I have a friend whom I’ve known for a long time, almost 20 years. I’m 53 and he is close to me in age. This fella has been on his job for as long as I’ve known him.  

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We were talking recently, and he told me that he was beginning to think he needed to start looking for a job this year. There have been a lot of job cuts in his industry and even though he is still employed, he feels like he could be on a short list for the next wave of cuts, whenever they come. 

He doesn’t want to wait until that happens, his goal is to find a new job, so he doesn’t spend any time out of work. It’s been over 20 years since he last even did a resume and he was telling me that his wife suggested that he research how to do a resume for 2025 since it had been so long since he did his last one. 

He shared with me a site that gave him some good advice, it was from ascendcareers.net and here are the recommendations they suggest.  

How to Stand Out

First, tailor your resume for each job you apply for. They say that it is no longer a good idea to one resume that you submit for each job you want to apply for.  

The suggestion is to include a “Professional Summary” at the beginning of your resume. This consists of about 5-7 lines that highlight your essential skills and experiences. Make sure you use “keywords” that you know that company is looking for. 

 

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Secondly, many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems or ATS, and your resume could get skipped over before a human being ever sees it.  

You will need to use a format that is “friendly” to ATS that doesn’t have complex graphics or images for the ATS to try and decipher. You can search for ATS friendly resume formats. 

Next, ascendcareers.net says to quantify your experiences, like you saw an increase in sales of 20% each year. They say this is better than says “sales increased each year”. Being more specific can help get a hiring director's attention.  

Then you should pay attention to use terms that are considered marketable skills such as “critical thinking, problem solving, communication and teamwork” are important especially in some environments that have had cutbacks.  

Final Tips

Another thing to spotlight is any continuing education you are doing, whether it’s been person or online through the many sources that are available.  

Two key final points are to be concise, because hiring managers normally are evaluating multiple resumes at a time and only devote a short period of time to each one. 

Lastly, proofread and re-proofread for any mistakes. It might not be a bad idea to have someone you trust to proofread your resume for you to be a second set of eyes to try and catch any mistakes. 

If you’re going to be competitive in the job market, give yourself the best chance to stand out among all the other applicants.  

Happy Job Hunting! 

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Gallery Credit: Elisa Fernández-Arias

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