Despite the influence of career networking and “being in the right place at the right time,” it is still important to note that a resume is still the most important aspect of any job search. Your resume should be one of your top priorities in your job search, as it will show that you are the ideal candidate for the position. There are various strategies that you can use to make it stand out from the crowd.

A weak resume can prevent you from being considered for the position, whereas a professional resume can help you land an interview and boost your earning potential. There are many ways to improve your resume without going overboard. 

One of the most common rules of writing a resume is to limit it to a one-page maximum. This will help highlight your relevant career information, successes, and accolades without flooding the page with information. Another way to keep your resume at this desired length is to include only relevant experience.

Although your first job may have taught you some fundamentals of your field, it’s not always necessary to include all of your previous positions in your resume. Experts recommend only including jobs from the past 10 or 15 years, especially as many industries have drastically changed during this time. Including too many unrelated work experiences can make the page appear too busy and draw attention away from your qualifications.

On the flip side, if you don’t have a specific work history that relates to the position that you’re applying for or you fear that your resume will look too brief, try incorporating other relevant experiences into your resume. Think back to your time organizing events in high school or your volunteer trips that were taken in college. Relating these to your industry and pulling valuable skills from these experiences can help you fill up your resume.

One of the most important factors that you should consider when it comes to writing a resume is to demonstrate how your previous positions have affected your current career. Having well-defined and accurate metrics can help the hiring manager and the candidate visualize how you could contribute to the company if they bring you on board.

Recently, experts have also suggested that job seekers ditch the traditional “objective” statement and instead include a brief summary, which is also known as a “career snapshot,” at the top of their resume. This will help highlight your unique skills and experience and give a quick overview of your capabilities.