Six seconds. That’s how long the average hiring manager will look at your resume before they decide if they should read on or move on. And that’s if you’re lucky enough to get human eyes on it. So it’s important to keep your resume up to date. Here’s how you can help pack its punch.

1. Contact Info in a Click.

Link your email address, so someone reading your resume is only a click away from contact. You can lose the physical address on your resume. It makes you prone to identity theft and doesn’t do much to help your case.

2. Add a Little Color. Be careful here.

A little goes a long way, especially if you don’t work in a visual or creative field. Maybe a section header could use some color? Also, think about doing a font other than New Times Roman. By no means does this mean reach for Comic Sans.

3. Objective Statements are so 2003.

Go with a summary instead. Hiring managers are interested in making your life and career fulfilling but they have needs that they have to meet too. So be courteous and help them out and then you can talk more in-depth about what you’re looking for.

4. Ensure Scanability.

People don’t read like they used to. They scan and make judgments on whether or not this content is worth their time. So be sure to use boldfacing and different headers and graphic means to bring out the really important stuff. You want to guide the eye to the good stuff.

5. Leap Past the Robots.

The Robots hone in on keywords they need to see on your resume. To make sure they see the right thing pay close attention to the job posting and use the exact same language that’s in the posting in your resume. For example, if it says 5 years of Customer Service Experience required, be sure you use the term “Customer Service” on your resume.

6. Drop the Skills Section.

This isn’t doing anything for the hiring managers and people make the mistake of thinking more is more on a resume. For the hiring manager, that’s not usually true. They want to see something concise and just right.

The good news is that these updates won’t take you too long. Many people think of resume writing as a wrenching experience best avoided, but that doesn’t make for a good plan of action. And, as with any change to your resume, have someone proofread it. Another set of eyes can save the day. Good luck!

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.