Update Your Resume Month: What to add

When you’re updating your resume, decide first what you will leave out and what you need to add.

When you’re updating your resume, knowing what to add is just as important as knowing what to leave out.

Add your LinkedIn URL

Your LinkedIn profile should not be a carbon copy of your resume. Make them work together to give a complete picture of you and your career.

Add your LinkedIn URL to your resume. First make sure you customize your URL so that it looks more professional, memorable, and is easier for a hiring manager to use. If the link to your LinkedIn profile looks like this:

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/jerihirddutcher/37/388/71a

you need to customize it to look like this:

linkedin.com/in/jerihirddutcher

Instructions for doing that appear in the LinkedIn Help Center.

Add mobile accessibility

Add your mobile phone number or better yet, list it instead of your land line. Who wants to guess which number to call to invite you to an interview?

Open your resume on your phone and tablet. Ask a friend with a different platform to open it on their devices. For example, if you have an Android phone, ask a friend to open it on their iPhone.

• Does it open?
• Does it look right?
• Can you see the entire document?
• Can you read it?

If your answer is no to any of these questions, you need to modify your document.

Add organic formatting

Organic formatting means the content leads the formatting decisions. You can have the most beautiful document in the world and still not communicate your brand and value if the format does not follow the content. When you add formatting to your resume, it should:

• Lead the reader’s eye.
• Emphasize the important parts of the document.
• De-emphasize secondary and tertiary elements.
• Give a sense of your personal brand.
• Be appropriate for your industry.
• Differentiate you from other candidates.

Add links

First, make your email and LinkedIn URLs active to save a hiring manager time.

Then, add information to your resume without adding length by using links to other documents and sources of information. For example, instead of writing a full description of a project, you can describe it briefly and then link to the Project page on LinkedIn or another Web site that contains that information. Add links to Web sites or videos that illustrate your achievements.

Add a QR code

A QR code is also a link to a specific set of information. In general, links are a preferred technique because they take up less space and are easier to use. If you would like to have an added visual element, a little more technical feel to your resume, or extensive contact information, a QR code may be the way to go. Instructions for generating and using codes appear here.

Add a recommendation

Who are you more likely to believe: The person who tells you how awesome they are or the person who tells you how awesome someone else is? That is the reason you should add a recommendation or testimonial to your resume. It needs to be specific and relevant, not just “She’s nice, and I liked working with her” or “He is efficient and effective.”

If you are uncomfortable requesting a recommendation from someone, request my free recommendation form by emailing me at Jeri@WorkwriteResumes.com.

Related

Update Your Resume Month: What to let go

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