Improve your resume in 30 minutes or less

Want to tweak your resume for a job, but don’t have hours to get it all done? Then, you have come to the right article!

Updating your resume for a new job application may feel like a Herculean task, especially if you are tired after a hard day of work. However, if you know a few basic tips about revamping your resume, you can make some lasting changes to the document in a very short time. Here’s how you can do it:

Up the wow factor of your summary statement

Do you have a resume summary? Then, it is time to improve it to turn heads in the job market. But first, you need to gather a few pieces of important information. You should identify three of your most relevant and impressive professional achievements, hard skills, soft skills, and experiences. Once you have the list ready, you can choose the ones that are the most relevant to your target job title to be displayed on your new resume summary. Have no idea how to present your achievements in an impactful manner? Get the help of a professional resume writer!

Display your skills upfront

It is customary to mention important keywords toward the top one-third of your resume when you want to impress a hiring manager. You already know that most potential employers spend less than seven seconds reviewing a resume. If you want them to notice the most important skills and keywords first, you should display them first on your resume. Move your skills section right below the summary statement. Also, take the time to review the skills section and remove any skills that are outdated or unnecessary. Use bullet points to highlight 10-15 relevant skills on your resume.

Highlight certifications and licenses

You don’t have the time to revamp your entire resume within just 30 minutes. What you can do with this time is to add important facts to your resume to sway the hiring decision. Your certifications, licenses, and special training come into play here. Hiring managers admire candidates who are committed to career development through continuing education. Therefore, create a dedicated Certifications and Licenses section for your resume to display relevant qualifications.

Incorporate metrics into the work history

Take a good look at the work experience section of your resume. Does it appear as a mass of text? Then, you have to improve the readability of the career history. First, replace long paragraphs with short bullet points that concisely present important achievements from your career. You can start each bullet point with an action verb. Once you have done that, it is time to quantify the professional achievements on your resume. Use numbers, percentages, and metrics to bring out the impact of your results through your resume.

Review for mistakes

Now we come to one of the most important steps in revamping your resume –proofreading. This is a step that you cannot forgo. You should read and review your resume carefully to ensure that there are no spelling and grammar errors in the document. Here are a few tips to proofread your resume successfully:

• Proofread your resume at least two hours after you have written it
• Look for alignment and spacing issues when proofreading your resume
• Check for the use of proper tenses and sentence structures
• Review your resume for redundancies and overused phrases
• Seek feedback from a family member or a colleague to proofread the resume
• Scan for job-related keywords to test how easily spotted they are
• Look for spelling and grammar mistakes using an AI tool