Updating your resume to get more results from your job search can take hours; however, with a little practice, most of the required changes can be completed in less than one hour. Much of the work can be completed in the first few minutes by reorganizing the sections that hiring managers weigh most, such as your experience, skills, and education. In Virginia, most job openings are in healthcare, higher education, shipbuilding, energy, manufacturing and public service. Therefore, job seekers must highlight aspects of their experience and skills that best support these types of employment opportunities.
Rewrite your professional summary
Time needed: Roughly 10 minutes
Most people start with an outdated objective at the top of their resume. Don’t keep an objective on your resume that says “I’m looking for a challenging position with room for advancement” because it doesn’t tell the employer anything about what value you can bring to the position. Instead, replace it with a brief professional summary that covers your experience, strongest capabilities, and intended career direction. A healthcare applicant targeting UVA Health, for example, might emphasize patient support, clinical administration or experience working in a regulated environment. UVA Health recruits for medical, technical and support positions across Charlottesville and other Virginia communities, so applicants should make their area of expertise clear immediately.
A strong summary might read:
“Administrative professional with six years of experience supporting healthcare operations, scheduling patient appointments and maintaining confidential records. Known for accuracy, clear communication and dependable service in fast-paced environments.
Remove information that no longer supports your goals
Time needed: Roughly 10 minutes
Next, go through each section of your resume and remove information that no longer supports your job search. Examples of things to consider removing include: old software you know how to use (chances are you won’t have to); old jobs that are not relevant to your current search; obvious responsibilities of your current job; old summer jobs that do not demonstrate any relevant skills (although old summer jobs can be relevant if they demonstrate certain skills that you use today, examples of this could be working as a tour guide and currently working for a travel company).
Make sure you only list degrees, training, and certifications that are current and relevant to your current job search. Also, be sure to remove any expired training unless it can provide context to other relevant training or experience that you have listed.
Turn responsibilities into achievements
Time needed: 15 minutes
Many resumes describe what someone’s job has been as opposed to showing how well they did it in that position.
A responsibility-based statement might say:
“Responsible for managing customer accounts.”
A stronger version would be:
“Managed over 75 customer accounts and maintained accurate records for each customer. Responded to customer service concerns in a timely manner and within the time frame of the company’s customer service policy.”
Whether you are applying for skilled trades, engineering, manufacturing or the business side of the shipbuilding industry, your resume should demonstrate how your work supports production, safety, quality control and team performance.
Use a clean and simple format
Time needed: Roughly 10 minutes
Complicated templates can make a resume harder to read. Multiple columns, decorative graphics, unusual fonts and crowded sidebars may distract from your experience.
A simple resume is often more effective because it allows employers to locate job titles, skills and accomplishments without searching through an elaborate design. Use standard headings, consistent spacing and a readable font. Make sure company names, dates and job titles follow the same format throughout the document.
Straightforward formatting can be particularly useful when applying to larger organizations that receive high volumes of applications. The reader should be able to identify your relevant qualifications within seconds.
Tailor the resume to the Virginia job you want
Time needed: Roughly 10 minutes
Review current job posting(s) that you believe would be a good fit for you and review your current resume for the number of recurring qualifications, technical terms, and past responsibilities that have been accurately portrayed.
For example, Augusta County Manufacturing workers can highlight equipment maintenance and repair, quality assurance/ control, and even refrigeration systems for a production supervisor position at a manufacturing company. Innovative Refrigeration Systems, Augusta County-based company, continues to add jobs as the company continues to grow. For workers transitioning into business and operations support roles at companies such as Newport News Shipbuilding, highlighting budgeting and procurement, as well as the human resources, information technology, and operational support functions, would be relevant to highlight on the resume.
Complete a final five-minute review
Time needed: Roughly 5 minutes
Take a final Five-Minute Review to ensure your entire resume is current and accurate, especially with dates, punctuation, and verb tense. Your current jobs should be listed in present tense and previous experience in past tense. Make sure your phone number and email address are correct, and that any links to your professional online presence are up-to-date. Save your resume in .PDF format and name it something clear and obvious (e.g. Maria_Jones_Resume.pdf). Also, save the Word version (keeping it editable) and follow the employer’s instructions for required file type.
Save your completed resume as a PDF and name it something simple like the name on your resume and the word Resume (e.g. Maria_Jones_Resume.pdf). Also, be sure to save a Word document version of your resume.
Then follow the employer’s instructions regarding file.
Ex; Maria_Jones_Resume.pdf
Keep the resume ready before you need it
In every career, it is only a matter of time before you need a current copy of your resume. That could be for a job opening that appears today or next week. Take one hour to make your current resume the best it can be. Remember, refreshing a resume does not mean rewriting an entire resume from scratch. By spending one hour now, you can save yourself hours and hours of time in the long run.
This content is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. AFP editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.
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