Editor's Note: This blog was originally published in February 2020 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
A strong resume doesn’t just highlight your strengths and experience. It illustrates how you are the ideal candidate for the role. Remember: what is needed in a resume is what is wanted in the workforce.
What does that mean? It means customizing your resume is the name of the game.
Now, it’s great to say your resume must be customized, but what does that look like in practice? The following steps outline how to write a resume that truly stands out in the job market today.
How to write an objective statement for a resume
A good objective statement is a brief, one-line sentence that sums up your entire resume.
In other words, an employer can get an idea of who you are without reading your job history or anything else on your resume.
It goes without saying—you want your objective statement to be good!
Let’s pretend you’re a recent graduate without a lot of workplace experience. You might want to showcase your passion to build a career and highlight your academic knowledge. So, your opening statement might look like this:
I am a recent honours graduate, eager to launch my professional career and gain work experience in the field of engineering.
Or let’s say you have years of experience as a software manager. Showcase what sets you apart:
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.
To write an objective statement on a resume, highlight your strengths and summarize your goals. One sentence only!
How to use keywords in a resume
To customize your resume even further, you want to pack it with relevant keywords.
Familiarize yourself with three 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 the time to brush up on the details of the position. In terms of the company, take a look at their mission statement, recent press releases and recent blog posts.
Let’s imagine you’re looking into a project manager role in the software industry. In this case, you might look at the company’s press releases and blog posts to get an idea of where the company is headed and what they’re most proud of.
Does the company website emphasize innovation? Your resume should too. Do the press releases mention what computer programs the company uses? If you have experience using those tools, you should say so. Put in the time because it will pay off when writing a good resume.
How to format a resume
When you’re formatting a resume, readability is the priority.
For an employer 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 and graphics 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
- Opening statement
- Work experience
- Education
- Additional certifications
- Skills
Note that the additional certifications section should include relevant accreditations achieved over a short learning period (think webinars, workshops, etc.), unlike a college or university degree, 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 the content is easy to read and in a consistent format, that’s what counts.
However, if you’re looking for specific resume format guidelines, this is a good place to start:
- Keep margins at least 1 inch on all sides.
- Keep font size at a minimum of 11 points.
- Be consistent with spelling, punctuation and how you write dates.
- List your achievements and responsibilities in bullet-point format.
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 whereas a document saved in an editable format, such as a Word document, may look different depending on which operating system the reader uses.
How to order work experience on a resume
How do you customize work experience on a resume?
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.
Always think in terms of aligning your work experience with the role you’re applying to. If a past role involved responsibilities or skills that match 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. You can even title the section “Relevant Work Experience” to clarify that you’re listing jobs that relate to the position in question instead of every job you’ve held in chronological order.
If you really want to stand out above other candidates, go beyond general responsibilities in your bullet points. What did you learn or accomplish in your past roles that makes you an above-average candidate for this opportunity? Quantify your success with stats and numbers.
By the way, quantifying your past successes with concrete results is one of our top 5 resume hacks—click to watch the video!
In terms of skills and education, the same strategy applies. Customize your soft skills to align with the job description. Generally, education is listed by name of institution, years attended and 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, feel free to list those in point form.
Bonus resume writing questions
The above resume tips cover the basics of how to customize your resume for the current job market. Still have questions? The following are frequently asked resume-related questions and our answers.
“How long should a resume be?”
Ideally, your resume should be one page. The person reading it is looking to quickly see if you’re a good fit. They don’t have the time to read a novel.
If the job posting can fit on one page, you should be able to demonstrate your qualifications in the same amount of space.
If you absolutely must, you can extend a very detailed resume to two pages, but we don’t recommend making it any longer than that.
“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 one sentence. Your description of previous roles should be in point form and as succinct as possible.
For example, you don’t need to include the months of past employment terms. Years will suffice. You should list every certification you’ve achieved that is relevant to the job posting but can leave out the ones that are not.
Typically, a CV is much more detailed than a resume. Click to learn more about the differences between a CV and a resume.
“Should I include social media on my resume?”
Many job seekers 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.
“What should I write in an email when sending a resume?”
If you’re sending your resume in PDF format via email, keep the body text of your email brief. There’s no need to re-state everything that you’ve already included inside your resume.
Write a few polite lines to express your interest in the role, direct the recipient to your attached resume and include your contact details. For example, you might write:
Good day,
My name is Jane Doe and I am sending this email to express my interest in the data entry specialist position at Company ABC.
Please find my resume attached to this email. Should you require any other information, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 123-456-789.
Sincerely,
Jane Doe
Write Your Resume Today
Customization is not only recommended for resume writing, but is fast becoming expected. If you truly want to compete in the current job market, follow these tried-and-true resume tips from Canada’s largest HR firm. When it comes to what your resume should look like, the short answer is that it should look like you’re the best choice for the job!
Job hunting can be hard—but it doesn’t have to be! Click the button below to connect with an Adecco recruiter today!