How to Improve Your Résumé

Most résumés are not rejected because the candidate lacks experience. They are passed over because the reader cannot quickly see why this person fits this role. Improving your résumé is mostly about making that connection obvious.

Start with the target, not the template Choose one or two closely related job titles before you edit anything. Collect three to five current postings for those roles and note the skills, tools, and responsibilities that repeat. Those repeated themes tell you what your résumé must make visible on the first page.

Write a focused summary Replace a generic objective with three or four lines that state who you are professionally, the level you work at, and the strengths most relevant to the target role. Keep it factual. "Operations manager with eight years in logistics, leading teams of 15–30 and improving delivery accuracy" is more useful than "results-driven team player."

Turn duties into accomplishments For each role, ask what changed because you were there. Use a simple pattern: action, scope, result. Where you can, add numbers you can genuinely support, such as budgets, team sizes, volumes, time saved, or error rates reduced. If you cannot measure something, describe its scope and who benefited.

Prioritize what matters Put the most relevant accomplishments first under each role. Older or unrelated positions can be shortened to a line or two. For most U.S. applications, one page suits early-career candidates and two pages suits experienced professionals.

Make it easy to scan and to parse Use a clean layout, standard section headings (Summary, Experience, Education, Skills), consistent dates, and a common font. Avoid text boxes, tables, and images that applicant tracking systems may misread. Save as PDF unless the employer requests another format.

Check before you send Proofread aloud, confirm every date and title, and make sure your résumé matches your LinkedIn profile. Then tailor the summary and top bullets for each application rather than sending one version everywhere.