How to Update Your Resume to Fit With 2023 Best Practices

Let's talk about resume updates. Because the reality is, the strategies that were effective in the past may not be suitable for the current competitive job market.  

The resumes that garnered interest even a couple of years ago need to be updated as companies seek candidates with expertise in emerging areas to drive growth. 

Plus, your resume is also an opportunity for you to showcase all of the new milestones, achievements, and experiences you’ve taken on, even if it’s only been in a short amount of time.

In this article, we’ll break down the importance of updating your resume and how you can do it quickly, easily, and strategically to maximize your chances of success. 

Why updating your resume is important

Your resume is often the first impression that a potential employer has of you. It is your chance to showcase your skills, experiences, and achievements in a concise and compelling way. However, with so many candidates vying for the same job, it's essential to make sure that your resume stands out from the crowd.

Updating your resume regularly is vital during your job search because it demonstrates your commitment to your career development and your willingness to stay relevant in your field.

An updated resume that highlights your most recent accomplishments and skills can make a significant difference in catching the eye of potential employers. Regularly updating your resume can also help you tailor it to fit the specific job you are applying for, which increases your chances of getting selected for an interview.

Additionally, updating your resume allows you to incorporate new certifications, education, or job experiences, which can help you stand out from other applicants. 

Employers want to see that you are invested in your career and that you have a track record of adapting to new challenges and acquiring new skills, all of which can be effectively showcased through an updated resume.

When to update your resume

Using the same resume for every job application may reduce your chances of getting called for interviews. It is recommended to update your resume for each job application to highlight your relevant experience and how it aligns with the position you are applying for.

But at minimum, the ideal time to update your resume is whenever there is a significant change in your career path, such as starting a new job, acquiring new skills or certifications, or completing a significant project.

The best way to stay on top of those accomplishments is by creating a process where you document your work wins regularly. 

To get started,

• Create a reminder or calendar event at the end of every month to review your resume
• Take note of what went well over the last 30 days
• Review notes for each month to see what you can add to your resume

Even if you are not currently job searching, regularly updating your resume helps you stay prepared and ensures that you can quickly apply for job opportunities as they arise.

Tips for updating your resume

Updating your resume regularly and tailoring it to the specific job you are applying for is crucial to increasing your chances of landing an interview.

Adhering to best practices can help you create an ATS-optimized resume while also preventing common errors that could discourage hiring managers, such as the use of jargon or irrelevant details.

Update your document using the below resume tips.

Add keywords to your resume

Resume keywords are specific words or phrases that relate to the job you're applying for and are used by applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan and identify qualified candidates.

Incorporating relevant keywords into your resume can increase your chances of passing through the ATS and getting noticed by recruiters or hiring managers. But how do you incorporate them into your resume? 

You can use a resume scanner to scan both your resume and a job description at the same time. Teal can do this for you!

Use Teal’s Resume Builder to quickly compare the skills and keywords in the job posting to those in your resume. This tool provides insights on the keywords that your resume may be lacking, along with an overall score and real-time feedback on areas that need improvement. This feedback can help you advance your experiences and increase your score to improve your chances of success.

Include the appropriate resume sections

Organizing your personal information, work history, and relevant skills into different sections is an effective way to prioritize the most important details in your resume.

When formatting your resume, make sure to include the following sections:

1. A resume header with your name and a professional email address
2. An education section
3. Your employment history with job titles and brief descriptions using bullet points
4. A skills section that includes hard skills and soft skills
5. Any awards or certifications

As you organize your resume into sections, start thinking about the details you want to highlight to hiring managers. This part of creating your resume must be strategic if you want to come out ahead of the other candidates. 

Use a professional format

When you update your resume, you need to keep a professional format throughout the document. Hiring managers are looking for a competent, responsible, detail-oriented candidate to fill the open position, and having a professional format helps communicate to them that you have those qualities.

We suggest utilizing the reverse chronological resume format to showcase your work experience in a clear and concise manner.

Here is a checklist to go through when updating your old resume:

1. Choose resume templates that are clean, simple and ATS-friendly
2. Use a font and font size that are easy to read
3. Keep margins to one inch
4. Create sections to highlight your skills, accomplishments, and any old positions that fit the role's description
5. Use bullet points with action verbs to expand on each job title and avoid unnecessary white space
6. Proofread for misspellings and grammar mistakes
7. Use a free resume review service to double-check your work

To instantly access applicant tracking system-friendly resume formats, Teal offers a free Resume Builder for job seekers. The tool saves time by directly importing a resume file or your LinkedIn profile so you can choose a modern resume template and customize it to any job you're applying to.

Refresh your contact details

It is common for people to experience changes in their personal contact details, such as their email or phone number. To ensure that potential employers can reach you, it is crucial to keep your resume up to date with accurate contact information.

When refreshing your contact details, keep the following in mind:

1. Create a header on your resume to list your details
2. Type your name across the top
3. List a professional email address
4. Include the best number to reach you

Include all these details at the top of your resume, as they enable hiring managers to reach out to you for a job interview if they find your resume suitable for the position.

Tailor your resume to the specific job description

Hiring managers want to know if you can successfully carry out a particular job, and the best way to communicate that is to tailor your resume to the description.

As mentioned above, the best way to do this is to identify keywords in the job listing that align with your experience and skills. Use those words to build a stronger case for yourself when you update your resume.

Showcase how the responsibilities in your most recent position can transfer over to the job you are applying to. You can do this by detailing specific job responsibilities from past positions and showing your impact through metric-driven achievements.

To save time customizing your resume for each job application, use Teal’s Resume Builder.

With the free tool, you can:

• Browse ATS-friendly templates 
• Choose which work experiences to highlight 
• Use Teal’s AI functionality to write professional summaries and resume achievements
• Analyze your resume’s effectiveness 
• Match your resume’s content to job descriptions 

Update your professional summary

Your resume's professional summary tells the hiring manager exactly what professional experience and interests you have so that they can determine if it aligns with the job you’re applying for.  

Your short professional bio is no frills and straight to the point. The best summaries are between 300-350 words. They can be a paragraph form or simply listed with bullet points.

In your resume summary, be clear about your excitement for that particular type of role. Frame it in a way that is attractive to hiring managers and shows them what you can do for the organization. This is one of the first impressions a hiring manager has, so connect your professional summary to the job as much as possible.

Using the AI technology integrated within Teal's Resume Builder, you can generate professional summaries that are customized to your experience and the job you're applying for almost instantly.  

Include metric-driven achievements with action verbs

Metric-driven achievements are hard proof that you know what you're doing. By incorporating your best metric-driven achievements in your resume, you are not only showcasing how you put your experience into action but also communicating your impact.

Potential employers want to know if you can do the job and also if you have seen success in similar roles and situations. You can use career metrics to do both. 

Action verbs effectively communicate what you've done in your career in a way that stands out to hiring managers. 

Below are a few examples of using action verbs to enhance metric-driven achievements:

Instead of: Managed a team of 10 and worked cross functionally.

Use:

• Implemented targeting training programs and facilitated opportunities for career growth, which led to reduced employee turnover by 70% month over month.
• Pioneered and initiated a cross-functional team that brought together engineers, designers, and product managers to collaborate on a new product launch.
• Spearheaded a new product development initiative that resulted in a 50% increase in revenue within the first year of launch.

Instead of: Used my strong business skills to make the company more money.

Use:

• Maximized our company's ROI by achieving a 40% increase in sales revenue within the first quarter of implementing a targeted email marketing campaign.
• Enhanced the company's market share by 15% while minimizing production costs by 10%, resulting in a 20% increase in net profit.
• Cultivated a new business partnership that generated $5 million in revenue for the company within the first year.

Instead of: Created an innovative plan to improve the company's website conversion.

Use:

• Transformed the company's outdated technology infrastructure, resulting in a 50% increase in productivity and a 30% decrease in IT costs.
• Revitalized and formulated a new product development strategy that resulted in a 40% increase in market share within the first year of launch.
• Overhauled the company's customer service process, reducing response time by 50% and increasing customer satisfaction ratings by 20%.

Beginning your achievements with action verbs not only makes your resume more dynamic and engaging, but it also demonstrates your competence and ability to achieve results.

Other ways to communicate metrics include: 

• Grew organic traffic by 36% in 12 months
• Increased email click-through-rates by 10%
• Generated $25,000 in new business in Q1
• Grew department from 12 employees to 36 employees
• Implemented measures that cut spending by 25%
• Increased social media followers by 14,000

By using metrics in your resume that are relevant to the job posting, you are sending a potential employer actual proof you can do the job effectively.

Use the AI integration feature within Teal's Resume Builder to generate achievements. To get quality, metric-driven achievements, make sure to attach a job description to incorporate relevant keywords.

Add relevant education or certifications

Certifications and advanced degrees show you've gone through extra steps to understand your industry and the necessary skills to thrive. 

In the education section of your resume, include all post-secondary degrees earned. Below your degrees, you can add any professional or academic certifications.

As you list your degrees and certifications, make sure they are in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent degree or certification earned. 

Proofread your resume

Updating your resume isn't a one-and-done job. You'll need to proofread your resume at least once. 

Proofreading your resume ensures it is free of errors when you go to submit it.

As you proofread, keep the following in mind:

1. Is the company's name spelled correctly?
2. Is the hiring manager's name spelled correctly?
3. Are there any filler words you can take out?
4. Are you using active voice and action verbs?
5. Is all your spelling and grammar correct?

If possible, find a second set of eyes to review your resume for anything you may have missed. 

Save your resume as a PDF file

If a hiring manager can't open your resume, they can't offer you an interview.

Saving your resume as a PDF file ensures anyone can open it on their computer or smartphone. PDF files are universal and preserve all formatting within your resume.

If you send your resume in a different file, the recipient may need the appropriate software to open it. Or, the formatting might get lost in translation, resulting in your resume looking disheveled to the person viewing it.

By saving your resume as a PDF, you're ensuring that hiring managers are viewing the exact same document you are.

By using Teal's Resume Builder, you can export your resume directly as a PDF.

Update your resume with Teal

Teal makes it easy to quickly update your resume with its Resume Builder. 

Using Teal's resume templates, drag and drop your career experience and professional skills and add additional keywords to customize it for the job you're applying to.

Teal's Resume Builder is not only a quick way to build and update your resume, but it is also an effective way to optimize your resume, as it matches your resume to the job description, analyzes your resume's effectiveness, and utilizes artificial intelligence to create a more efficient process.

Sign up for a free Teal account to update your resume quickly and strategically.

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