118 Resume Tips for 2018

There are a wealth of tips and best practices that professionals can employ to raise the value of their resume. However, no two job seekers are exactly alike, therefore, what works for one person’s resume may not work for another. 

Truly, the best resume tip of all is that there is No One Way to Write a Resume!  The following 118 bite-sized tips are designed for quick reference and easy application. Lots of links are included to additional resources and posts to help you further explore ideas and apply what works best…for YOU!

118 Resume Tips for 2018:

1. Pick out a job target before you start
2. Exploring multiple job paths? Create a unique resume for each
3. Changing careers? Be ready to highlight transferable skills
4. Research target role requirements and job functions carefully
5. Identify top job skills to translate into your file
6. Tailor resume content for each job target
7. Customize content for every job – general resumes don’t work
8. Align your skills with the posting requirements
9. Highlight job requirements from the job posting
10. Present immediate value
11. Clearly demonstrate why you are the candidate of choice
12. Use the targeted job title as your resume header
13. Use a resume format that works best for you
14. Avoid templates; these don’t account for strategy
15. Add contact information so employers can connect with you
16. Include a link to your LinkedIn profile
17. Showcase social media addresses, your website, or personal blog
18. Create a human-friendly format for in-person or networking purposes
19. Keep your resume format industry-appropriate
20. Consider how ATS (applicant tracking system) will read your resume
21. Research how ATS works
22. Develop a computer-friendly format for ATS
23. Eliminate certain design components to support ATS compliance
24. Avoid placing content in the document header or footer (won’t be read by ATS)
25. Don’t try to ‘game the system’ by overpopulating your file with keywords; it won’t work
26. ‘Know thyself’ before starting to write your resume
27. Locate your 10% difference
28. Employ professional assistance if you aren’t sure of your unique value
29. Develop a value proposition
30. Identify your brand and support it throughout the resume
31. Create a strong tagline or headline
32. Write for the job you want; not for the job you have
33. Cut back on tasks-based content
34. Demonstrate success in every role
35. Provide examples of how the application of your skills results in positive outcomes
36. Ensure content is scalable and measurable
37. Share accomplishment-driven stories
38. Promote yourself with purpose
39. Keep content compelling and engaging
40. De-emphasize unrelated roles
41. Brainstorm Challenges, Actions, and Results (CAR) and turn them into action points
42. Consider which resume sections will sell you best and showcase them
43. Create a Skills or Core Competencies section
44. Feature top results in a Qualifications or Achievements section
45. Do you have related volunteer work? Add this section
46. Targeting a technical role? Consider a Technical Skills section
47. Try a unique section header like “Career Evolution” or “Leadership Impacts”
48. Minimize focus on unrelated work history
49. Keep work history or experience to recent 10-15 years
50. Add Education. Older workers might remove graduation years
51. Don’t forget to mention professional development (courses, certifications, etc.)
52. Use strategic content to de-emphasize any employment gaps
53. Demonstrate results
54. Sell don’t tell
55. Highlight top career achievements
56. Lead with results and front-load points throughout
57. Laden the resume with metrics
58. Focus on how you impacted the bottom line
59. Quantify details by answering: how much, how many, how often
60. Add oomph with specific $, %, or #
61. Provide the proof
62. Share strong career ‘stories’
63. Emphasize growth, revenue expansion, and cost-savings
64. Employ strong keywords
65. Use an active voice with lots of active words
66. Pepper industry words and phrases throughout
67. Support keywords with concrete examples
68. Vary your word selection
69. Use the job posting to identify which keywords are best
70. Create a word cloud from the job posting to identify top words
71. Avoid common resume mistakes
72. Ensure content doesn’t miss the mark. Customize!
73. Evade the career obituary…a list of “everything you’ve ever done”
74. No need to list all career history: 15 years is typically sufficient
75. Steer clear of dense text or heavy paragraphs
76. Remove the line “References Available Upon Request”
77. Keep personal pronouns off the resume
78. Proofread!
79. Use proper spelling and grammar
80. Don’t go on and on and on and on…
81. Fill every page fully or use less pages
82. Use a thoughtful Career Summary versus an objective statement
83. Avoid using the same resume for every application. Customize!
84. Tune out misinformed resume opinions. Get your tips from qualified sources
85. Never copy content from someone else’s resume
86. Don’t cram content onto one page if you need more space
87. Sharpen resume content by reducing wordiness or fluffy fillers
88. Remove extra words like of, the, a
89. Avoid word widows or orphans
90. Vary your action verbs
91. Order content from most relevant to least relevant
92. Leverage the top 1/3 of the resume to sell yourself
93. Watch the length!
94. Maximize metrics and wow with results
95. Remember: sometimes less is more and longer isn’t better
96. Aim to be informative and descriptive
97. Be consistent: if you spell out numbers above 10, do it always
98. Engage modern, well-suited design components
99. Use a distinct presentation that is suitable for your industry
100. Consider a graphic resume
101. Use a chart or try some color
102. Graph impacts and results
103. Include appropriate white space; make it easy to read
104. Bullet key points
105. Make content pop with boxes, shapes, or Smart Art
106. Include strong, on-brand testimonials
107. Try a mix of fonts, but sparingly
108. Don’t let design get garish or cutesy
109. Keep font size between 10 to 12
110. Content is king, but presentation matters too
111. Think quality over quantity
112. Remember, less can be more
113. Overview job duties in a succinct manner; focus more on your achievements
114. Keep bulleted points to just 2 or 3 lines
115. Never lie in your resume
116. Stay away from superlatives like excellent or superior
117. Be prepared to speak on every resume point
118. Keep abreast resume trends because this important career tool is always evolving!