Tips to Refresh Your Resume

When it comes to resume success, the name of the game is FRESH. An up-to-date resume that incorporates the language and formatting today’s employers want to see will be the ticket to getting an interview.

Focus on these “freshen up” tips to get your resume in tip-top shape.

• Make your name and title stand out

Just as your name and title take center stage on a business card, they should do the same on your resume. Using a larger, bolded font, set your name apart from the rest of the document’s text. Position your title in a slightly smaller font and italicized if you like, directly below your name. But first, consider the commonality of your position title. If your company utilizes snazzy, internally created job titles—ones that would mean next to nothing outside of the company—translate this uncommon label into something more generic that will be widely understood by those perusing your resume.

• Intro statements are IN; Objective Statements OUT

In the past, those in the know instructed job seekers to open resumes with an Objective Statement that declared the type of job the candidate desired. Scratch that advice and, instead, opt for a better approach to this crucial opening paragraph. Use this space to highlight the essential qualifications for this specific opening—traits that you possess that qualify you for this position. Update this two-to-three-sentence “elevator pitch” as needed to highlight your credentials, making it as relevant as possible to each specific job.

• Include stats, numbers, specifics

 LeaderStat recruiters suggest, “If you can quantify the result of your accomplishments, hiring managers can see exactly what you bring to the organization.”

So, think in terms of specifics and details. Rather than list experience as “a unit manager,” include the stats and details that better define your abilities. “Managed 27 nurses and CNAs in a 50-bed memory care unit” provides a much more accurate description of your skillset.

Check out the LeaderStat post titled, “By the Numbers: Make Your Healthcare Resume Stand Out” for more tips on including stats, numbers, and specifics to call attention to your achievements.

• Choose an accomplishments-driven approach

Not only is “responsible for blah, blah, blah” a yawn-worthy way to detail job responsibilities, but it also does little to speak to your abilities, because “responsible for” does not necessarily equate to positive results. An accomplishments-driven approach, utilizing action verbs and phrases to describe your past and current job performance, will make an impact. 

LeaderStat’s post on “Word Choices that will Make Your Resume Stand Out” suggests avoiding clichés, flowery language, and wordiness. 

• Seek professional advice

Every time your resume goes out, make it your goal to blow away the competition. Creating a document that can accomplish this on your own will be tough. That’s where a LeaderStat recruiter can help. As experts in the recruiting field, our recruiters are adept at strategically utilizing content to assist a candidate in realizing his/her professional goals.

A LeaderStat recruiter will work with you to create a fresh, attention-grabbing resume that highlights the unique skillset and personality traits you bring to the table. Our expertise, combined with your quality characteristics, can’t help but be a winning combination.