What Your Resume Should Look Like in 2020
Wondering what your resume should look like in 2020? Whether you’re looking to change careers, move to a new company or even apply to a new role internally, your resume is often your first opportunity to make an impression on a hiring manager or potential employer. Trends matter, but if you want to stand out, value matters most when creating a resume that truly shines.
A strong resume doesn’t just highlight your strengths and experience. It must illustrate how you are the ideal candidate for the role to which you’re applying. Remember: what is needed in a resume is what is wanted in the workforce. What does that mean? It means customization will be the name of the game in 2020.
Customizing your resume to the role or company has long been a best practice, with many resume examples illustrating how to craft an objective or opening statement that aligns with the job posting. That’s still a best practice but should now be considered only one element of customization.
Now, it’s great to say your resume must be customized, but what does that look like in practice? The following 5 steps outline how to write a resume that truly stands out in the 2020 market.
Step 1: Research
Familiarize yourself with 3 things: the role, the company and the industry.
Even if it’s a role you’ve held before, an industry you’ve worked in for years, or an internal posting at the company you currently work for, take time to brush up on the details. You specifically want to look at current trends and projections for the future. In terms of the company, take a look at their mission statement, recent press releases, and recent blog posts, if available.
Let’s imagine you’re looking into a project manager role in the software industry. In this case, you might look into the various project management platforms currently available and how the technology is expected to evolve. You might look at the latest research on employee engagement and productivity. You will definitely want to get familiar with the specific software the company produces, how that technology is currently positioned in the market, and where it is expected to go in the future. Also look at press releases and blog posts to get an idea of where the company is headed and what they’re most proud of.
Most of this information should be easily accessible with some simple internet searches. Put in the time because it will pay off.
Step 2: Introspection
Does this seem out of place in an article on resume writing? It shouldn’t be. Writing a resume isn’t just about checking something off your to-do list. It’s often the first step in a whole new future for yourself and possibly your family.
We’re not suggesting you embark on a soul-searching journey. Instead, take 15 to 20 minutes to really consider your motivations and what you expect to get out of this employment opportunity (beyond a paycheck).
Build on your work values to dig into why you’re applying to this specific position. What grabbed your attention or sparked your interest? When you picture yourself in the role, what personal strengths or skills do you see yourself using? Looking ahead, where do you see this role taking you? How do you see yourself growing in the role?
Take the time to write these things down, making quick and informal notes about what comes to mind. Exercises like this come in handy in determining what to put on a resume for skills and work experience. Instead of just listing things you’re good at or have accomplished, this exercise gives you the chance to list specific skills and strengths that make you the right fit for the role you’re applying for.
Step 3: Opening statement
You did some digging. Now it’s time to start writing. An opening statement for resume writers can feel daunting — there’s so much pressure to stand out. The trick is to stand out through alignment.
Go back to your research and what you discovered in your introspection. What is the company's mission and/or the future of the industry? How is the company positioning themselves in the market? Are there any major challenges to overcome? What personal strengths or skills did you come up with that align well with your research? You don’t need to make a big splash, but you do need to show that you understand the role and are the right fit.
Using our project manager example, let’s imagine that you’re applying to a young company with decent domestic success. Their mission statement says they want to bring their solution to the global community. You’ve noticed that their direct competitor has just started releasing localized versions of their solution for global markets. You have experience with this type of project and were drawn to the job posting because you really enjoyed that challenge and love discovering the differences between different cultures and regions. Your opening statement might look something like this: “As a hands-on project manager with 6+ years of localization experience, I have extensive knowledge of what it takes to bring a software solution to the global market. I am excited about the prospect of taking [company name] to the next level and being a key player in your next stage of growth.”
This may not seem exciting or eye-catching, but for a hiring manager looking to fill this role, this is exactly the kind of customized statement that will stand out.
Step 4: Experience, skills and education
How do you customize these elements? Many job seekers start from a general resume they’ve already written, or they copy and paste work experience, education and special skills after a customized opening statement. Either option misses a huge opportunity to customize your experience for the specific role.
Refer back to your research and introspection once again. What did you learn, accomplish or develop in your past roles that makes you a great candidate for this opportunity? Perhaps you worked through a challenge that developed your agility. Maybe you took on work outside your role that gave you a broader perspective on the industry. You may have learned a hard skill working side by side with a colleague or taken on leadership responsibilities outside your scope.
Don’t discount the value of this type of experience. Keep the details short and concise, but don’t hesitate to include an experience, skill or development if it clearly aligns with what the company is looking for and it's something you can bring to the table with confidence.
If we return to our project manager example again, it would be incredibly valuable to expand on past roles where you worked on localization. You may list specific markets you worked in, software protocols you were involved with, challenges you worked through, tight deadlines that were met, etc. These accomplishments may not be applicable to other roles you might apply for, but they are specifically aligned with the goals of our hypothetical software company and will make you stand out above other candidates.
In terms of skills and education, the same strategy applies. Customize your list of skills to align with your research and with what you uncovered in your introspection. Generally, education is listed chronologically (name of institution, years attended, degree or certificate earned) with minimal details about coursework and accomplishments. However, if you worked on a research project or acquired certain skills directly related to the role, you may list those in point form.
Step 5: Formatting
Formatting is one area where you want to avoid customization because readability is the priority. For someone wading through resumes, a strong opening statement with skills and experience that align with the job posting will be far more eye-catching than a trendy layout.
Keep it simple.
Your resume will likely be printed in black and white once it’s received, so colours, watermarks or other visual styling likely won’t look good and might even render your resume unreadable. Black font on a white background is always a good choice.
In terms of arranging content, here’s the ideal order:
- Contact information at the top
- Opening statement
- Work experience
- Education
- Additional certifications
- Skills.
Note that the additional certifications section can include relevant certifications that were achieved through a workshop or other short learning period, unlike a degree earned over several years, which would be included under education.
When it comes to details such as left versus right alignment, margin sizes and font choice, remember that they matter less than the overall readability of your resume. If different sections are titled and clearly visible and the content is easy to read in a consistent format, that’s what counts.
Once you’ve put the finishing touches on your resume, save it as a PDF. A PDF will look the same on virtually every device, enhancing readability, whereas a document saved in an editable format, such as a Word document, may render differently on different operating systems.
Bonus Questions
The above 5 steps cover the basics of how to customize your resume for the 2020 market. But what about those little details? The following are a few questions we are often asked, plus our answers.
“What should I put for my first job?”
When it comes to what to put on a resume for your first job, look at the job description you’re applying to and your responsibilities at past jobs. If you’re applying for an entry level marketing assistant position, you should leave off the summer you spent mowing lawns, but you should include the part-time cafe job where you helped with administrative tasks.
Always think in terms of aligning with the role you’re applying to. If a past role involved responsibilities or skills that align with the role you’re applying to, include it. If not, leave it off. It’s okay for your earliest listed job to not actually be the first job you ever held.
“How long should a resume be?”
As a general rule, 1 or 2 pages. The person reading it is looking to quickly see if you’re a good fit. They don’t have the time to read page after page. If the job posting can fit on 1 page, you should be able to demonstrate that you have the relevant skills and requirements in no more than 2.
“How detailed should a resume be?”
Customizing a resume is not just about adding things. It’s also about taking out what’s not relevant. A resume should be as detailed as it needs to be to get your point across, but no more than that. Your opening statement should be 1 or 2 sentences. You may also include 1 or 2 sentences to describe previous roles. Everything else should be in point form, to make it as succinct and relevant as possible.
For example, you don’t need to include the months of past employment terms. The years will do. You should list every certification you’ve achieved that is relevant to the job posting but can leave out the ones that are not.
“Should I include social media?”
Many job seekers now include links to social media profiles in the contact information of their resumes. Only include social media links if they are professional and well maintained. A LinkedIn profile is a great opportunity for potential employers to discover more about you, but if your profile is barely populated, leave it off.
Only include accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., if you use them exclusively for professional purposes that relate to the role to which you’re applying. Otherwise, leave them out.
Read more from us on the 5 resume mistakes to avoid.
Customization is not only possible, but fast becoming expected. If you truly want to compete in the 2020 job market, be prepared to put the time in. When it comes to what your resume should look like in the new year, the short answer is that it should look like you’re the best choice for the job.
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