When you take out that resume from five or ten (or more) years ago, you should do more than simply add your most information on the top. Check for these often overlooked problems:
- Verb tense. Your previous job is now in the past. Make sure you change all the verbs from the present tense (“Manage 5 person department”) to the past tense (“Managed 5 person department”).
- Contact information. You probably have a cell phone, email address and LinkedIn bio now; add that contact information and make sure your home phone and address are still current.
- The amount of space you give each previous position. Is your first job out of college even relevant? You may be better off dropping earlier jobs or listing them only by title and name of company under “Previous Employment” or some other generic title.
- Fussy formatting. You will likely submit your resume electronically, not on paper; in any case, the HR department will enter it into an electronic Application Tracking System. Formatting that used to make paper resumes stand out simply gets in the way now.
Do not let your resume define you as inattentive to detail and out of touch with today’s world. As a professional resume writer, my job is to make sure that your resume portrays you in the best possible light for today’s marketplace. Contact Robin’s Resumes® to find out how I can help with your resume update.