) Add Your Courses In the Education Section

If your education section is your biggest selling point, then you might want to also add any relevant courses you’ve taken.

As usual, relevance is key here. Applying for a job in finance? The recruiter doesn’t care about the social media course you took in your freshman year.

B.A. in Accounting and Finance

• Advanced financial statistics
• Econometrics II
• Advanced accounting II
• Media communication
• Digital and social media
• Communication research

41) Use DocSend to Track Your Resume

Ever wondered what happens after you send in your application?

Did the HR even read your resume, or did it fall through the cracks?

Well, with a tool like DocSend , you can know for sure whether someone look at your resume or not.

The way this works is, you upload your resume on DocSend, and it gives you a link you can use.

Whenever someone opens your link and looks at your resume, you’ll get a notification.

Cool, right?

This way, you can know for sure if you can expect a call for an interview (the HR looked at your resume for 60+ seconds), or you’re just not qualified (HR closed the resume within 5 seconds of opening it).

And to put the cherry on top, you’ll know if the HR manager missed your resume (you won’t get the notification within a week), so you can just send them a quick reminder!

• Unfortunately, this method only works if you’re applying for a job through e-mail and not through an online application.

42) Use Colors to Stand Out

The color scheme you use in your resume is an important part of its design.

Ideally, you should strike the right balance of creativity and professionalism.

If you’re applying for a job in a more conservative industry (e.g. finances, banking), a standard black and white theme is fine.

But if you’re applying to work in a creative startup as a web designer or a developer, you can get more creative.

After all, HR managers get a TON of resumes every day, and most of them look exactly the same.

Whenever you can afford to stand out with your resume, you should!

43) Consider Using a Professional Template

If you’re looking to create a new resume but don’t want to go through the painstaking process of creating one from scratch - consider using a professional template.

There’s a lot of pre-built online resume templates that can have you up and running with a fully customized resume in a matter of minutes.

There’s a lot of variety as well. You can pick a design that works perfectly for your industry or field.

Want to give it a try? Check out some of our top resume templates !

Key Takeaways

And that's a wrap!

There are a ton of resume tips & tricks on the web, and in this guide, we covered all the essential stuff.

So, we hope you enjoyed the guide and are a lot more confident with your resume skills!

Looking for more actionable advice? Check out our career blog for industry-leading career tips and tricks!

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Tips for Making a Great Resume

Table of Contents

With the current labor shortage and low unemployment rate, job seekers are at an advantage. However, that’s not to say you don’t need a professionally written resume. Employers still want to find and hire the best employees for each open position, and resumes are the first step in that search. Use the following strategies to make your resume stand out and demonstrate that you are the best candidate for the job.

How to create a great resume

Here are some tips for creating an impressive resume.

1. Assemble your job history and skills.

The first step in creating your resume should include your relevant job history, industry experience and applicable skills. While you might feel tempted to add every place you’ve ever worked at, narrow down your history to only list relevant roles or experiences. This will keep your resume concise and direct hiring managers and recruiters to the right place. However, this also might mean creating multiple resumes and tailoring them to the specific job/company you’re applying to.

From there, format your resume so that it is easy to identify your qualifications. For instance, if you advanced in a company quickly, draw attention to that growth, said Claire Bissot, SPHR and director of Kainos Capital. If you excessively job-hopped, bullet those jobs without providing specifics and detail more applicable positions. This will play to your assets.

When structuring your resume, make sure the information is presented in a logical order, said career coach Veronica Yao. 

“A hiring manager [will] read your resume starting at the top and ending at the bottom. However, if they don’t finish reading the whole thing — and they often don’t — you still want to ensure your strongest points come across.”

2. Use an original resume template.

Employers appreciate originality. While it’s helpful to refer to a professional resume template, don’t follow it rigidly, as this might actually deter potential employers.

“I often pass over resumes that match Microsoft Office templates,” Bissot told Business News Daily. “The templates are meant to be a guide to get started, but it should be expanded on to make it your own.”

Showcase your expertise in an appealing and eye-catching manner so you stand out from other applicants, especially if you’re in a creative industry. Include hyperlinks, aesthetic formatting, colors and shading, testimonials and other unique features. Use your resume to tell your career story. For instance, you can write an interesting “about me” section to personalize and summarize your experiences.

3. Fill out the sections.

Use bullet points or short lines to outline your job responsibilities and accomplishments for each role you’ve listed on your resume. This will help recruiters and hiring managers better understand your experiences and how you’ve helped that company grow. 

Typically, it’s best to use action verbs and data-backed words rather than “fluff.” For example, if you’re outlining social media marketing experience, rather than simply stating “I managed social media platforms for my client,” write “Increased social media lead generation by X percent year-over-year.” This cuts to the point and backs up your credentials with hard data to showcase your success. 

4. Choose the file type.

Most employers prefer resumes as Microsoft Word documents (.doc) or PDF files. Microsoft Word documents are the most traditional and widely accepted file types for resumes, but PDFs ensure the formatting doesn’t become wonky after submission. 

However, when you’re dealing with applicant tracking systems (ATS), Word documents are easier for these systems to read through and pick up on important keywords. This is important if you want to stand out in modern recruiting. If you submit a PDF or other file, you might get automatically rejected if the system cannot read it. A general rule of thumb is to save both versions of your resume and submit a Word document to applications on job sites and a PDF when sending directly to a recruiter or hiring manager. [Read related article: Ways AI Is Changing HR Departments ]

5. Proofread the draft.

Before you submit your resume anywhere, proofread it yourself and ask a trusted friend or professional contact to do the same. One minor mistake or grammatical error could result in countless rejections. Your resume is your first — and often only — chance to impress a potential employer, and you should treat it as such.

Here are a few things to look at:

• Spelling, grammar and punctuation: A hiring manager will likely automatically dismiss your application if they spot a typo or grammatical error. “Make sure it’s error-free and easy to read,” said Diya Obeid, founder and CEO of ATS company JobDiva. “HR reps equate typos and errors with laziness. Use good English — the written word has a huge impact on the employer.”
• Formatting: “Review formatting very closely, including font, alignment and spacing,” Bissot said. “Related issues can often be perceived as a sign of lacking technical skills and/or attention to detail.”
• Headings: Yao said that candidates often submit applications addressed to the wrong employer or outline experience that’s irrelevant to the role. “Receiving a resume that’s crafted and addressed to someone else — or worse, a competitor — can be a huge turnoff and will set a negative tone even if they do choose to continue reading your application.”

Resume writing tips

It can be difficult to succinctly present all of your experiences and qualifications on one page, but there are many ways to spruce up your resume without going overboard. To help you land an interview, we rounded up some of the best resume-writing tips.

1. Keep your resume short and direct.

The No. 1 rule of writing a resume is to keep it short and to the point. The general rule is no more than one page unless you have a good reason for it to be longer, like an extensive career or a lot of highly applicable work experience.

An easy way to keep your resume concise is to include only recent, relevant experience. While that yearlong first job might have taught you a lot about the field, you don’t always need to include every detail from your entire career history.

Most experts recommend including jobs from the previous 10 or 15 years only, although this time frame may be shorter if you are new to the workforce. Including too many unrelated work experiences can make your resume appear too busy and draw attention away from your relevant qualifications. Your resume should be focused, clear and concise.

If you are an older job seeker, here are some things you can do to condense and age-proof your resume .

2. Highlight relevant skills and experiences.

Using the same resume for every job you apply for is not the best approach. Instead, your resume should target the specific job you are applying for. Prioritize the skills, qualifications and experiences that are directly applicable to the job you are trying to land.

Choose three or four former positions or experiences that best highlight the skills required for each position for which you apply. Employers value brevity; this is not the time to list every position you have ever held. For example, if you are applying for a marketing position, you could include your former retail experience and bullet the communication, branding and interpersonal skills you learned in that position.

If you don’t have a work history that directly relates to the job you are applying for, be creative with how you present your other experiences. Draw on the skills you used and how your contributions benefited the organization or project. [Read related article: 22 In-Demand Skills to Help You Get the Job ]

3. Demonstrate results with numbers and metrics.

When you write about your previous work experience, it is always a good idea to quantify your successes with numbers. Metrics can highlight your achievements and give the hiring manager or recruiter a clear sense of how you impacted your previous place of employment. For example, someone who previously worked as a sales representative might say that they “executed more than 50 cold calls daily, with an average 5 percent conversion rate.”

4. Craft a career snapshot.

More recently, career experts have urged job seekers to do away with the old “objective” statement and instead consider including a brief summary, called a “career snapshot,” at the top of their resume.

“With the career snapshot, you present a branding statement that briefly explains your unique value as well as your skills and qualifications,” said Tomer Sade, CEO of Book a Space. “This would then be followed by a few bullet points that highlight your experience and your accomplishments. Whatever you list here should be relevant to the position you’re applying to.”

“The top third of your resume is prime resume real estate,” added Lisa Rangel, an executive resume writer and CEO of Chameleon Resumes. “Create a robust summary to capture the hiring manager’s eye.”

Think of your career snapshot as an answer to the question “How would you describe your work experience in one sentence?” The summary is an opportunity to sum up your most relevant and important skills, experience or assets right off the bat.

5. Optimize your text.

If a company uses an ATS to collect and scan resumes, a human hiring manager may never see any application that doesn’t fit the job criteria they’ve entered. Trish O’Brien, vice president of human capital operations at Lifelong Learner Holdings, emphasized adapting your resume to the position to increase your likelihood of passing the first level.

“Make sure you’ve carefully reviewed the posting and … [used] the appropriate keywords in your resume to get past the screener,” O’Brien said. “Be truthful, but understand that the first pass on your resume is likely via an ATS.”

A helpful tip is to make sure you include keywords from the job post in your resume. Copy and paste the job description into a word-cloud generator to identify the most frequently used terms, and make sure the terms that apply to you are used in your resume. You can also create a “core competencies” or “areas of expertise” section of your resume to list all of your hard and soft skills, and then reiterate those skills when you bullet your experience.

According to Zippia , using keywords and industry jargon can increase your likelihood of getting an interview by nearly 30 percent.

6. Think beyond your job duties.

Hiring managers don’t want to read a list of your job duties. They want concrete examples of your accomplishments in previous positions that show how you can make a difference in this new position.

Rangel said that specific merits are more engaging to read than just your experiences. For example, “I reduced operating expenses by 23 percent in six months” is far more interesting to an employer than “I have 30 years of sales experience.”

When deciding what information to keep or cut out of your resume, focus on striking abstract traits and qualifications in favor of concrete, quantifiable results.

“The best resumes highlight a job candidate’s actions and results,” said Bob Myhal, chief marketing officer at CBC Automotive Marketing. “Employers want employees who get things done and who take great joy and pride in what they do. Rather than a laundry list of your qualifications, your resume should reflect your accomplishments and enthusiasm for your career.”

You shouldn’t ignore your skills section either. Sade reminded job seekers to list any industry-relevant apps or programs they’re familiar with and to find ways to incorporate examples of their emotional intelligence (e.g., self-awareness, empathy) and soft skills (e.g., work ethic, reliability) into their job descriptions.

7. Use the right language to stand out.

Trite, lackluster descriptions of your job duties and accomplishments won’t do you any favors. Make sure you’re using strong action words, such as “achieved,” “designed,” “improved” and “established,” to describe your roles and projects, said Sade. This will make you sound confident while imparting vital information. But be cautious about depending on action verbs — include details about how you improved a process or achieved a goal .

“Words such as ‘professional,’ ‘results-driven’ and ‘detail-oriented’ provide very little helpful information,” Sade said. “It’s better to use actual job titles than these words.”

Use a combination of action words to highlight your experience and make your resume easier to read.

Obeid said that you should remove words like “go-getter,” “team player” and “go-to person” from your resume. These come off as fluff and take up precious space on your resume.

8. List your social media profiles.

Many hiring managers today screen candidates on social networks . Save them a step by providing your profile links on your resume. Seasoned applicants with a professional social presence would do well to include URLs for their LinkedIn profile, Twitter account and blog, if applicable.

“If, and only if, your social media accounts are filled with professional posts pertaining to your industry, listing them on your resume can be advantageous,” said Richie Frieman, author of REPLY ALL … and Other Ways to Tank Your Career . “They can show you have a strong network and are up to speed with modern-day marketing and communications practices. The hiring manager will see that you like to keep up with what’s happening and that you care about learning more.”

Your social profiles can be a powerful recruitment tool to supplement your experience and position as an expert in your field, but only if they are leveraged correctly.

If your social profiles are not professionally applicable, do not list them on your resume, and make sure they are set to private.

Importance of a great resume

Your resume is the most important document you’ll submit in your job search. It’s your frontline fighter, so to speak, as it’s your first opportunity to present yourself to a potential employer. A professional resume will help you achieve the following:

• Increase your earning potential. According to the Zippia research, professionally written resumes are not only good for landing an interview, but they can also boost your earning potential by 7 percent to 32 percent. 
• Increase your chances of securing a new role. Zippia also found that 68 percent of job seekers who have worked with a professional resume writer landed a new job in under 90 days. If your resume lacks professionalism or relevance to the positions you’re applying to, you likely won’t receive as many opportunities.
• Quickly impress recruiters and hiring managers . Hiring managers and recruiters look at resumes for an average of only six to seven seconds each, so make every second count. A strong resume can help you stand out from the crowd, but a weak resume can remove you from the running.
• Decrease your number of rejections. According to Zippia, you need to send an average of 50 to 100 resumes before you get hired. However, the more impressive and professional your resume is, the lower this number will be — and the less you will have to wait to start a new job.

Make a great first impression

Your resume is a great way to showcase your experience and make a solid first impression. It doesn’t matter how talented, passionate or experienced you are — if a recruiter or hiring manager is unimpressed by your resume, you won’t get the chance to sell yourself. If you follow the tips above, you’ll increase your chances of moving on to the interview stage of the hiring process and landing the job of your dreams.

Ki ely Kuligowski and Skye Schooley contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

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30 Resume Tips And Advice For 2024 [With Expert Insights]

In This Guide:

Resume writing tips

Tips on resume formatting

Tips on how to design a resume that gets noticed

Tips on research and application

Common mistakes to avoid when crafting your resume

Tips on what a good resume includes

Tips on how to write a resume if don't have much experience

Quick Answer: Follow these 30 resume tips to craft a standout resume. Show passion, be specific about impact, exude confidence, tailor to each job, use a master resume, seek feedback, include social media links, highlight promotions, use power words, explain job gaps, use quantifiable numbers, mention career changes, utilize achievements, use colors strategically, research the company, follow up, and avoid common mistakes.

At the end of every year, we sit down at the Enhancv headquarters, and we analyze our database to come up with the best resume tips. This year is no different. We spent a week or so sifting through data, speaking with resume writing experts, and infusing some Enhancv know-how to craft the 2023s ultimate list of resume tips.

There’s a lot to read, so I’ll keep this intro short. Below you’ll find a list of twenty-six resume writing tips that will get you an interview. We’ll also go through a few important questions like “ Will the video resume take over? ” and “Will the traditional resume finally die?”.

The TLDR answer to both, for now, is definitely “No.”, but recruitment is changing, and so is the traditional resume.

Resume writing tips: Write a resume like a professional.

Writing a great resume is no easy task. You have a lot of work in order to transform a good resume into a great one.

How you write is how recruiters picture you. We’ve gone in-depth on the topic of how to write an impressive resume , but we’re also going a step further with the tips below to ensure your resume stands out .

Tip #1. Show your passion (project).

This tip is for: Job seekers with little or no experience.

Every employer wants you to be passionate about what you do. To grab their attention right from the start of your job search, you need to show a passion for the industry you’d like to join or the job you’re aiming to get. The most effective way we’ve seen this done is by sharing a side-project connected to the position you’re applying for.

Let’s take a look at Louis, for example. Louis used an Enhancv resume to get a job at HotJar .

When he applied for a Content Marketer position at Hotjar, Louis featured his side project on his resume. Having interviewed over 10 of the top marketers on his podcast, he knew this would catch the HotJar team’s attention.

Featuring his passion project was vital to get him an interview. He was as specific as possible, including his results. Louis believes this moved the needle for him.

Every Enhancv resume template supports a specific passion project section that you can use to showcase projects you’ve worked on, but aren’t necessarily related to employment.

Further reading

• Programming projects for resume: tips & examples
• How to list projects on a resume: a concise approach

Tip #2. Be specific and show your impact.

This tip is for: Experienced applicants.

You’ve probably heard this advice before, but “be specific” and “show impact” is pretty vague. What exactly means to “show impact?”

It boils down to ensuring every bullet in your experience section answers this question: “What was the result of my involvement?”.

Doing this ensures your resume will instantly stand out from the rest, particularly those which only list responsibilities.

In addition, instead of 10 bullets per job position, focus on 3-5 but make them count. They should be short, concise, and as specific as possible. You can also use Laszlo Bock’s formula: Accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z .

What does that mean in practice? Here’s Laszlo Block’s (Google’s SVP People Operations) explanation :

Start with an active verb, numerically measure what you accomplished, provide a baseline for comparison, and detail what you did to achieve your goal.

Good example

In 2024, companies want candidates who can have a positive impact on their business. So show them what you can bring to the table. And keep in mind that this can be volunteer work as well.

• How to use volunteer experience to make your resume stand out
• 125 Easy resume action verbs to make your resume better

Tip #3. Be confident.

This tip is for: Everyone.

Your resume is a document that represents not only your areas of expertise but also you as a person. it needs to come across on your resume that you’re proud of who you are and what you’ve achieved. You can do this by keeping your resume consistent, specific, and balancing the professional (experience, education, projects, etc.) with the personal (passions, most proud of, life philosophy).

• Resume sections: everything you need to know
• Perfecting the education section on your resume

Tip #4. Don’t copy-paste the keywords.

Our friends from Fairygodboss (a career blog for women) shared their top resume advice for 2024:

Always tailor your resume! Your generic, send-to-everyone resume won’t land you a competitive job (or even get you in the door for an interview).

Here’s what you can do: Take a highlighter, either physical or digital, and mark each word in your resume that relates to the job you’re applying for. Within the job description, you should find each skill and responsibility and then see if you have something that corresponds to your resume.

While you don’t want to copy and paste all these words in arbitrarily, you do have to demonstrate—with your resume—that you’ve read the job description, have the relevant work experience and history, and have the required skills.

• Resume keywords to land interviews and get hired

Tip #5. Use a master resume to speed up the resume tailoring.

This tip is for: Everyone

Another helpful tip is to create a master resume which has all the relevant skills, job experience and volunteer work listed. A master resume is a general resume template that includes all your work history, volunteer experience , education , and skills . It's basically a generic resume with a record of all the details of your career.

You may find that your master resume is chock-full of information, which is okay because you can pull the most relevant information to create tailored resumes. Job seekers find that using a master resume can actually cut down on the time that it takes to create each resume.

Tip #6. Let someone else review your resume.

It’s never a bad idea to ask someone to look at your resume . Especially if it’s someone who knows you well. Often, they can give you a hand by identifying your strengths and spotting mistakes.

Make your resume with Enhancv make sure to go to the “Share” menu and choose “Get comments from friends” – you can get immediate feedback straight in our resume builder.

Tip #7. Add links to your social media profiles.

Once recruiters receive a resume, many of them go ahead and check your social media accounts, 38% of them to be exact . Why not make it easier for hiring managers and share links to your LinkedIn or Dribble or StackOverflow?

If you share your LinkedIn profile , make sure it’s updated, so it’s in line with your resume. It's in your best interest to update it with a personalized "About Me" section.

You can be a little more personal in your LinkedIn profile, highlighting your key motivations and sharing the challenges you enjoy taking on. You also can write it in the 1st person, rather than the more formal 3rd person, and this helps to share your own unique perspective on your career progression.

Don’t share your personal Instagram or Facebook. Only add those networks if they’re related to your profession. Personal social media accounts aren’t meant for professional use.

Tip #8. Include other relevant links.

Biron from Career Sidekick shared his best advice for creating a resume with us:

Add a link! Most employers and recruiters read resumes digitally, so 2021 is a great time to start adding a link or two.

Putting a link will show them you’re tech-savvy, make your resume stand out at first glance, and increase the time employers spend looking at your background overall.

Here are three ideas of what you can link to:

• A case study showing a before-and-after of a past project. What results did you achieve? How did your past employer benefit from the work you did? Talk about real results, metrics and benefits to that employer, and how you got those results. You can create this as a Google Doc and share the link in your resume “Work History” section underneath your bullet points for that role.
• Create a short, 1-2 minute video explaining why you applied for their job and why you’re a great fit. Walk them through the most relevant pieces of your background and show them that you really took the time to read their job description before applying. You can upload this as an “Unlisted” video on YouTube, so only people you’ve shared the link with can view it.
• Put a link to your online portfolio. If you’re a writer, graphic designer, programmer, or anyone else who could showcase past work in a portfolio, consider creating one and putting a link to it on your resume. If you have a website or blog, you can link to that. If not, you can create a one-page portfolio as a Google Doc for free.

Tip #9. Choose which experience to share wisely.

This tip is for: Mid– to very experienced applicants.

We also reached out to Jon from Jobscan . Here’s what he had to add:

Tailoring your resume to the job description isn’t only about matching keywords and trying to beat applicant tracking systems.

Emphasize the responsibilities and accomplishments within your relevant experience that are most important to the job for which you’re applying, even if they weren’t where you spent most of your time.

For example, let’s say you had a job in which you spent 27 hours per week fulfilling orders and managing inventory for the company’s online store. You spent the other 13 hours providing customer support.

When you apply for a new job as a Customer Service Representative, you don’t need to begin your work experience section with the fulfillment and inventory duties that took up most of your time.

Instead, start with and emphasize your customer support skills and experience because it’s what the employer needs to see in order to qualify you for the role.

Your other relevant experience can still be mentioned, but it doesn’t need to take up 70% of your resume space just because it took up 70% of your week.

Tip #10. Use power words.

Keywords are the nouns–skills, background, experience, achievements—employers look for when filtering candidates.

Power words, on the other hand, are the verbs that emphasize your chosen keywords. Both play a role in helping you win a job.

Weak language like “responsible for” or “accomplished” does your achievements a disservice.

Go for more creative power words that not only emphasize what you did but also tell a story .

Power words to use on your resume

• Implemented

Tip #11. Use a professional email address.

Don’t use the cutesy email you had in high school or college. Use a professional email address instead, with your first and last name as the username.

More tenured applicants should stop using old emails from older providers like Hotmail, Livewire, or AOL.

No one uses a Verizon email address in 2024 – instead stick with Gmail.

Tip #12. Hire a professional resume writer.

Holly from The Work At Home Woman mentioned:

If you’re having trouble crafting your resume, or worse yet, you’re not landing any interviews, it may be time to hire a professional resume writer .

Resume writers are often trained career coaches who write persuasively and can help you eloquently showcase your skills and expertise.

And since they do this for a living, they know all the strategies, resume pointers, and layouts that will make your application stand out.

Resume writers can also help if you’re switching careers, as they know how to spin your current talents into attributes for the new occupation you’re trying to break into. This small investment may help you land your dream job a lot faster.

Get critiques from multiple resume writers first before choosing one. Most offer free critiques, so this is a great way to test if you’ll like how they would approach your application before actually committing to one.

If you don’t want to hire a professional resume writer, we have an amazing resume grader baked into our resume builder .

Tip #13. Keep your resume subheadings simple.

There’s such a thing as being too clever.

Regardless of your chosen resume format or layout, you should always keep your subheadings straight to the point and easy to understand.

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) will parse all the text from your resume, often stripping it of its design and fancy formatting.

But… and this is huge but, the ATS will use the subheadings listed to interpret the text underneath it.

Avoid catchy but ATS-confusing subheadings like:

• Qualifications
• Accreditations
• Professional background
• Academic Achievements

Tip #14. Use quantifiable numbers.

Use quantifiable figures to paint a clear picture of your achievements. While this is harder than the other resume tips here, especially if you don’t make it a habit to track your work, it certainly is the most impactful.

This applies not only to job-specific technical skills like sales, programming, or operations, but also in terms of soft skills .

Ways to add quantifiable figures to your resume

• Money or resources saved
• Profit earned
• Labor hours saved
• Sales growth
• Manpower growth

Time and dollar figures, of course, aren’t the only ways to add numbers to your resume. You can also talk numbers in terms of:

• Range: Great way to use numbers if you can’t give an exact figure
• Frequency: Show how often you did something to prove mastery
• Size: Team size, number of app downloads, restaurant size, or basically anything that could show the scale of your success or responsibilities

Tip #15. Explain job gaps.

This tip is for: People with experience.

Maybe you were laid off; maybe you were sick, perhaps you had to take care of your ailing parents. Whatever it is, the important thing is how you present yourself. Your resume is where you control the narrative, so it’s only natural that you control this part of your professional history, too. Don’t let recruiters judge you based on incomplete information. Tell them what happened by including a short note on your resume. There’s no need to dress it up. A one-liner in between job entries, or at the end of a short job in case of furloughs or company closure, is fine.

You could write:

• Company closed
• Layoff due to downsizing
• Maternity leave
• Relocated to a new city

Sure, this isn’t like the many boost-up-your-credentials resume tips listed here. But if you have a job gap, it needs to be addressed.

If you are on furlough due to COVID-19 or have been laid off due to this situation, then make a line item on your resume that says you were placed on furlough or the company closed. Because everyone has been affected by the pandemic, it is okay to mention it on your resume.

Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, Certified Professional Resume Writer

It’s better than waiting and finding out after the recruiter doesn’t call you because of the unexplained job gap in your resume.

Tip #16. Mention career changes in your work history.

This tip is for: Those switching careers

When you're branching out into a new career, be sure to mention your previous work history, while also highlighting that you're jumping headfirst into a new career. By mentioning the career change, you can show hiring managers you're changing careers, rather than just applying to any new position.

U/StageOne 2591 , shares in their Reddit post that they've reviewed over 1000 resumes. They've found that it's better to be upfront with a shift in careers, while highlighting relevant skills related to each career, both the one that you're transitioning out of and the one you're entering. Addressing is your switch in careers is better than leaving it left unexplained. U/StageOne 2591 shares a great example of how to spin a career transition to highlight transferable skills:

“Sales professional with 5 years+ years of experience looking to transition into the position of a front-end web developer. Previous experience developing websites for 3 local business clients.”

This shows that you’re not just applying to random jobs — you’re ACTUALLY trying to transition into a new field.

• How to write a career change resume

Tip #17. Recent graduates should use their accolades in school.

This tip is for: Students or recent graduates

Many job seekers who are fresh out of college struggle to fill their resume, as they don't have a ton of experience in their field. If that's you, then you can share additional relevant information about the awards and accolades that you picked up throughout your college career in your educational background section.

Receiving honors in your degree or a Summa Cum Laude distinction may set you apart from other job applicants. This is especially true if you're applying for an internship or other entry-level position. You may also choose to highlight other skills, including the ability to speak a foreign language.

Tip #18. Include promotions in your resume if you’re applying for an internal position.

This tip is for: experienced professionals

If you're applying for a new position within your company with a new hiring manager, you should share promotions you received while working for said company. You can share this helpful bit of information when you list your responsibilities, highlighting how you've received additional duties while you advanced within the company.

Tip #19. Make sure you properly write each job description in your experience section.

For the most part, the experience section on a resume takes up most of your application. That’s prime real estate. Unfortunately, most applicants waste it by describing their day-to-day activities, while they can make it much more impactful. The secret is to highlight achievements rather than job duties. We already mentioned the importance of talking numbers, so if you skimmed the article so far, jump back to Tip #14. Use quantifiable numbers .

Resume building tips: how to format a resume

While how you write your resume is important, you want the hiring managers actually to read your resume to the very end.

That’s why we’ve packed some resume best practices on formatting that will make sure your resume gets read.

• The best resume formats you need to consider (5+ examples included)

Tip #20. Make every section count.

Having onely one page to fit your whole professional career is not the easiest thing to do, especially if you have extensive professional experience. For this reason, make sure you include only relevant information and sections that will increase the value of your resume.

You can also achieve this by leaving some of your experience out, especially anything which isn’t relevant to the job or company you’re applying for. (Like that waitressing job you did in college.)

Tip #21. Use a reverse chronological format.

This tip is for: Applicants with experience.

When you write your experience section, another rule of thumb is to use a reverse chronological resume template . This means starting from the most recent position first.

Keep your dates consistent, e.g. if you decide to specify months, make sure you mention months everywhere.

We have a pretty in-depth guide on reverse chronological resumes order resumes too.

Tip #22. Keep your resume one to two pages long.

This tip is for: For mid–to very experienced applicants.

Generally, resume experts agree on the fact that resumes should be a page long. While we’re all fine and dandy with one-page resumes, we should also have to admit that two pages are pretty great too. Make sure you keep your resume no longer than two pages. It doesn’t matter how much of an experience you have, truth be told, you can probably shorten it to two pages.

We’ve written a very in-depth guide on resume length that gives you all the information on the topic. Furthermore, you can learn how to fit a lot of experience in a single page in our one-page resume guide or how to properly build a two-page resume .

Tip #23. Create a separate section for notable achievements.

Add a section specifically for your achievements . This is yet another way to tailor your resume to a specific job.

Doing this allows you to minimize the editing work you have to do. Just select two to three achievements most relevant for your desired job, then put it in a separate section.

Use bolding, italics, and all caps to highlight other achievements, such as those related to soft skills for your job.

Resume design tips: How to design a resume that gets noticed

How you write and format your resume may be the difference between getting called for an interview or not, but the design of your resume is what ultimately will get you remembered by the hiring manager.

One of the best resume building pointers we could give you is to make sure that the design of your resume is just perfect. After all, you want to choose a font that makes your resume easy to read and complement it with a color scheme that gets noticed.

We’ve built Enhancv with a focus on creating the most beautiful resumes in the world – focusing on keeping the design professional and ATS-friendly, while ensuring hiring managers can understand why you’re the best person for the job.

Tip #24. Use colors to stand out.

Applying for a job in the 21st century can’t be done with a black and white resume. One of the resume tips the designers and creatives in our readers will like – use colors. We should emphasize that making your resume more colorful means that you should use colors that complement each other and keep your resume looking professional. Having a bit of color on your resume can help you stand out from the pile of black and white sheets of paper that’s already sitting on the desk. If you use the colors of the company you’re applying for, it will instantly signal that you’ve done your research and that it’s not just another position you’re applying for—you really care and want this one.

If you’re applying for a highly corporate or a governmental job, stick to a traditional resume template . If you decide to use colors, use combinations of gray and black, or navy. Check out Enhancv’s resume builder for different color combinations to choose from.

Research and application tips: How to make sure your resume gets you an interview.

And last but not least, you’ll have to be smart when you apply for a job.

Depending on where you live, you may apply alongside 500 other people for the same job position. This can be quite daunting, that’s why you want to make sure your resume gets to the right person.

Here are our pointers to make sure your resume gets read–from networking to research and application.

Tip #25. Analyze the job ad and include the skills they’re looking for within your resume.

Companies get hundreds of applications per position and hiring managers use applicant tracking systems to help them go through the pool of applicants faster. That’s why each job ad a recruiter publishes contains keywords – these job ads are later put into the ATS and the software screens the resumes looking for particular keywords from the job ad.

It’s mandatory that you include the skills from the job description. This means that you meet the job requirements and you’ve read the job description thoroughly.

Before you start writing your resume, analyze the job description and write down these things:

• Keywords describing skills (both soft and hard skills)
• Keywords describing your experience (years, responsibilities, etc.)
• Keywords describing culture (“tight-knit team”, etc.)
• Why you believe you’d be a good fit.
• After you do this, make sure you use those keywords in your resume. The key here is to make it look natural rather than stuff every section with keywords.

Other keywords to look out for:

• Certifications – read our job-specific guides and resume examples for relevant job certifications.
• Tools or programs required for the job.
• Education and degree – Ph.D., master’s, or specific bachelor’s degree.
• Location – companies often use city names or zip codes to narrow down candidates for local-specific jobs.

Tip #26. Send your resume to the right person.

Send your resume to a relevant person instead of just blindly submitting it through a website or job portal.

Yes, many vacancies posted on job platforms don’t reveal the name of the recruiter or hiring manager. But that’s no excuse not to do your research and find the relevant person.

If you’re like many of the candidates who tout “online research” as one of their skills, this should be an effortless task for you.

Here’s how to prove it:

• Copy a couple of sentences from the job ad and paste it on Google. Chances are, the job ad is also posted on their website or LinkedIn. If it’s on LinkedIn, the job ad will show the name of the recruiter at the bottom.
• If the Google search doesn’t yield any results, look up the company’s website and visit their team’s about page. Find the company recruiter and the manager of the department you want to join, then look up their names on LinkedIn and other social media. For startups or small companies, find the CEO, and send your resume directly to them. These extra little steps can really help you stand out.

To find a recruiter or CEO’s email, you can use some free tools such as Hunter or Voila Norbert. Also, you can check their social media profiles or send them a LinkedIn message.

Tip #27. Research your potential colleagues.

It’s easier than ever to find your potential employer and their team members on social media. Right after you read the job description thoroughly, get to know the potential employer. See what their values are, what’s the company all about, etc.

Then try to mirror their language into your resume. When your potential employer reads it, they’ll feel like you already know each other.

Granted, this isn’t one of the resume hints you can easily pull off with ten minutes of work.

But the extra prep work you do here will pay off in dividends once your resume catches their attention.

Plus, you can use your research to do well on the interview.

Tip #29. Give yourself enough time.

Honestly, when it comes to resumes, what most of us want is to spend five minutes on it and have a resume that will get us that dream job.

But good things take time and so does the writing of a good resume. Remember, the upside is getting the job you want, so spending a bit more effort is worth it.

If you try to rush things, it may result in more mistakes, and you might overlook some important things. Think about resume writing as a creative process of self-discovery.

Turn on the music you like and check out some amazing resume examples for 2021. Once you have enough inspiration, go ahead and start writing.

Tip #30. Name your resume PDF or Word file properly.

When you send your resume and your cover letter to a potential employer, they often put them all in one place. That’s why it’s best to name your files properly, including your first and last name, as well as your target job.

In practice, this means: Elon-Musk-Engineer-resume / Elon-Musk-Engineer-cover-letter

This way, if your resume ends up in a file with many others, your potential employer will be able to spot your name straightaway.

Common mistakes to avoid when crafting your resume.

Some of the most common reasons applicants don’t get called for an interview for their dream job position are actually quite minuscule. They just leave a bad impression.

By far, the most common mistakes are typos. Can you believe you did not get a call for a job interview because you made a typo?

Typos alongside length and design are the most common resume mistakes . Luckily, the Enhancv resume builder takes care of all this while you focus on the more important things.

What should a good resume include?

A good resume should be packed with everything that’s needed to show your experience, passions, and know-how.

In other words, a good resume should clearly showcase your experience and know-how . This means that it’s not necessary to include every job you’ve ever had, just the ones that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.

What to include in your resume if you don't have any experience?

But how to craft a powerful resume if you don’t have the experience you may wonder. After all, with no experience, even the best resume tips won’t help you, right?

Fret not, because a resume is not only about experience. People gravitate towards showing how many years they’ve worked and where they’ve worked, because that is what they know how to do best.

The real strength in a resume lies when you show the impact you’ve made. Whether it was a side-project, or at your first job that has nothing to do with the position you’re applying for, impact shows that you’re proactive and result-driven.

We’ve made an in-depth guide on how to craft a powerful resume if you don’t have much experience .

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• Highlighting Writing Skills...

Highlighting Writing Skills on Your Resume

11 min read · Updated on April 22, 2024

Do you know how to prove your writing skills in a resume?

In today's competitive labor market, it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate yourself from other job candidates. To successfully compete, you need to make sure that your resume delivers a powerfully compelling message that makes a positive first impression on hiring managers. One way to enhance your resume narrative is to include your relevant writing skills.

In this post, we will explain the following: 

Why writing skills are important in so many different industries

We'll examine the different types of writing abilities that employers may be looking for

We will also help you learn how to match your skills to your desired job role

We'll show you how to use achievements to highlight writing skills in your resume

We'll provide some examples showing you how to include writing skills in a resume and offer some tips you can use to enhance your writing ability

What are writing skills, and why are they important?

Many job seekers assume that they only need to include writing skills in a resume if they're seeking a job that involves a lot of writing. Obviously, the ability to communicate through the written word is an essential skill for people who create marketing presentations, reports, legal briefs, and similar documents. At the same time, though, those same skills are invaluable assets in many other fields as well.

That's because writing skills enable you to communicate ideas in a convincing way. People who possess these skills are often proficient in a wide array of communication styles, including everything from persuasive writing to the use of descriptive, technical, or creative writing. Effective writers also tend to excel in the use of good writing structure, grammar, punctuation, and messaging tone.

Employers who see writing skills on a resume will recognize you as someone whose communication skills can provide real value to any team. That's true whether you're seeking a job as a copywriter or pursuing a role in marketing, accounting, or management. 

The bottom line is clear: even if you're not seeking a job that regularly requires great writing skills, highlighting them in your resume can help set you apart from rival job seekers.

Types of writing skills for a resume

At this point, you might be wondering just how detailed you should be when describing your writing skills in your resume. The reality is that there are a host of distinct writing skills that can benefit you in various job roles. Let's take a moment and review some of the most common writing skills that employers might want to see:

Fundamental writing skills like grammar, punctuation, etc.

Business writing

Creative writing

Content writing

Technical writing

Email composition

Report writing

Grant writing

Collaborative writing

Media content creation

Social media writing

Presentation writing

Brand management

How to identify the right writing skills for the job

Before you just start listing different writing skills on your resume, it's important to ensure that you're aligning those skills with the employer's needs. The easiest way to do that is to use your research skills to examine the job posting and any role description you can find. 

Which specific writing skills are listed as required qualifications? 

What terms are used to describe those abilities? 

Create a list of all those skill requirements and focus on including them in your resume's skill section.

It can also be helpful to search the Internet for similar job resumes to see which skills are typically listed as core competencies. That can provide useful insight into what employers want to see from candidates in your field.

It's also vital to make sure you're using the same terms the employer used in their job posting since those terms may be keywords needed to satisfy applicant tracking systems, or ATS. 

You'll want to include those keywords throughout your resume to ensure the ATS software finds them during the automated screening process. That can improve your resume's chances of being seen by a hiring manager.

Use achievements to demonstrate your writing skills on a resume

As you create your list of writing skills, always focus on skills that you can demonstrate by referencing specific experiences and accomplishments. Employers understand that anyone can claim to possess certain skills. However, only truly skilled individuals will be able to back up those claims with real-life achievements. By citing those skills in the summary and work experience sections of your resume, you can more effectively demonstrate how your writing skills create real value for employers.

The following tips can help you create powerful achievement statements that demonstrate your writing skills in your resume.

Select writing skills that have achieved real results

Make sure that you include achievements that show how the writing skills in your resume were used to produce real results for employers. Your focus should be on using achievements to prove your skills. For example, if you've used those abilities to create client presentations that helped close deals, create an accomplishment statement that highlights that achievement.

Quantify the value your skills have provided

It is also vital that you quantify your achievements by including real numbers that reflect the value your skills can bring to any organization. Those numbers can demonstrate the amount of revenue that your writing skills helped to generate, increases in online engagement, time savings, cost reductions, or any other measurable achievement that contributed to your employers' profitability, productivity, and operational efficiency.

Create achievement statements

If you really want to make sure that employers understand the value of your writing skills, you can highlight those abilities throughout your resume. Obviously, you'll want to include some of the most prominent writing skills within your core competencies section, and in the bullet point achievements that you include in your professional experience section. For maximum impact, you can also include an achievement statement in your summary that emphasizes those skills.

Below, we'll show you how to highlight your writing skills in each of those key sections.Writing skills in your core competencies section

As you might imagine, your core competencies, or skills section, can be a great place to highlight these writing abilities. You can include some of your core writing skills in this section, along with other key technical abilities and relevant soft skills. Remember to use bullet points for your list and use two or three columns to format the section. 

Some of the key soft skills that complement writing expertise include:

Communication

Search engine optimization

Adaptability

Research techniques

Time management

Social media management

The ability to connect with audiences

Try to include a mix of these hard and soft skills. That will help employers understand that you not only have the technical abilities to perform the job but also possess the interpersonal skills you'll need to work effectively with others.

Related post : Soft Skills Explained - and the Top 7 for Your Resume

Writing skills in your resume summary

Your resume summary is another fantastic place to highlight writing skills in your resume. Obviously, it's one of the first things many employers read, and serves as your introduction to the reader. If writing skills are an important part of your resume narrative, you need to include some mention of them in this vital summary paragraph. 

The best way to do that is to add an achievement statement that demonstrates those talents. For example:

Dynamic Marketing Manager with 9 years of experience in strategic campaign development, team building, and project implementation. Skilled content creator with proficiency in online branding, search engine optimization strategies, and increased website traffic and sales engagement. Created multi-tiered email and social media content that reached 20,000 new customers monthly, increasing customer engagement by 22% and leading to a 17% boost in sales.

In that sample summary statement, the last sentence highlights the candidate's writing skills, providing hard numbers that quantify how their content provided real benefits to the employer. If you can create solid achievement statements that demonstrate this type of value, your accomplishments will help to convince employers that you have the skills you claim to possess.

Related post : Resume Profile Explained (with Examples)

Writing skills in your work experience section

It will come as no surprise that the best place to highlight and prove writing skills on your resume is in your work experience section. Here, you will want to use bullet-point achievement statements that quantify your results. For each job title you've included in this section, add between four and six of these bullet-point accomplishments using real numbers that demonstrate your value proposition.

Related post : 47 Accomplishment Examples for Your Resume: Expert Picks

How to list writing skills on a resume: examples

Below are some examples of the types of achievements you can include in these bullet point statements.

• Wrote ABC Corp. Sales Training Manual, revising onboarding and training techniques to reduce onboarding time by 17%; improved new salesperson sales results by 22% in their first six months on the job.
• Created presentation content for Alpha Bank proposed merger, helping overcome M&A negotiation barriers and facilitating $100 million acquisition.
• Crafted more than 500 blog posts, website landing pages, and email campaigns in two years, credited with 130% increase in customer online traffic and 12% increase in sales revenue.

You get the point. The key is to focus on your writing contributions, describing the challenge you faced, what you did to overcome that obstacle, and defining the results. 

If you find yourself struggling to condense those narratives into brief achievement statements, check out a related post: How to Create an Effective STAR Method Resume (With Examples) .

Tips to improve your writing skills

You may find it interesting to know that even professional writers actively work to further develop their writing skills. The reality is that everyone can benefit from continuing to develop their written communication skills, and that includes those who only use these skills on an occasional basis. 

So, how can you develop your writing skills to ensure that you have the abilities needed to make a great impression on employers? Below are some tips to guide you in that question.

1.     Return to the basics

Spend some time reacquainting yourself with writing fundamentals like grammar, spelling, and punctuation. You can find free resources online or take a class at a local community college if you need additional help.

2.     Read more

Believe it or not, regular reading is one of the biggest secrets to effective writing. Immerse yourself in the written word and pay attention to how other writers communicate to their audiences.

3.     Learn to use outlines

Another secret to effective writing is to learn how to create outlines. Before you begin to write any complex document, always start with an outline that provides a clear structure for your narrative.

4.     Practice writing

This cannot be emphasized enough: if you want to be a better writer, you have no choice but to write. Write something every day to ensure that your skills are constantly being used. Practice won't make you perfect, but it will make you better.

5.     Get used to creating drafts

Never assume that the first words you write will be your finished product. Instead, take your ideas and get them out of your head and into your document to create a first draft. Once that's done, you can go back and revise that content as much as needed to create the right message.

6.     Always do your homework

Don't underestimate the power of research. By doing your homework before you start writing, you can ensure that you write with conviction and authority. Readers are drawn to authentic content.

7.     Don't be afraid to delete unnecessary content

Never be afraid to delete words, sentences, or entire paragraphs that contribute little to your narrative. The best writers are always willing to abandon content that isn't achieving their goals.

Enhance your job search by including writing skills in your resume

When you want to highlight your writing skills on a resume, it's not enough to just say that you possess those abilities. Instead, you need to demonstrate those skills by providing real examples of measurable achievements. If you can do that, you'll have an easier time proving those writing skills to employers – which can help differentiate you from rival job seekers and improve your odds of landing an interview and job offer!

Want to make sure that the writing skills in your resume effectively convey your writing talent? Get a free resume review from our team of experts today!

Recommended reading:

Seven Key Resume Sections and How to Organize Them

11 Key Things to Put on Your Resume

17 Resume Tips to Get Seen and Hired Faster

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

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How do I update my resume to help land that job? Ask HR

Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your human resources questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest HR professional society and author of "Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.”

Have a question? Submit it here .

Question: Since leaving a job I have had for almost a decade, I have primarily conducted my job search online. I have used the same resume design since I started working 12 years ago. Should I update my resume design to be more effective? What do you recommend for building a modern resume? – Sandra

Answer: Updating your resume design can indeed be a wise move, especially if you've been using the same format for a long time. A fresh, modern design can help your resume stand out and leave a positive impression on recruiters and hiring managers. Here’s what I recommend for building a modern resume:

◾ Clean, professional layout: Opt for a layout that’s visually appealing and easy to read. Avoid cluttered designs and overly decorative elements that may distract from your content.

◾ Font selection: Stick to standard, easy-to-read fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. These fonts are widely accepted and compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), ensuring your résumé is easily scannable by both humans and software.

◾ Incorporate keywords: Tailor your resume to each job application by incorporating industry-specific keywords and phrases relevant to the position. Many companies use ATS to screen résumés, so this will increase the likelihood of your resume being noticed.

◾ Organized sections: Structure your resume into clear sections, including Contact Information, Summary or Objective, Work Experience, Skills, Education and any additional relevant sections such as Certifications or Volunteer Work. This organization makes it easy for recruiters to quickly find the information they need.

◾ Summary/objective statement: Start your résumé with a summary that highlights your key qualifications and career goals. Keep it concise, focusing on what sets you apart and what you aim to achieve in your career.

◾ Accomplishment-oriented experience: When listing your work experience, focus on highlighting your accomplishments, rather than just listing job duties. Use quantifiable achievements whenever possible, to demonstrate your impact, such as increasing sales by a certain percentage or leading successful projects.

◾ Skills section: Dedicate a section to showcasing your key skills and competencies, including both technical skills and soft skills relevant to the job. This section provides recruiters with a quick overview of your capabilities.

◾ Proofreading: Before submitting your resume, thoroughly proofread it to ensure there are no grammatical errors, typos, or formatting issues. Consider having someone else review your resume for feedback and additional insights.

By updating your resuméewith a modern design and incorporating these key elements, you can increase your chances of making a strong impression in today’s competitive job market. Good luck with your job search!

Ghosting a job Is it bad to ghost low priority potential employers? Ask HR

I've been denied PTO requests on multiple occasions, which is becoming increasingly frustrating. Most of them are denied on the grounds of staffing needs. Do I have any recourse in fighting these denials? What can I do to ensure PTO approvals? – Chanette

You may indeed have some recourse in addressing these denied paid time off requests. Start by reviewing your company's PTO policy and procedures. Many employers have specific guidelines regarding PTO requests, including deadlines for submission and limits on the number of employees who can be on leave simultaneously, to ensure adequate staffing levels.

First, check if your PTO requests were made in accordance with company policy. If they were not, ensure that you adhere to the established procedures for future requests, to increase the likelihood of approval.

However, if you followed company policy and your requests were still denied, consider discussing the matter with your manager or the human resources team. Seek clarification on the reasons for the denials and inquire about potential strategies to improve the approval rate for your requests.

It's also essential to consider whether your state mandates sick leave, and if your company uses PTO to fulfill those requirements. If so, your employer may be obligated to approve leave requests that align with qualifying reasons for sick leave under the law. If you’re uncertain about your state’s sick leave requirements, consult your HR team for clarification.

Ultimately, unless there is a contractual agreement or policy stating otherwise, employers typically have discretion in managing PTO usage. However, by following company procedures and addressing your concerns with management or HR, you may increase the likelihood of having your PTO requests approved more frequently.

Salaried, nonexempt What does that mean? Ask HR

Why You Shouldn't Write A 'One-Size-Fits-All' Resume

Today I am going to debunk a common misconception on effective resume writing: the resume magic that will solve your keyword problems for passing Applicant Tracking Systems (“ATS") once and for all.

Related: Does Your Resume Get Along With Your Personal Brand?

Recently, one of my clients forwarded to me about 15 job postings he was interested in. While this alone might already seem a bit lavish (I generally only request two to three job postings for my writing process), the client asked me to include “all the relevant keywords" from these job postings into his resume. Neither would I have been able to do this, nor did I feel like doing this. Why? Because it would not have served the purpose of my client: getting job interviews.

Individualizing is the key

Think about the fashion industry, just give it a go.

• 5 BIG Career Change Mistakes ›
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• 7 Things That May Surprise You About The Job Search Process ›
• 4 Ways To Make Sure Your Resume Doesn't Get Trashed Immediately - Work It Daily ›

Spring Cleaning: 4 Ways To Fix Your Job Search

Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.

In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.

For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.

Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach

Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:

• How did I learn about this job?
• How did I apply for the job?
• Did I earn an interview?
• What was the ultimate result?

A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:

Negative Trends

You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.

The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations , and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.

One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.

The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.

This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.

Positive Trends

You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.

The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview . This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.

The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback , and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.

Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.

The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.

Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention

Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.

Let's start with resumes!

Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers . It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.

The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.

Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.

While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.

As for writing a good cover letter , the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter . When you write a disruptive cover letter , you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.

If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.

Build Your Personal Brand

Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand .

Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"

Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.

By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.

You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.

Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search

Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.

There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:

• Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
• Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
• Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle , even better!

Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!

Need more help with your job search?

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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