Back in the days when job hunting was done through the classifieds section in the newspaper, it may have been manageable to send across one resume to all the places you were applying to. But today, the job-hunting process has changed, and we all know the fact that keeping a resume updated with resume building services delivers the best results.
Since college graduates have limited information to be updated in their resume, individuals who recently joined a new company and are heading to look for a second job should update their resume using a professional experienced resume format and consider some relevant factors in mind.
Below are some of the segments you need to tweak:
Table of Contents
1. Rearrange the order
When you were a fresh graduate, you probably added the education on one of the initial sections of your resume. This time, when you already have gained working experience, mention the section ‘work Experience’ as one of your first sections. Understand the image of an ideal candidate that a company wishes to hire. A company wants to see a candidate with all skills and qualifications relevant for the job opening. To get it more precise to the job you are applying for, make a note of all the qualifications, skills, and experience that are required for the job. From the description, pull out specific keywords and phrases and use them in your resume.
It is true to say that many employers consider a candidate’s work experience to be the most important section of a resume when it comes to deciding if they are right for the role. Employers read this first to get an overview of your employment history, and it is often a key factor in deciding whether or not to progress with your application – so it makes sense to put this information first for ease of reading.
2. Tweak the Objective
Your resume objective or profile summary should be tweaked a little according to the company. For a little extra punch, you might want to add what responsibilities you have in your previous organization. For example, if your objective mentions ‘to work in a challenging and dynamic environment where I can utilize my managerial skills…’ you could cite something like, ‘ I am equipped with analytical skills and have experience in handling and interpreting data.’ Once the person reading your resume sees that you carry an experience, it is undoubtedly going to leave an impression on him, as it showcases that you have put some thought into your CV, before sending it out.
3. Edit your Work Experience Section or Add It
You should always remember to mention the most relevant duties in your job description. In your current position or the previous one, there may be a list of things that are a part of your duties and responsibilities. Now is the time to add most of it. In a situation like this, you should mention responsibilities that are similar or close to the ones mentioned in the job description. Your prospective employer needs not know everything you did in your previous job; just the relevant experience will be enough. Making your CV unnecessarily lengthy is not going to earn you brownie points. However, be sure to list detailed information about each role, including the name of the company you worked for, the location of where the company is based, the job title you assumed, your responsibilities, any promotions you earned, and the dates of your employment.
Having an up-to-date employment section on your resume is essential. By having this information on your resume, potential employers will see the hands-on experience and knowledge you have. They will also be able to see what type of environments you have worked in and will be able to get a better understanding of how you might be suitable for the role you are applying for. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a role as a nurse practitioner in Texas or you are searching for a new opportunity as a teacher; having a resume that is current will put you in good stead for the best vacancies available.
4. Expand Skill Section
Personal branding is relevant for getting noticed, be it at the workplace or in your job application. Once you have the expertise, you need an influential resume now that conveys your strengths. To edit your skill section while you update your resume after the first job, you first need to analyze what your upcoming employer is looking for. And, include keywords in this section that mainly defines the job vacancy and add skills accordingly. Demonstrate through a real experience you had in your previous or current job. You can add skills following the way. If you can list brief examples of where you have used your skills, this will show potential employers that you are adept and can back up your claims.
Soft Skills
- Did you display leadership or teamwork? (Leadership and Teamwork)
- Did any of your ideas was converted to a project (Innovative)
- How much did you accomplish (Achiever, hard-working)
Technical Skills
Add technical skills related to your profile and the job you are or going to apply for. If you are into analytics background, you must include skills like:
- Proficient in programming languages Python, SQL
- Expert in preparing report based analysis
5. See Past Position in a New Light
If you think that your past job doesn’t match the requirement of the company you are applying for, don’t you worry. All you need to do is put in a little additional effort and time, and you should be able to word your skills differently.
For example: If you are a photographer and are applying for a job of a director, then mention your experience with the camera and lighting and how you would be able to shoot a film differently in your first job, cause you will not be afraid to experiment, focus on your skills more than your previous responsibilities.
Once you are through with making all the necessary information and tweaking details to your advantage, do a quick review of your resume.
6. Keep it Snappy
Tailoring your CV to the job descriptions of the roles you are applying for can be a time-consuming task. However, it is important to spend time doing this because this could be the difference between getting invited to an interview or having your CV thrown in the trash. Hiring managers don’t want to have to trawl through multiple pages of your resume, and often they only have time to do a quick scan. In this case, it is important to keep your CV to just two sides of A4 paper at most. This means you might have to get rid of any outdated information and skills that are irrelevant to the role you are submitting an application to.
7. Make it Readable
Leading on from this, it’s vital to ensure that your CV is easy to read in terms of the document’s formatting. It’s best to stick to a font and font size that is clear and readable and to break up the information on your CV as much as possible using bullet points and headings. It is also vital to ensure that you submit your CV in the correct file format – double to check to see if the file needs to be in a Word document format or a PDF. Avoid sending your CV off in any other format unless stated on the job advert. Submitting your CV in the wrong file format could be costly as hiring managers may not be able to open it.
8. Update Your Contact Details
This might seem obvious, but it is something that can often be overlooked if you haven’t updated your resume in a while. You will be focused on crafting killer skills, employment history, education, and personal profile sections on your CV. Still, it’s also important to check that your contact details are up to date. If you’ve changed your phone number or email address, be sure to update these. Also, be sure to double-check that they are correct, as a typo in your contact details could spell disaster and mean a potential employer has no means of contacting you.
9. Perform Final Check
Check if you have:
- Stated all the essential skills, experience, qualifications, and credentials?
- Made it a point to use all the keywords from the list you prepared while studying the job description?
- Removed your college references?
- Removed outdated information about high school or college sport or any clubs?
- Mentioned all things correctly without lying in your resume? If your answer to the above questions is yes, your first draft is prepared.
Opt for a perfect resume format and update the resume after the first job accordingly. After that, ask a colleague or friend to proofread it for you, and if there are no errors, then your resume is good to go to impress the hiring manager. Scan your cover letter and resume with online tools available to check the grammar. Then once again, read it completely before you click on that send button.
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