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5 Ways to Improve Your Resume in 2022

Making your job application stand out to employers in today’s competitive job market can be challenging, especially if you haven’t updated your resume in a while, but using a few simple resume writing strategies can set you up for long-term career success. 

Here are five ways to improve your resume in 2022 and boost your chances of landing more job interviews.

READ — Hiring and Attracting Talent

Study the resumes of other professionals in your industry

By connecting with others in your field and building strong relationships in the workplace, you can learn a lot about what employers are looking for — and how to present yourself in the best possible light. 

Scout out the skills, experience, and certifications other professionals in your field use on their resumes. You can find examples of peoples’ resumes through LinkedIn, online groups and organizations, or by directly asking your colleagues and mentors for their advice.

And while you shouldn’t copy anyone’s resume word-for-word, you can still gather inspiration from your research. 

After viewing what others deem to be important on their resumes and online profiles, reconsider what sections, formatting, or skills you’ll need to update on your own application to set yourself up for success.

Target your resume’s keywords to the job posting

Tailoring your resume’s keywords to the company you want is essential for getting noticed by recruiters. 

Currently, modern companies use applicant tracking software (ATS) to filter out and select suitable candidates with the skillset and experience they seek. So if you use the exact keywords from a company job posting on your resume, you’ll have a higher chance of moving past the ATS software and into a hiring manager’s inbox. 

Include numbers throughout your resume

As you’re looking through your resume, try adding numbers to the bullet points of your work history so hiring managers can visualize what you’ve done in each role.

Numbers like percentages, dollar amounts, lengths of time, and other data tell employers you’re capable of achieving concrete results and show them how you’d contribute to their company.

Write down a range of numbers (e.g., 10–20) if you don’t have exact figures, and write numbers as figures instead of words to save space on your resume.

Use the active voice instead of the passive voice

To make your resume writing more powerful and direct, remove any passive voice phrases. Instead, replace these phrases with the active voice.

Using the passive voice can make your resume descriptions sound ambiguous and add extra words to your resume (e.g., Involved in the planning of 3 successful meetings during Q3). 

On the other hand, writing phrases using the active voice accurately describe your contributions and impact so employers can better grasp your work history (e.g., Planned 3 successful meetings during Q3) and see you as a leader in your field. 

Invest in professional assistance 

Many services are available online or through local professionals that can help you create a high-quality resume highlighting your strengths as a candidate. 

For example, using a resume builder or downloading a pre-formatted resume template can be helpful if you don’t have much experience with writing resumes, are short on time, or aren’t sure how to market yourself effectively in your target industry.

If you can afford it, you can also search online for licensed professionals, such as Certified Professional Resume Writers, to help you write your resume. They’ll typically interview you and ask you for all of your professional qualifications and distill it down into a one-page resume.

Eva Chan is a Career Counselor and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) at Resume Genius, and has a background in the education management industry. Eva graduated from the University of British Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in English. She’s since coached several professionals with building their resumes and finding fulfilling work.

Which currency guides your life?

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In one of Aesop’s Fables, “The Hare & the Hound,” the predator furiously chases the rabbit, fails and prepares to go hungry that evening. The fable’s lesson emerges when an onlooker taunts him with, “The little one was too much for you.” The hound replies, “Ah well, don’t forget it’s one thing to be running for your dinner, but quite another to be running for your life.” 

In my twentieth year, following a debilitating sports injury, the driving currency of my life began to emerge. Nursing the temporary loss of my sport and the permanent loss of a teammate, I transferred my achievement passion from gymnastics to French and classic guitar. This filled a need to move concentrated training hours from the gym to learning a new language and a musical instrument—I craved achievement.  

What drives your life? 

Currency of the head–You are a project person. A successful endeavor is your ultimate reward. You are happiest when your ideas and efforts come to life. If you won the lottery you would finish your project first, before collecting your winnings. What you crave most is “agency”—being actively involved in getting things done. 

Currency of the heart-–You are ‘in it’ for family, friends and community. Projects or dollars are fine only after you spend time with the people in your ‘clan.’ Nothing makes up for lost time or discomfort among the people closest to you. Few things in this world can cause you to miss your child’s piano recital, a niece’s championship soccer game or a friend’s theater production. 

Currency of the wallet–You learned early that money moves the world. A dollar is for counting and accumulating. The power that money confers makes nearly every sacrifice worth it. Agency is fine as long as the numbers add up. The dollars you access make up for projects on hold or missed family commitments. The more money you have the happier you, your family and the community will be. 

What’s your currency slogan?  

  • “I love a good project.” (Head) 
  • “Family, friends & community.” (Heart) 
  • “Another day another dollar.” (Wallet) 

For happiness solve for “X” 

In each equation of head, heart and wallet currency, our defining outcome is fulfillment or happiness. Figuring out the math assignment to solve for x helps us to either escape Aesop’s hound or end up on the menu. Now, more than ever, each of us is grinding out a personal equation and crunching the numbers for the currency we want in our lives—the currency of life that makes us whole.

Cashing in your currency defines your happiness. The relentless achiever sacrifices all for a completed milestone—fluency in Paris; performing at a wedding. We feel relief and vindication when the job is done.  

The person who trades in heart currency doesn’t care if it was exchanged through the head or wallet as long as the outcome benefits someone they love. For them, this is happiness.  

The wallet person finds happiness in trending numbers. They create joy by turning numbers into dollars, yen, renminbi, euros or pounds. While others get to this point and think about what to do with the money, the wallet person has just crossed the finish line—mission accomplished. 

Whether it is fulfillment or happiness you seek, in order to find it, you must align your weekly, monthly and annual activities to the currency best suited to your nature. Without assigning good or bad to ‘head,’ ‘heart,’ or ‘wallet,’ the closest you are to your core nature the more authentic you can be in all that you do.  

The ‘Gratitude’ Test 

How do you know which is your dominant life currency? A slogan might get you close, but analyzing your gratitude will reveal your true essence. Write down eight things you are grateful for in your life. Next, check which ones are of the head, the heart or of the wallet. Finally, tally the check marks in each category. 

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Your gratitude totals may show a clear winner. If they are close or tied, only you know which carries the most weight in your daily life. There is no right or wrong, only alignment.  

What do you value? 

Head Heart Wallet 

-Effort is noble -Family is noble -Power is noble 

-Legacy is king -Humanity is king -Wealth is king 

-Money is ‘means to an end’ -Money is security -Money is the end 

-Solution = hard work -Solution = enough $$ -Solution = more $$  

Currency Alignment 

Those who find happiness have matched their life activities to the currency they value most. When this happens you reduce internal conflict and nearly eliminate stress. For millions across the globe, this ‘currency awareness’ can be the silver lining to a world-wide pandemic. 

Aesop’s ‘hound & hare’ fable might suggest that, like the hare, if you are to win that race for your life it helps to pick an arena where your natural currency is a personal advantage. 

Rick Griggs is a former Intel Corporation training manager and inventor of the rolestorming creativity tool. He runs the ten-month Leadership Mastery Academy. [email protected] or 970.690.7327. 

How to revamp your career

Some places of employment aren’t set up to allow workers growth. These organizations may offer mediocre benefits and leave no path for advancement. Other times, employees may simply find themselves disenchanted with the career path they have chosen.

Whatever the reason for career stagnancy, if you find yourself experiencing burnout, it may be time to make a change. 

In order to do this, you’ll need to continually set yourself up for success. Every action you take should push you toward your career goals, and this will require a substantial amount of drive. Here are three tips to help you revamp your career. 

Assess Your Skill Set 

It’s hard to move forward without having something to prove you can do it. Your resume should therefore showcase your professional progress. If you’re working hard in your current position, you may have acquired some of these skills by default — skills that weren’t on your initial resume when applying, but can take you to new heights. 

Updating your resume can help you reassess what you have to offer a company and how you can better leverage yourself toward different positions. For instance, many coders have experience in web design and vice-versa. If you apply for a website designer position and are rejected, a hiring manager may notice your coding expertise on your resume and reach out to you about a different position that requires those skills instead. 

Perhaps the new career path you‘ve chosen calls for skills that you don’t qualify for yet. In this case, it’s wise to seek education and training. Most technical skills can be authenticated through a degree or online certification, both of which you can put on a resume. Right now, many people are finding professional benefits in learning new programming languages and social media marketing.  

Seek Out New Opportunities 

There are three ways to address new career paths. The one you choose will depend on your career aspirations and where you see yourself in upcoming years. These could be: 

  • A new position at your current place of employment. 
  • Seeking a new employer in the same line of work. 
  • Completely changing fields and occupations. 

Don’t expect an opportunity to simply fall into your lap. Rather, seek new openings and find ways to make them happen for yourself. It’s always good to ensure that you have a new position lined up before leaving your current one. 

If you’re choosing to stay at your current place of employment, you’ll need to be up to date on what job positions are open and whether or not your company is hiring internally. Do your best to form relationships with the right people, including those in different departments.   

If you’re looking to change what you do all together because you’ve soured on your current line of work, you may want to consider what your work-life balance should be and, if you are unable to change that, what career you may be the most content in. Job satisfaction varies from person to person, but often depends on work relationships and benefits.   

At large, people seem to be most content in fields like real estate, teaching, and human resources. If you get hired into a profession you’re not entirely experienced in, consider using a lucid chart or a similar type of work breakdown system. This will allow you to prioritize your new tasks while you’re learning the ropes of a new work environment.  

Don’t Stop Networking 

Apart from networking within your own company, it’s also important to make connections outside of your organization. Think about it: hiring teams get new resumes all the time. Being present in a higher up’s mind gives you a leg up on the other competition. It may be wise to look into networking events, business mentorships, and referral programs put on by people in your field of expertise. 

Additionally, never stop growing your surrounding network, either. Always be willing to meet new people, because you never know who could come through for you when you really need it. Be kind and generous to everyone, and treat people like you would like to be treated. Don’t be shy about doing favors for others, make time for conversation, and always be respectful to those around you. 

To network on a personal level requires putting oneself in a position to meet new people. Some of the most common and effective forms of this are: 

  • Informational interviews 
  • Attending industry conferences 
  • Job shadowing 
  • Connecting and conversing over LinkedIn

Notably, many of these can be organized, discovered, or accomplished through online means. In the age of the internet, search engines and social platforms are your greatest tools. Don’t underestimate them. 

Switching career paths can be difficult, especially in a competitive job market. To prepare for this, assess your resume and continuously update your list of qualifications. At the same time, you should seek out potential job opportunities regularly. Your career options will grow with every person you meet, and enlarging your network may put you a step ahead of other candidates. You can earn good faith from industry professionals by going out of your way to get to know them and treating them well. If you use the internet to connect with them and find out about networking opportunities, your potential for growth will be greater than before. 

How to make effective decisions for your business

Do you have a decision to make in order to move forward professionally in a positive direction? You’re not alone. In the midst of uncertain times we actually have the opportunity to make decisions that can result in a positive impact on business. To minimize the stress associated with decision making it’s important to create as much clarity around the decision at hand as possible.

Your skills are “what” has led you to where you are today professionally. Your behavior determines “how” well you will do now moving forward: Positive Skills + Positive Behavior = Positive Impact on Business (Sherpa Executive Coaching formula).

As with any successful business venture, it is essential to have an effective process. The same holds true when it comes to making good business decisions. Think about a specific business decision that perhaps you have been putting off because of uncertainty. It could be in the area of resolving a long-standing conflict that has resulted in a negative impact on business. Maybe you have a decision to make around innovation and the most effective way to go about it given your budget. Whatever your current decision is, write it down and be as specific as possible.

Next, walk through a proven process for effective decision making called: Decision Making Mountain. This process has 4 phases that are depicted in a mountain format. The first phase is basecamp and you climb up from there.

  • Need: Defining the Essentials: Gather the facts and research the different areas related to the decision at hand. When considering a professional decision, you will gather the facts around your available resources to make a sound decision along with resisting the urge to make a snap decision. Impulse control continues to be one of the number one-character trait mastered by the top leaders of our time. Self-control means to manage your actions, feelings and emotions. The best decisions are made when you are calm, centered and objective. Ask yourself: What decision needs to be made?
  • Assessment: Another Sherpa Executive Coaching process involves nailing down your “Why it Matters” (your main driver in life) as this will come into play when you do make decisions. During this step you assess the ramifications of making the decision or leaving things alone. You may want to bring in other insights and wisdom from people you know, admire and trust who have gone through similar decisions in their life to gain wisdom. Ask yourself: What do I need to know to make this decision? 
  • Change: How adaptable are you? Decisions walk hand in hand with change. Reflecting upon your ability to adapt will offer you the opportunity to identify and adjust accordingly. Try to anticipate the unexpected. Learn from undesirable outcomes (a definition of failure) and expand your successes. There is a big difference between an undesirable outcome that comes from doing nothing and those that occur when you are taking risks, when you’re striving to do the right thing. What is the decision at hand and the anticipated changes associated with it? Exploring your options and playing them out can sharpen your clarity of focus which leads to accuracy of response.
  • Coaching and Follow-Through: This is the most important step: a conscious dedication to the resolution of the issue in every facet: creating the desired effect, adding to the knowledge base, building loyalty, efficiency and team cohesiveness. Ask yourself: The decision is made, what needs to happen now? 

Part of decision making involves your own internal expectations that you have around the decision at hand. This is a different tool to explore. Dannemiller’s Formula for Change suggests that you will not move forward successfully in the midst of a new change initiative in life (that comes about through decision making) unless the following elements are present: 

D x V x F x L > R

  • D: Dissatisfaction with your current situation which may come in the form of frustration; confusion; overwhelm or negative perspectives.
  • V: Vision: clarity of focus leads to accuracy of response, a clear vision is essential for forward action steps to appear.
  • F: Forward Action Steps: Putting into practice simply, forward action steps create the infrastructure for sustainable change to take root and replace old patterns of thought and behavior. Creating new messaging systems within our brain through simple repetition of positive behavior result in personal transformation.
  • L: Leadership/Coaching: Mentorship and coaching have proven successful support elements resulting in positive, sustainable shift. Connecting with a coach that aligns with your personality and core belief systems is essential in order to create psychological safety for personal growth and development.
  • R: Resistance to change. It has been shown that whenever one of the above elements is missing in a person’s life that R: resistance to change will win out.

When all 4 elements are present: Dissatisfaction with your current situation or conflict, Vision, Forward Action Steps and Coaching then your desire to experience a positive, decisive SHIFT in your life will win out over any resistance, including procrastination around your next step forward to make the decision at hand.