How To Improve A Resume?

Crafting a standout resume is crucial in today’s competitive job market. Knowing how to improve a resume can mean the difference between landing an interview or getting overlooked.

No matter your background, a strong resume is key. It shows your skills, experience, and achievements. This guide will show you how to improve your resume. We’ll cover steps to tailor it for specific roles and format it for clarity.

With these practical tips, you’ll be ready to present yourself as the ideal candidate and move one step closer to your career goals.

Understanding What Makes A Strong Resume

A strong resume is more than a list of jobs—it’s a tailored snapshot highlighting your skills, achievements, and fit for a specific role. Here are four key elements to creating a resume that gets noticed:

1. Relevance To The Job

Hiring managers scan resumes in seconds, looking for a clear match to their job description. Highlight experiences, skills, and achievements that directly relate to the role you’re applying for. Tailoring each resume to the job helps you stand out and shows you’ve put effort into matching the company’s needs.

2. Easy-To-Read Formatting

Hiring managers appreciate resumes that are clear, organized, and easy to skim. For a clean look, use consistent formatting with bold section headings, bullet points, and white space. Stick to simple fonts and standard formats that ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) can easily scan. Clear, professional formatting makes it easier for hiring managers to see your qualifications at a glance.

3. Quantified Achievements

Quantifying your achievements is one of the best ways to show impact. Numbers add credibility to your experiences, making you look results-driven and capable of making a difference. Instead of “Managed a team,” say, “Managed a team of five, improving project completion time by 25%.” This shows not only what you did but also the results you achieved.

4. Optimization For Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Most companies use ATS to filter resumes, so using keywords from the job description is crucial. Look for specific skills, job titles, and qualifications in the posting, and naturally incorporate those terms into your resume. This step helps your resume get past initial digital screenings to reach a hiring manager’s hands.

Step-By-Step Guide To Improving Your Resume

Improving your resume doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Follow these focused steps to make sure your resume aligns with what employers are looking for and grabs their attention.

1. Tailor Your Resume For Each Job

Every job is unique, and your resume should be, too. Tailoring your resume shows employers you’re serious about the specific role you’re applying for.

• Customize Job Titles And Skills – Adjust your job titles and listed skills to reflect what’s in the job description. For example, if you held a “Project Coordinator” role but the job calls for a “Project Manager,” consider adjusting the title. Use “Project Manager” if it reflects your responsibilities.
• Focus On Relevant Experience – Highlight roles, responsibilities, and achievements directly relevant to your desired position. This makes it easy for hiring managers to see your qualifications at a glance.
• Keywords – Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes for relevant keywords. Find keywords in the job listing. Use them in your resume, especially in your experience and skills sections.

2. Use Strong Action Verbs

Starting each bullet point with a strong action verb adds impact and demonstrates your contributions. It makes a resume feel energetic and shows initiative.

• Avoid Passive Language – Passive language tends to weaken your message. Use strong action verbs like “led,” “achieved,” and “improved.” They make your accomplishments clearer and more impactful.
• Highlight Leadership And Impact – Choose words that show how you made a difference. Phrases like “led a team of…” or “improved efficiency by…” clearly show your proactive role and achievements.

3. Quantify Achievements

When possible, back up your accomplishments with specific numbers. Quantifying your achievements makes them more tangible and memorable.

• Add Metrics – Use numbers to boost your impact. For example, say, “Increased monthly revenue by 25%,” or, “Handled 50+ customer interactions daily with a 95% satisfaction rating.”
• Demonstrate Problem-Solving – Quantitative results also show problem-solving skills. For example, “Decreased inventory costs by 15% through optimized supplier selection” shows you can make data-driven improvements.

4. Optimize For ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems)

To ensure your resume makes it through ATS filters, consider how you format and organize it.

• Use Relevant Keywords—ATS software searches for relevant terms in the job description, so include them naturally in your experience and skills sections.
• Format Appropriately – Stick to simple fonts, clear headings, and avoid complex designs that may not translate well in ATS. Decorative fonts or graphics can sometimes cause an ATS to misinterpret key information.
• Use Simple Section Headings – Label each section clearly with standard titles like “Work Experience” and “Education.” This makes it easy for ATS and hiring managers to find essential details quickly.

5. Enhance The Design And Format

Good design doesn’t mean flashy. A simple, clean layout helps your resume look polished and professional.

• Choose A Professional Font And Layout – Use professional fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri. Use a clean, simple layout. Consistent formatting shows attention to detail.
• Use Bulleted Lists For Readability – Bullets help break up text and make it easier for hiring managers to quickly spot key achievements.
• Keep Length Appropriate – For most applicants, a one-page resume is ideal, while those with extensive experience can go up to two pages.

6. Focus On Your Summary Or Objective Statement

This section is often the first thing hiring managers read, so make it count.

• Craft A Compelling Summary – Don’t just list your job history. Summarize the top skills and achievements that make you a great fit. “Marketing expert with a record of raising brand awareness and engagement.”
• Avoid General Statements – Avoid vague or generic phrases like “hard-working” or “team player.” Be specific and clearly align your summary with the role you’re aiming for.

7. Highlight Relevant Skills

• List Key Hard And Soft Skills – Emphasize the skills most relevant to the role, balancing technical abilities with soft skills such as communication, teamwork, or leadership.
• Separate Technical Skills—If your role demands specific technical knowledge, like proficiency in software or tools, include a dedicated section. This helps recruiters and the ATS quickly identify your technical qualifications.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Knowing what to leave off a resume is as important as knowing what to include. Here are some common mistakes that can weaken an otherwise strong resume:

• Overloading With Irrelevant Details: Including every job or listing irrelevant skills can hurt your main strengths. Instead, focus on experiences directly related to the role you’re seeking. For a marketing job, omit unrelated, old roles. Prioritize recent, relevant achievements.
• Using Vague Descriptions: Avoid phrases like “responsible for” or “worked on.” Instead, describe your responsibilities and achievements with specific actions and measurable outcomes. Instead of saying, “worked on team projects,” say, “led a team of five in developing a new client proposal, which increased sales by 25%.”
• Including Personal Information: It’s no longer necessary (or advisable) to include details like marital status, age, or a list of references. These can be outdated, and space is better used to highlight your professional value. Unless the job posting specifically requests it, leave these out.

Examples Of Effective Resume Improvements

Transformed bullet points and summary statements can show the difference between a generic resume and a standout one. Examples can help.

• Before And After Bullet Points: Here’s an example of how to turn a vague statement into a strong, impactful bullet point:
  • Before: “Handled customer complaints and inquiries.”
  • After: “Resolved 30+ customer inquiries daily with a 95% satisfaction rate, reducing complaint escalation by 20% within six months.”
• Use specific metrics, action words, and results to turn basic tasks into quantifiable achievements.
• Improved Summary Example An engaging summary statement can make a great first impression. Here’s an example of a weak vs. strong summary:
  • Weak: “Hardworking professional with customer service experience.”
  • Strong: “Results-driven customer service specialist with five years of experience resolving complex issues and enhancing customer satisfaction by 30%.”
• The better summary is specific. It cites years of experience and key achievements that match employers’ interests.

Final Tips For Polishing Your Resume

As you make these changes, here are some final steps to ensure your resume is ready for submission:

• Proofread Carefully Even small errors can detract from your professionalism, so be diligent in checking for typos, grammatical errors, and formatting issues. Use tools like Grammarly or read the resume aloud to catch mistakes.
• Get Feedback Fresh perspectives can reveal areas for improvement you may not have noticed. Ask trusted mentors, peers, or career professionals to review your resume and provide constructive feedback.
• Update Regularly Keep your resume current by revisiting it every six months or after significant achievements. Regular updates ensure you won’t miss out on showcasing recent accomplishments or relevant skills.

FAQs

Conclusion

Improving your resume is a step-by-step process. Small changes can greatly help you stand out to hiring managers. You can be a strong candidate. Avoid common mistakes, use good examples, and keep your resume polished.

Tailoring your resume for each role shows attention to detail. It also boosts your chances of success in your job search. Start with small improvements today. You’ll soon see their impact on your job search.