Not sure whether your resume meets the stress test? Wondering if it will stand up against stiff competition? Confused about all the conflicting advice out there?

No wonder! Like anything else, content marketing has paved the way for an influx of resume writing blogs, articles, tips, and advice. How do you separate the good from the bad? Do your research and make sure the guidance is coming from a credible source.

When I work with new clients, from time to time I come across someone who really needs a resume refresh but isn’t ready to pull the trigger. Whether their hesitations are financial or otherwise, here the the quick tips I offer to put them on the right track until the timing is right for a resume redo. 

1) Find three to five job postings that you want to apply to. Highlight or underline what look to be the key words, both job skills and soft skills. Now, compare that list to your resume. Any room for improvement?

2) Remove the word responsible … completely. Yes, you are responsible for a lot in your role, but this is passive language that will not help your case. Replace it with an exciting verb – Aligned, Propelled, Accelerated, Streamlined, Right-sized, Eliminated…

3) Use section headers that an ATS will recognize. Yes, I love branded section headers as much as the next gal, but ATS analysis consistently points to custom headers as one of the primary reasons for non-compliance. Major offenders? Sales & Leadership Experience instead of Professional Experience, Career Snapshot or something similar, and a branded headline in place of Executive Profile or Professional Profile. I love a headline myself, and tend to use both or a sub header.

4) Too much going on! Love purple and green? Great, but don’t use them on your resume. Excited about typography? Super, but in your resume you’ll need to stick to a readable, universal font. My faves? Arial, Garamond, Calibri, Tahoma, Arial Narrow, Candara, and Myriad Pro. Use shades of gray for accents to avoid your resume looking childish, dated, or unprofessional.

5) Highlights aren’t highlighted. Scan your resume. Can you pick up the details within 15 or 20 seconds. If you can’t, no one can. Use streamlined sub-headlines or bolded bullet intros to make sure the important info stands out.

Ex: MBA | 10+ Years Leading 65% Market Expansion | Multinational & Fortune 500 Experience

In the bullets where you’re focusing on accomplishments, lead with the value added and use bold to showcase it.

6) Add whitespace. While it may not seem to be as important as content, the whitespace is what makes your resume readable. Try adding 1 or 2 points after each line and an extra space between lines separating sections. Your visual cues will help a recruiter navigate your resume quickly, and identify the value you offer in less time.