Spring Forward with a Fresh Resume

It’s hard to believe it’s already spring! Flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and the air smells just a little bit fresher. And as always, the new season brings with it a wave of spring cleaning across the nation as folks dust, buff, and wash their way to a brighter tomorrow.

Since spring is all about newness and rebirth, why not take advantage of the season to freshen up your resume? As technology has developed, so too have the trends in resume formatting. What worked in 2000 won’t necessarily work in 2021. Here are a few 2021 resume trends to take advantage of!

Make It Mobile Friendly

Recruiters are busy, and frequently on the move. That means that they might end up viewing your resume on their mobile phone or tablet.

In an interview with Job-Hunt.Org, Executive Resume Writer Donna Svei noted, “your resume needs to be easy to read on a phone. Send your resume to yourself, open the file, and make sure you can easily read it.”

What does “easily read” mean? Donna outlined three main qualities:

  1. White space
  2. A suitable font legible on mobile devices, like Calibri
  3. A large enough font size. She prefers 11-point.

Long is Okay

Traditionally, job seekers were told to never let their resume exceed one page in length. However, due to the prevalence of Applicant Tracking Systems used to filter applicants, it’s now important to include as many keywords as possible.

Resume expert Wendi Weiner notes that “The rule of thumb is that your resume should be as long as it needs to convey your career story. You want to emphasize achievements, results, and projects to highlight your leadership and value.”

However, it is important to keep in mind that your resume is still going to ultimately end up in front of a human being. That means keeping it both keyword rich and well-organized to appeal to the eye.

Use Color

Gone are the days when a black-and-white resume was the go-to option. Off the Clock Resumes details the need to use color to highlight your personality. “Use color strategically to impact an employer’s perspective of you,” they say. “Keep your resume looking professional by using conservative color for your name, section headings, and other design elements sparingly.”

However, you want to avoid going overboard with the design elements. “Pick no more than two colors, but keep the rest of your text easy to read with a standard black font.”

These are just a few of the ways that resumes have begun to change in 2021. We’ll go into a bit more detail regarding other trends later this year. Stay tuned!

Have you started to implement any of these changes in your resume? Has it paid off? Let us know in the comments section below!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *