Do you want to keep your career in high gear and moving in the right direction? Then take your resume out of idle. Sprucing up your resume this spring will avoid endless hours of sifting through your memory clutter to uncover the many details of your work experience and achievements.  A resume that’s up-to-date is the key to staying in the driver’s seat.

While prospective employers are giving more attention to LinkedIn profiles and Google searches to identify candidates, the time-honored resume is still the preferred method for reviewing your qualifications and experience. A polished and well-crafted resume opens the door to a world of opportunities and possibilities, and if you are lucky, an invitation to interview for that coveted job.

Resume guidelines and styles change over time, so it’s important to be on top of the current trends. Follow the signposts below to get yourself on the road to a modern revamped and updated resume.                                                                                    

Summary of Qualifications

In the old resume days, employers expected to see the heading “Objective” on the resume. The current trend replaces the “Objective” for a “Summary of Qualifications” or “Profile” that includes a short paragraph or bulleted list showcasing experience, expertise, skills and special qualifications.

Nonprofit Director

Over 20 years of executive-level experience in the development, growth and leadership of nonprofit organizations. Expert knowledge of public and private nonprofit services. Extensive experience in federal, state and county financing and administration. Talent for establishing and maintaining strong community relationships. Proven strategic thinker. 

Achievements

It’s still important to include your major tasks and responsibilities, but today’s employers are more interested in what you produced as a result of your work. If you can quantify any of your achievements, it gives energy to the scope of a specific project or task.

Increased funding from foundations, corporations and individuals by $60,000 in less than a year. 

Keywords

Keywords are specific words or phrases that many employers use to find the right candidates via computer screening searches. Be sure to include industry keywords on your resume. The best way to identify keywords is to read job postings, which are loaded with industry specific buzzwords.

Format

Here’s where you can use some creativity and flair in moderation to make your resume standout visually. Old-fashioned font Times New Roman is fine, but experiment with some more elegant and modern fonts that convert well on Word attachments, such as Arial, Calibri, Garamond or Book Antiqua. You can also add a hint of color, such as a blue or grey line under your contact information. If you work in the more creative fields, you can swirl color throughout your resume. Use bolding, bullets and lines to highlight specific areas on your resume.

Length

If you are a recent grad, a one-page resume is the way to go. For a more seasoned professional, a two-page resume is acceptable these days.

Pruning

It’s no longer necessary to include the heading “References” on a resume. If an employer wants recommendations, he or she will request them, so avoid wasting paper space. Don’t write long descriptions for work experience over 10 years old, unless a full description will demonstrate an upward progression in your career.

Tried and True Suggestions for Freshening up Your Resume:

Proofread, proofread and proofread! A simple typo or spelling error, and your resume is likely to end up in the wastebasket. Use strong action verbs, and resist the temptation to exaggerate your accomplishments. Show your resume to a trusted colleague in your field to obtain candid feedback. Most importantly, make sure your resume reflects your goals, and make sure it is targeted to the right employers.

For the latest in cutting-edge resumes, look to a multimedia approach. This progressive style of resumes enables you to use more color and graphics and add links to projects, portfolios and Word documents. Visit Visual CV at www.visualcv.com for sample resumes.

If you have writer’s block, help is on the way. Just Resumes (justresumes.net) in Elkins Park provides assistance in writing resumes, and many libraries offer resume writing workshops for free.