This article is part of the Money January 2022 digital cover, which features 22 ways to make 2022 the best money year of your life. Browse all 22 articles here.
Today’s job search landscape is almost unrecognizable from what we’ve seen before .
Reading: How to create a good resume 2022
So many people are working from home these days that many companies are now considering remote work as standard practice. Others are struggling to recover from the layoffs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic or are among the growing number of workers who have quit their jobs in recent months – a group large enough to use the term ” the great resignation”. p>
No matter what boat you’re in, it’s probably high time to refresh your resume. But be warned: These days, more than ever, hiring managers will not tolerate fools.
“Everyone is tired and attention spans are short,” says Dana Leavy-Detrick, founder of Brooklyn Resume Studio. “It’s far more important to be concise and effective.”
Money teamed up with Leavy-Detrick to create an effective resume for the year ahead. Whether you’re starting from scratch or want to see what new opportunities are opening up in your field, here’s how to write a resume worthy of your dream job — and a free resume template to boot.
( Resume design courtesy of Dana Leavy-Detrick (click here for a free downloadable template)
1. Choose a classic resume format and font
When it comes to resume format and design, go for a clean layout. A 2018 study by job board Ladders found that resumes with so-called F-pattern and E-pattern layouts, which mimic how our eyes scan web pages, hold a recruiter’s attention longer than those in the middle or left-right aligned.
A word about fonts: There’s no single “best” font for resumes, but you should use the same font style everywhere, says Leavy-Detrick. Play with different weights and sizes to draw a recruiter’s attention to important parts of your resume (check out the bold numbers in our resume template for ideas). Sans serif fonts like Arial or Calibri are usually good choices.
2. Don’t be afraid to be bold
If you’re applying for a job in investment banking, a pink resume probably won’t do you any favors. But subtle pops of color, like the orange used here, will work for almost everyone.
Of course, another strategy for making your resume stand out is the content you put on it. In 2022, you’ll receive additional recognition for emphasizing your resilience. How have you dealt with change and managed your time during the strangest two years most of us have experienced? Has your team kept engaged and reduced turnover? Formed corporate culture in a hybrid work environment – where colleagues now live in different cities and maybe even in different time zones?
“The work environment has changed,” says Leavy-Detrick. “Employers had to adapt” Prove you can too.
3. Add a bulleted skills section
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Skip the resume objective (nobody cares what you’re “looking for”) and lead with the good stuff instead. At the top of your resume, you should include “important keywords and a brief snapshot of your core strengths,” says Leavy-Detrick. Bullet points are a solid choice—they’ll get noticed even if someone is just skimming your resume.
Hard skills (tangible qualities that can be easily measured) also take precedence here, so highlight them appropriately. If you work in a tech-oriented field, software and programming skills are what employers want to see on your resume. If you’re in a creative industry, design and communication skills might be your best bet.
This is another opportunity to show how you’ve helped your company “dissipate change” since the pandemic hit “, Leavy- Detrick says: Tech skills that prove you have new digital know-how, even if it’s only possible with Zoom and Slack, are fair game.
4. Show how you make a difference
List your relevant work experiences in reverse chronological order, using action verbs (‘created’, ‘led’, ‘carried out’) where appropriate riate.
Don’t just list your old job titles. To prove you’re worth a hiring manager’s time, you need to highlight some specific “wins.” Statistics that build on your area of expertise are most impactful — bonus points if they show a track record of growth, revenue, and profitability, says Leavy-Detrick.
If you draw a gap, she suggests they add resume skills that can help solve a “problem area” for the company you’re applying to.
“Impact doesn’t always have to be measured by metrics,” she says. “Cultural improvements, special projects, customer growth…anything that shows success can work.”
Keep things short and sweet — don’t try to list as many projects and responsibilities as possible, Leavy-Detrick advises .
“Focus on a few key takeaways,” she says. “Really try to make this a ‘best of’ document.”
5.Add and optimize critical keywords
Don’t make the mistake of responding to every application with the same generic resume. Instead, take a few extra minutes to transfer it to the keywords and phrases in the ad. You’re much more likely to make it through to the next round of hiring, especially if an applicant tracking system (a computer program used to sort out candidates) has something to do with it.
Avoid cramming into so many keywords as possible, or repeating the same words over and over again—you end up sounding like a bot yourself. But “get as close as possible to the language of the job description,” says Leavy-Detrick. In our example resume, we added keywords from job postings—“marketing services,” “compliance,” “corporate communications”—in a way that sounds natural. (“Make sure you’re talking to those robots, but also to humans,” says Leavy-Detrick.)
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Here’s another tip: If you plan to cast a wide net by using a Upload a generic resume to your LinkedIn or Indeed profile, make sure it’s tailored to the principal position you’re seeking – then update your keywords if you’re applying to non-standard positions.
6. Know what to leave off your resume
Millions of workers have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic, and many are still trying to find employment today.
The silver lining , Leavy-Detrick says employers have had to relax some outdated hiring practices as a result. Most notable? Job seekers with a large employment gap on their CV – which used to be seen as a big red flag – get a pass.
If your job has been a victim of COVID layoffs, it pays to show how you’ve stayed active and in the meantime, keep your skills up-to-date—by earning professional certification, attending virtual webinars, or otherwise.
Be demanding with the rest of the content: don’t add salary requirements, Add infographics or photos. You can also leave out your home address, especially if you’re applying for a remote position or hoping to convince a hiring manager to consider a remote candidate.
Finally, avoid the temptation to tick everyone off job you’ve ever had.
“The resume is a high-level snapshot of your skills, experience and accomplishments,” says Leavy-Detrick. When a hiring manager has to go through a really bulky document, “they’re more likely to forget key tasks.”
Anything beyond that is best left for the cover letter.
More from money:
Use this script to ask for a raise in 2022
Here’s a new hack to find out how much a job actually pays
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