What Does A Modern Resume Look Like

Writing a modern resume requires you to create one that is read appropriately by applicant tracking systems AND catches the attention of different readers (recruiter and hiring manager).

How well do you understand how applicant tracking systems work and how recruiters review resumes?

This overview of what a modern resume looks like helps you understand the most important aspects of writing a resume today.

Submitting your resume online

When you apply for a job online, you’re asked to upload your resume and complete an online application. Every ATS is a little different in how they parse your resume but ultimately, it is your resume content and format that is important. Recruiters often tell me that the ATS is like a filing cabinet. It stores information based on how the ATS receives it.

In order for your resume to successfully get read by an ATS, it has to be formatted simply and traditionally. This means using a one column format and standard section headings like Experience and Education.

When speaking to recruiters, most say that they review every single resume. While some ATS have rating systems, recruiters agree, they don’t trust the system and prefer to scan every resume they receive.

This means that your resume must include the keywords/important terminology the recruiters are searching for. And you can find these keywords in the job posting.

The keywords you will want to use are hard skills, technology, processes/procedures needed for the job, or certifications.

Tweaking your resume requires reviewing the job description and highlighting the skills, technology and systems (keywords) requested. Without lying, you want to use those words in your resume. Here’s more help dissecting a job posting to uncover keywords – Applying for a Job? Invest Time Reviewing the Job Posting.

How long does a recruiter look at your resume?

7.4 seconds.

The 7.4 seconds is only a first review of a resume to see if it looks worth diving into deeper (TheLadders Eye Tracking Study). If the resume makes it to the next step, the recruiter will spend as much time as it takes to evaluate the qualifications shown in the resume.

Furthermore, most of us don’t read anything – we skim. We look for headlines and things that catch our interest.

Recruiters are no different. They don’t have time to figure out what the resume is trying to say. It is your job to clearly convey how you meet the job requirements.

Formatting Key Points

• Titles, headings, job titles and most recent job content all tend to get more attention.
• We read left to right so structure important information to take advantage of this.
• We also read top to bottom. List the most relevant information first.
• Pay attention to the information you list in your most recent job as it receives the most attention.
• And don’t overlook your contact information: email, phone and LinkedIn URL. City and state contact information are important but you no longer need to include your street address.

Make Your Resume Skimmable

Some of the key recommendations include:

• A simple, uncluttered layout
• Clear fonts (sans serif fonts are easier to read online.)
• An overview, branding statement, value proposition or summary at the top (do not use an objective statement such as “to obtain a challenging, rewarding, full-time job.”)
• Use job titles and clear sub-headings

Emphasize Current Job

Your most recent job will get the most attention because it contains the freshest skills. Pay close attention to this space and help the reader understand how your work relates to the job you are applying for.

Write Accomplishment Bullets

Use accomplishments in your bullets, not job duties! A best practice for writing accomplishments is to use the XYZ formula. (It was developed by Google).

Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]”

Here are some examples:

• Increased customer retention by 35% within one year by implementing a personalized onboarding program and proactive account management strategies.
• Reduced operational costs by $500K annually by identifying inefficiencies in the supply chain and negotiating better vendor contracts.
• Drove a 50% increase in sales pipeline within six months by launching a targeted digital marketing campaign and optimizing lead generation processes.

1 Page or 2-3 Pages

A general rule of thumb is that five years of experience or less should usually fit on a single page. But if you have more than five years of experience, do not limit your resume to one page. Some senior-level job seekers may even have a three-page resume.

Remember to use a readable font size, no smaller than 10 or 11 point. And be sure your margins are no smaller than a half-inch.

Graphics

Should you use fancy charts on your resume? That’s a personal choice. What you should know is that an ATS will not read the data contained in the chart. But, if you already have the accomplishment listed with the data, you don’t need to worry that the ATS won’t show the chart.

And what about including a headshot? That’s still not something recruiters or hiring managers want to see on your resume in the United States. Instead, include the URL (link) to your LinkedIn profile.

Color

Don’t be afraid to use subtle color. Adding lines and shading is another way for you to visually structure your resume to stand out. Don’t overdo it though. Use basic lines and styles.

Several Modern Resume Samples

These are just some recent CDI TORI award-winning resumes.

ATS Version

You should always have a version of your resume stripped of formatting that will easily upload into an online applicant tracking system (ATS). Save your Word document as a .txt or .rtf file and fix any visual quirks or inconsistencies.

And while we’re discussing ATS, allow me to dispel some myths. No ATS eliminates resumes. An ATS is like a digital file cabinet. It stores documents. If the application has a knock-out question, that’s a different story.

If your resume has lots of fancy formatting, it may not get read and imported into the ATS the way you want it to. It’s important to review the information in your application to verify the right information is in the right place.

Standard Resume Template

Professional-Resume-Template-BW-2024

I am not a resume writer

There are professional resume writers who have been trained and specialize in all the current resume writing standards. That isn’t me.

You will want to carefully review the qualifications of any resume writer you hire- and a resume writer is no different. They often specialize in industries and cater to certain occupations.