Whether you are just getting into the job market again after a long time at one position or you are pushing forward with a job hunt that feels like it has lasted forever, updating your resume can be the key to landing the job you deserve. Your resume makes the first impression with a potential employer, so you want it to accurately reflect your most recent experience and show that you are the best candidate for the job. Update your resume in a way that highlights your recent accomplishments, which are what employers often look for first.
Your most recent job is usually the most important one on your resume because it shows an employer what skills you have been using on a daily basis. Therefore, use as much space as you need to effectively describe your accomplishments at the most recent job. If you need to, you can minimize the descriptions of jobs you held before that to make room for the most recent one. Think about the things that your boss complimented you on at your last job and the things you did that you are most proud of. Describe these on your resume in terms of results, not tasks, to show that you don’t only do your work, but you do it in a way that pushes the company forward.
If you have been unemployed for a while and don’t have any additional job experience to put on your resume, focus on building up your resume with unpaid work. Employers like to see that you have been staying active during your time of unemployment, rather than sitting around your house waiting for work to knock on your door. Volunteering at your local community center, church, or organizations you care about is something you can definitely put on your resume. Make another section at the bottom of your resume called ?Volunteer Activities? and list each organization you have worked with and what you have done for them. List the dates on these activities so the employer knows that you have been keeping busy since the date listed on your most recent job.
If you have been starting your own business but are also looking for a job as a professional, you can definitely list your business on your resume. Regardless of how financially successful it has been so far, the work you have put into it is significant, and the fact that you are even taking the risk of starting a business shows that you are a great potential employee because you are always pushing for forward progress. On your resume, list the name of your business and your job title. Below that, describe some of the most important things you have been doing to launch the business, particularly if these skills will carry over into the professional world.
An up-to-date resume is your best chance at landing a dream job in the professional world. Take the time to go over your resume carefully before submitting it so the employer knows who you are and what you will bring to the job!
