Just as workplaces evolve, resumes change with the times. Resume trends from 20 years ago just aren’t the same as resume trends in 2019. Before you start working on your resume, take a minute to look at our list of what you should include and exclude.
1. Show Some Results
Under the work experience section of your resume, it’s not enough to simply list your responsibilities. To state that you managed a sales team isn’t enough. You need to quantify it. Instead of stating that you “Managed company sales team,” alter this to state “Managed 17-person sales team, exceeded sales goals by 20% or more in 2017, 2018 & 2019.”
Adding the number of people you managed gives the hiring manager a clearer picture of your team and showcasing that the sales team exceeded its goals also showcases that your leadership was effective at motivating the team to excel.
Obviously, this is just an example for someone in sales, but people from every industry can quantify their skills. If you are an office manager, talk about how your skills improved efficiency and lowered supply costs. If you are a human resources specialist, you can speak about how you handled benefits for a set number of employees, and perhaps you found ways to reduce costs and increase benefits.
Anytime a hiring manager can see a clear example of how your work benefitted an employer you have an edge over someone who simply wrote a resume that listed their basic job tasks.
2. Your Resume Needs To Be ATS-Ready
Ten years ago, your resume was read by humans. These days, most resumes are run through Applicant-Tracking Software (ATS) and these programs filter out a variety of people that don’t really fit a specific job positon.
To get through the ATS hurdle, you need to ensure that your resume includes the same type of language and skills listed on the job description. Software doesn’t understand nuances in language, so use the same wording as the job listing. Also, send your document as a .docx file, ATS cannot read a .pdf.
When it comes to design, use a basic format for any resume you submit online as ATS doesn’t always understand odd margins and design elements. Use a basic font and skip the artistic fonts for these types of resume. If you are actually handing a physical resume to a hiring manager that might be a good time to turn in your flashy resume with an amazing design. Although, in general, a straightforward, well-organized resume is all you need, a flashy design isn’t crucial.
3. Don’t Include A Picture
We’ve seen all of the cleverly designed resumes on Pinterest that include a picture of the job applicant, but please resist the urge to include this item. American resumes should not have your picture on it nor should they include a variety of personal information, such as your age, marital status, the number of children you have, etc.
While in some countries, a photo on a resume is commonplace, it’s not expected on an American resume, and American employers can’t ask questions about your age, personal life, religion and so forth, so don’t provide this information on your resume or during interviews.
4. Do Include Some Personality
While you shouldn’t provide a picture or talk about your spouse or lack thereof on a resume, you can create a section for Hobbies & Interests. When it comes to resume trends in 2019, employers definitely want to get an idea of your personality and whether or not you will be a good fit with the company culture.
Your outside interests also can shed light on what kind of employee you might be. For instance, if you love running marathons, this shows that you are goal-oriented and able to complete challenging projects. If you love taking gourmet cooking classes or language classes, this shows an employer that you enjoy growing as a person and aren’t afraid to take on a new challenge.
In general, steer clear of listing hobbies and interests that might be controversial. What you do with your free time is your business, but anything political or religious probably shouldn’t be included or anything that might be considered odd. We aren’t judging, but a hiring manager just might be. Additionally, leave off dull hobbies such as reading and going to movies. Yawn.
Hobbies such as hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, blogging, photography, video production or you’re participating in a Chess club or Scrabble league are good options that might showcase your creativity and sense of adventure.
Keep in mind that while a hobbies section is one of the more interesting resume trends, it should never be included over other more important information. If you are having trouble keeping your resume down to a single page, this is one section that you can remove easily. It’s more important for hiring managers to understand your skills than your hobbies.
5. Omit The Objective & References
In the past, most resumes included a section at the top about your career objectives. When it comes to resume trends, this section really isn’t trending like it was in the past, so if you are pressed for space, this can be a good part to take out. If you do have an objective make sure that it doesn’t sound pushy or obvious.
Hiring managers know you want a great job with a great salary and amazing benefits, but your objective should be more in tune with what the company needs for a specific job position. Remember, the resume serves as an opportunity to sell the idea of you to a hiring manager. You can talk about benefits and salaries later down the line.
Additionally, omit the old standard line, “references available upon request.” Obviously, this should be the case, and if a hiring manager wants your references, they’ll ask you to provide a list. It’s irrelevant to place this on a resume and it takes up a line of space that could be better spent on your skills.
But, It’s Not Just About Your Resume . . .
In the years before Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media sites, hiring managers really only had your resume and references to go on when making decisions about who to hire. Now, they can just do a quick internet search and social media search to find out a bit more about your personality and habits.
You might feel this is an invasion of privacy, but when you put yourself out there for the world to see via social media, you can hardly expect that a hiring manager won’t at least take a look. If your social media is fraught with immature images and posts, it’s likely that this will cost you more than a few job opportunities.
Why would a company want to hire someone who constantly posts inappropriate pictures or perhaps hate-filled rants or airs their dirty laundry about family arguments online? If you seem immature and indiscreet, an employer will be wary of calling you in for an interview, let alone hiring you. Tighten your security settings, don’t allow others to tag you and be mindful of what you post. Great social media posts can be very powerful, so use it to your advantage if you choose to stay public.
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