Fifteen quick resume fixes to save your job application

When you are just hours away from making the deadline for a job application, every second matters. You need to tailor your resume, rewrite your cover letter, and customize your KSAs document before applying for the job. We have the best quick resume fixes for when you are in a rush.

Update the contact information. Take the time to update your resume with your new phone number or email address. Avoid using your work phone or email for your job application.

Remove the address. You don’t need to include your full physical address on your resume. Instead, you can just mention your city and state. Some job advertisements will require you to mention your zip code.

Add a link to your LinkedIn profile. Ensure that your contact information section carries a clean link to your LinkedIn profile. Add this in the form of a complete link, not a shortened hyperlink. That way, when your resume is printed, an interested employer can still see the link to search for you online.

Write a results-based resume. If the focus of your current resume is on job duties, it is time to shift the reader’s attention toward your achievements. Add accomplishments to your resume instead of tasks.

Customize the content. You should tailor your resume to the job description by adding information that is relevant to the job description. This includes skills, experiences, certificates, licenses, languages, and other qualifications that the employer has demanded from candidates.

Remove the references. Your resume doesn’t need to carry a list of professional references. You can save valuable resume space by moving your list of references to a separate document which can be shared later on during the hiring process.

Shorten the content. Does your resume seem too long? Then, you should make it concise. You can start by using concise language and removing irrelevant information from the document. If you have used paragraphs, replace them with concise bullet points.

Use the right format. Younger professionals and those with career gaps often choose the functional resume format. When you want to highlight your career progression, the chronological resume format is the best. If you are writing a board resume, you will benefit from a combination format.

Update the skills section. Ensure that the skills section mentions your best skills relevant to the new job. Remove any skills that are outdated. Highlight hard skills and tech skills.

Reorganize the sections. Rearrange the sections of your resume to display your strongest selling points first. If you are a recent graduate, you can move the education section toward the top of the document.

Use action verbs. Rewrite the bullet points of your resume using active language. Start each bullet point with an action verb that describes your contribution. Use strong and compelling language to describe your role.

Remove the objective. Modern resumes very rarely carry an objective statement. Instead, use a strong resume summary statement to highlight your best selling points to an interested employer.

Quantify achievements. If you have not used quantifiable results to back up your claims on your resume, you are missing out on a chance to impress the hiring manager. Use numbers, percentages, and metrics to quantify the results of your achievements.

Write a catchy headline. Your resume headline should tell readers what you do best. Incorporate a few keywords into your headline and use concise language.

Change the fonts. If the current fonts are making your resume hard to read, you should switch them. Go for legible fonts that are easy to read even in smaller sizes.