What’s new with resumes?

July 26, 2017

What’s new with resumes? What makes a modern format? Here are a few tips:

Resumes have changed a lot since Leonardo da Vinci handwrote the first official resume 500+ years ago. They’ve been typed, printed, faxed, emailed and posted online. Today, there are video resumes, infographic resumes and social resumes like those on LinkedIn, with more visuals and multimedia presentations.

Some people believe your online profile—a combination of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram posts, and personal web sites—will take the place of traditional resumes. But don’t abandon your resume just yet! Most companies still require a traditional resume and use social media links or supplemental information. Your resume is still your calling card in the job world.

Here are five trends to modernize your resume and make it easier to power browse! (whether you
print it, email it or post it to a social networking site:

  1. Keep content in short, scannable sound bites By scannable, I mean 1–3 line bullets and 3–4 line paragraphs, something that can be easily read – and understood in seconds. It’s called message miniaturization. (think Twitter).
  2. Cut the fluffy over used language: That means no empty adjectives like “successfully” and “very.” (If something wasn’t successful, would you include it?) Generic phrases like “results oriented” “motivated” or “problem solver” are yawnable.
  3. Be specific: It’s not enough to say that you always met your goals or you collaborated on a new process. What did you specifically contribute and what changed as a result? Being specific with your accomplishments makes you more credible and memorable.
  4. Don’t forget your social media icons- links to LinkedIn, Twitter, online portfolios and blogs. And by way, the only contact information you really need is your name, mobile number, and email address.
  5. Use color and graphics strategically: YES, I said color and graphics! Studies show graphics are 43% more persuasive than text, are processed 60,000x faster and draw the eyes to critical information. The key is to be strategic – and unless you’re a graphic artist – be simple. (You still need a regular scannable resume for online applications and recruiters. Content in
    graphics won’t be scored by Applicant Tracking Systems.)

Recruiters give modern resume formats more attention. They consider them more readable, and appreciate that they can find the important information faster!  Make sure your resume gets attention - for the right reasons!

Have more resume questions?