by Dawn Klingensmith / © CTW Features.
Whether you’re an experienced worker re-entering the job market or a recent college graduate, it may be time to freshen the look and content of your résumé. That’s because employers’ expectations and preferences have changed in recent years, and college career counselors may not be up on the latest résumé conventions.
Here are 16 ways to modernize your résumé.
Centering your name and contact information in a vertical stack wastes space and looks stodgy. Try keeping your contact info on a single line beneath your name, separated by even spacing.
“It’s almost old-school to include a street address,” says Wendy Enelow, co-author with Louise Kursmark of the upcoming Modernize Your Résumé. Include only your telephone number, email address and perhaps your city and state, if you’re limiting your job search geographically.
Fair or not, an AOL address may signal that its owner is stuck in the 1990s.
Also, include social media handles and your website or blog URLs if the content is relevant to your industry and highlights your expertise. If you haven’t already done so, claim your custom LinkedIn URL.
“It’s outdated and speaks to your own wants, not the employer's needs,” says certified professional résumé writer Lorie Lebert. Replace it with a profile section, personal branding statement or professional summary that makes clear the value you’ll bring to that particular employer. You can use a sentence or two, bullet points, or both.
“Professional Summary” adds nothing and takes up space, whereas a headline sums up your value proposition and differentiators. Example: Bilingual EMT with urban search and rescue certification.
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