Top 23 Resume Tips for 2023

The smallest detail can make or break your resume. A single spelling mistake could sink your chances of getting a job interview. Meanwhile, the inclusion of an unusual skill or a specific experience can move you to the top of the list of candidates.

After all, most high-quality positions receive hundreds of resumes. How can you cut through that clutter and make an impression?

It helps to have a strong partner. A top recruiter, like SmartTalent, can connect you with the best employers in your industry. Reach out to SmartTalent to jumpstart your job search.

Beyond that, you’ll need the best resume possible. To that end, here are the top 23 most relevant resume tips for 2023:    

Resume Foundations

When considering your resume, don’t be afraid to start from the ground up. You want to build the optimal presentation of your work history and skills, delivered in a way that maximizes the chance that you’ll get noticed. Here’s how to start:

• Don’t Wait to Update: Keep a running record as you develop skills and experiences. When you are more sporadic about your updates, you could forget key additions.
• Research Current Best Practices: Take a deep dive into what employers want to see on a resume. You might discover that some interesting changes have occurred since the last time you did a serious update.
• Think about Format: Find the resume structure that presents your experience in the best light. Look for alternatives online and locate the version that works best for you.
• Create a Template: Make one long resume template including all your skills and experience. (We’ll see later how to tailor the document to each specific job.)

Organizing Your Resume

Once you’ve determined the overall format of your resume and the items you want to include, it’s time to organize the document. Here are a few tips to consider for this part of the process:

• Focus on Recent Experience: Organize your work history in reverse chronological order. Meanwhile, include the most detail for the more recent events — don’t give the impression that your best accomplishments are well in the past.
• Remove Dates from Your Education Section: No need to tip off when you graduated from school. This becomes more relevant as you progress in your career, and your education becomes less crucial in the hiring decision.
• Include Certifications and Licenses: Along with your degrees, provide information about your ongoing education. This includes any certifications and licenses you’ve received during your career.
• Add a Skills Section: Supplement your work history with specific details about your best abilities.
• Highlight Your Soft Skills: As you detail your abilities, remember to spotlight your critical soft skills. This category includes competencies like organization, communication, leadership, and problem-solving.
• Include Stats and Specifics: Where possible, supplement your work history with specifics. Statistics provide an excellent way to underline your abilities, such as “implemented efficiency upgrades that improved team productivity by 17%.”

Getting Noticed (for the Right Reasons)

As we’ve seen, your resume will likely be one of hundreds that a potential employer will receive. You need your best qualities to shine through. Otherwise, you’ll never progress to the interview stage.

One way to get noticed: team with SmartTalent. You’ll connect with some of the best employers in your industry, with an expert advocate spotlighting your value. Reach out to SmartTalent to accelerate your job search. Meanwhile, here are some other ways to help get your resume noticed:

• Don’t Get Too Clever: Don’t rely on gimmicks or showy formatting tricks to get noticed. Rather, keep the focus on your abilities.
• Aggressively Proofread: Scrutinize your resume for potential errors. For some HR managers, any spelling or grammar mistake can put you out of contention.
• Remember, Robots Might Be Reading: Your resume will likely pass through scanning software. As such, make sure you are using all the critical keywords necessary for the position.
• But Write for People Too: While you need to pass a keyword scan, your resume should also remain readable for people. Make sure it’s easy for HR managers to review and understand.
• Spotlight Your Best Selling Points: Make sure your top qualities are clear. Look for ways to highlight your most marketable skills.

Connect with Your Target Employer

A well-constructed resume will introduce you to a prospective employer, letting your best qualities shine through. Here’s how you can shape the document to make this connection possible:

• Tailor Your Resume Based on the Job Description: Customize your resume to suit each specific employer that you pursue.
• Research the Company as You Customize: Use the job description to help you target your resume. Supplement this with outside information, looking at sources like the firm’s website and its social media feeds.
• Don’t Overwhelm: You want to include as much as possible on your resume. However, an overstuffed document will only obscure your biggest selling points. Find a balance between being comprehensive and overdoing it.
• Link to Additional Resources: Feel free to link to other sources of information about you, like your LinkedIn profile or a personal website. These resources might give you more space to deliver your message.
• Include Multiple Contact Vectors: Give an employer choices about how to contact you. These can include things like email, text, phone call, or LinkedIn.

Beyond the Resume

Once your resume is finished, there are still considerations to keep in mind. Here are some tips to follow once you think your document has reached its final form:

• Choose Your File Name Carefully: Save your document as a PDF or other standard format. Make sure your name appears in the file name.
• Keep LinkedIn and Other Online Resources Up to Date: If it does its job, your resume will likely send HR managers on an information-gathering mission. Make this process easier by keeping your LinkedIn profile and other social media feeds updated and ready for scrutiny by prospective employers.
• Send Your Resume to People in Your Network: Get feedback about your resume from people in your network. Their advice will help you perfect your approach.

SmartTalent can give you the guidance you need to maximize your resume. From there, you’ll get help at every step through the rest of the job search, giving your career the boost it needs for you to reach your full potential.

Contact SmartTalent today to learn more.