How to Update Your Resume in Under 10 Minutes

Subscribe to Email Updates

By Lorna Faires

Topics: Job Search

Share

Text Size

- +

How-to-Update-Your-Resume-in-Under-10-Minutes-compressor.jpgThere are many reasons to update your resume beyond starting a job search. An up-to-date resume can help you quantify your current achievements, boost your confidence as an expert in your field, and strengthen your argument for a raise. It’s worthwhile to put in the effort to update your resume. 

Looking for a job? Let Liberty Staffing connect you to the jobs you want. Apply  today!

What if we told you there’s a way to update your resume that not only lets you hit the ground running, but allows you to do so in under 10 minutes? The task doesn’t have to take hours. As long as you follow the steps below, you could have a resume ready to submit to multiple employers in no time at all.

Swap out Your Mailing Address for Your LinkedIn Address

Although we live in the digital age, it sometimes takes us a while to get up to speed with relevant best practices for our resume presentation. In the past, people needed to include their mailing addresses because it was the primary way for recruiters to get in touch. Today, however, professional social media tools like a LinkedIn profile are much more effective. 

Swapping out your mailing address for a LinkedIn URL also shows potential employers you’re a forward-thinking candidate who has taken the time to spruce up both their resume and their online job profile, which means it’s worth it to ensure your LinkedIn profile is up to date as well.

Remove Your Objective or Purpose Statement

One of the biggest challenges of writing or revising a resume is finding the optimal way to communicate that you’re a unique candidate. You can’t do that if your resume is formatted in an old-fashioned manner, starting with an objective or purpose statement. 

If you want to enliven the tone of your resume’s language, remove this statement as it rarely adds anything of interest to catch a recruiter’s eye. 

Objective or purpose statements are either redundant or written in such a manner that they drain the personality out of the resume. Instead of a statement, include a summary (no more than a short paragraph) of who you are and what you do best (include a quantifiable achievement if possible). There are many tips out there for writing a great summary statement, so take advantage of them. 

If you’re in a rush, however, then simply remove that old objective or purpose statement.

Include Relevant Keywords

This last point is critical, although it may seem like a small adjustment. Like including your professional social media profile, leveraging relevant keywords throughout your resume demonstrates your technical prowess to recruiters. This strategy also showcases your attention to detail regarding job postings as well.

If you want your resume to match with more searches run by applicant tracking systems, then take a couple seconds to run a free word cloud app. This app will help determine what keywords are most relevant to the types of positions you’re looking for.

Once you’ve hit several of these keywords, insert them within the summary and bullet points of your resume. Be careful not to overload your resume with tons of keywords, however. That practice is called “keyword stuffing” and it’s readily apparent to recruiters when you’re trying to trick their systems.

There you have it—just a few tweaks and you can update your resume in under 10 minutes. Now you’re ready to apply online for spring or summer work.

Apply-Now

Lorna Faires

I have over 15 years of experience in the staffing industry, in a management role. I possess a strong background in recruitment, screening, and connecting candidates with the right employment opportunities. I love all animals, but especially my 3 dogs. Hiking and canoeing are my passions, and getting out into nature and being unplugged is my favourite way to spend my vacations.

Find Lorna Faires on: