Three Ways to Update Your Resume

Spring is here, and with it, a sense of possibility. Perhaps you’re thinking of updating your resume. Where should you start?

1. Ditch the objective, add a summary.

A career objective is so… 2010. Time to take your resume into 2017. A summary can include a bulleted skill list, a few sentences on why you’re so amazing, and sum up the years of experience you have, especially if you’re a career changer. A heading with your job title on it can cap the section, and then you can flow into your experience. Like so:

Testudo Terp
College Park, MD, XXX-XXX-XXXX linkedin/in/testudo
Diamondback Terrapin

Flexible, enthusiastic reptile with good manual dexterity and unlimited school spirit. Capable leader not afraid to come out of his shell. Looks especially good decked in red, gold and black.

2. Action verbs.

Friends don’t let friends use limp, passive, soggy verbs. So I beg you, I implore you, I … okay, enough verbs… I’m telling you, you’ve gotta use a good verb. Especially since they often follow a design element like a bullet, so they stand out if they’re repetitive. Stumped about verbs for your profession? Look it up on www.onetonline.org, the Dept. of Labor’s web site on occupations. Check out the tasks section for ideas.

3. Tech, tech, tech.

It’s essential in so many professions. Are you up-to-date? Have you learned any software that you haven’t added to your resume yet? Anyone worried about looking old on their resume can remedy it with this section. To add software, you need a working knowledge. That doesn’t have to come on the job. You can play with it in your own time. As long as you can honestly make yourself useful in that application on the job, you can add it. Pay close attention to what’s essential in your profession and make sure you have those skills.

Get these three things up to date, and you can more confidently email off your applications. And don’t forget to get another person to read your resume over. Second and third opinions on things like grammar and tone of voice are crucial for even the best writer. Good luck, and May the Fourth be with you!