The job search market is a very competitive environment where only the most unique individuals stand out. If you’re still using the same resume you used three years ago to apply for jobs in 2011, you’re in big trouble. No wonder you’re not getting any phone calls to interview. So how do you keep your resume fresh and give it that much needed face-lift of sorts to attract more attention? Here are a few tips you can use to give your resume a new look:

• Replace your objective statement with a value proposition.

As the times change, resume writing styles change. What once was the objective statement is now considered obsolete. Since they don’t exist anymore, you should create a value proposition. Try to look for the current terminologies used in your area of specialization to come up with an attention-grabbing branding statement. Your unique value proposition should communicate your career goals to the reader. Employers can’t resist calling candidates who can articulate real value in a short paragraph.

• Review old entries in your resume.

There are entries in your resume that may not be relevant anymore so you should remove these. For example, outdated technical skills or even old jobs from a few decades ago need to be removed and replaced with newer and more relevant entries. Also, don’t go past 10 years of experience unless it’s relevant for your targeted job.

• Add new skills, accomplishments, certifications, job responsibilities and positions you’ve acquired.

Make a list of all the significant changes that have happened in your professional career during the past year. Pick items that are significant and important to further your professional goals and include them in your resume. Even if you are still in the same position as last year, I’m sure you’ve acquired some new skills or accountabilitess so make sure you include these.

• Use updated keywords.

Keywords are like triggers for hiring managers and prospective employers to read your resume and consider you for the position. Different areas of specialization have different sets of keywords and terminologies. It is your responsibility to be informed of the latest keywords used in your industry and to use these keywords when you update your resume. Make sure you precisely incorporate these into your resume. Use a thesaurus to add synonyms and antonyms if you can’t come up with the right word.

• Tweak your resume format.

If you feel that the format of your resume is a little outdated, you might want to tweak it. As per experience, you don’t have to necessarily change the whole format but you can make some alterations to better present the resume’s information. The most important and relevant information is found in the top one-third of the first page and in the bottom one-third of the last page.

• Proofread your resume: Use spell-check  (F7 key)

The first time you wrote your resume, you have been advised to proofread it. Once again, after you have made all the necessary corrections and did all the revisions and updates, you still need to proofread it again. You might be surprised to see that you’ve missed some errors the first time you proofread your resume. To make sure you did not skip any entries and you’ve covered all the areas that need editing, you may have to check your resume once, twice or even three times. Always remember that even spelling and typographical errors can greatly influence the decision of the hiring manager to consider scheduling you for an interview.

An updated resume will not only give you the edge over other applicants but it also focuses your perspective on the areas you have excelled and those that need to be improved. You never know when opportunities come knocking at your door so it pays to be ready always.

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It’s always good to stand out and make an impression.

While most people know not to use scented paper, graphics and colours, here are a few more additional tips on how to write a resume:

Resume Font

The most common resume font to use Times New Roman, black, 12 point font. This resume font conveys the information you are trying to get across in a clear and accessible way. Times New Roman is called a serif font, as the letters contain “tails” which you can see on the ‘t’, ‘n’ and ‘r’. However, some do not like the letter- spacing or word-spacing of Times New Roman. Other serif fonts to consider that are easy to read and appropriate as a resume font include Bell MT, Garamond, Georgia and Goudy Old Style. Sans serif fonts do not have the “tails” on the letters and look a bit more block-like. Popular serif fonts include Arial, Century Gothic, Lucida Sans and Tahoma. Any of these fonts would be reasonable for a resume as long as you only use one font. Using two fonts looks unintentional and unprofessional. To make your headings and name stand out while using only one font, you can bold, italicize, capitalize or underline and increase the size of the font to 14-16 point. Just be sure that all of your headings are consistent.

Resume Formats

Resume Formats are a bit more debatable than resume font or size. But, obviously you want the most important information first. List your full name, address and contact information at the top of the page. You should center the information and be sure to bold and capitalize your name. After that, you should state your value proposition where your objective used to be. To prevent your resume formats from looking like a standard form you submit to every job, state why your skills and experience will make you the best candidate for this specific job and mention the company and job title. Clearly state your schooling from the most recent institution you’ve attended, with all dates, locations and certification received including any accomplishments such as grades and programs participated in. However, if education is not the strongest component of your resume, go ahead and list your experience first, starting with your most current job and all your responsibilities. After bolding and capitalizing your place of work, location and job title, you can use bullets to categorize the responsibilities you held at your job. Try and only include the most relevant information. After education and experience, you can list your professional skills and any relevant awards or certifications. Many agree that your resume formats should be contained to one page, although two pages are acceptable if you have a lot of relevant experience you want to highlight and it remains easy to read.

Overall, just make sure your resume format has a clean and functional design. Leave enough white space so that your resume doesn’t look crowded, be positively certain there are no typos or errors and if you are sending your resume as an email attachment, be sure to send it as a PDF, so you don’t lose any of your original resume formatting or spacing.

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