Five Resume Trends to Apply to Your Next Resume

Resume Trends

As the job market changes, so do resume trends. What hasn’t changed is the importance of a well-written resume that is up to date. Of course, not all trends are worth getting behind. Here are five major resume trends that you should be paying attention to right now.

What are Resume Trends?

The Cambridge dictionary defines a trend as a “general development or change in a situation or the way people are behaving: a fashion”. While job applications, resumes, and cover letters are more serious than the latest handbag fashion, they nonetheless follow trends. If you want to impress recruiters, then you will have to ensure that your resume is up to date. However, not all resume trends are worth following; knowing how to identify useful trends is key to success.

Common Resume Format

No matter what resume trends come and go, there are certain sections that every resume should have. A basic understanding of the key components of a resume will help you to implement resume trends effectively without compromising the functionality and the readability of your resume. These are the five sections that should be in every effective resume:

Header

First, there should be a resume header. This should contain your full name, phone number, secondary contact information, and links to professional social media (for example, your LinkedIn profile).

Resume summary or objective

Next, you should include either a resume summary or an objective statement. A resume summary should lay out the skills and achievements that make you best for a particular job posting and is best for experienced job seekers. An objective statement, by contrast, should be a statement of your career goals and intentions. 

Skills

A skills section should contain eight to 30 bullet points detailing the skill set that makes you right for the job description you have applied for. This includes hard skills such as programming and soft skills like communication skills.

Work experience

The work history sections should include up to the last ten years of professional experience, listed in reverse-chronological order. A well-crafted work history section will show employers how your skills result in positive accomplishments.

Education

The education section of a resume is especially important for those who have little work experience. By showing that you have the training or academic qualifications to do a job, you will increase your chances of success.

Five Key Resume Trends

The best resume is one that not only displays a job seeker’s competencies but stands out from other generic resumes that hiring managers have to wade through. If you use trends to your advantage, you can create an eye-catching, current resume. Here are five key trends you should keep in mind when resume writing this year:

1. Use Relevant Keywords

Keywords are crucial to resumes these days because so many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to ensure that the most relevant applications get to the eyes of a human recruiter. This is why pulling keywords from job postings (e.g., specific skills the employer wants) and incorporating them into your resume has become a useful and widespread resume trend. Optimize your resume to ensure it is ATS-friendly by incorporating keywords in your summary, skills and work experience sections. 

2. Choose a Simple Design

Infographics and bold design elements are slowly falling out of favor; minimalism is the latest trend in resume layouts. Streamlined resume templates are easy to find and can help your resume pass applicant tracking systems by making it easier to scan. 

3. Keep to the Right Format 

The traditional chronological resume format is back in style because of its easy to read, elegant style. If you have a decent amount of work experience, you probably already use this format, but it can also be useful for entry-level job seekers. By using a chronological format and presenting all of your relevant experience, either from work, coursework, or unpaid work, in reverse chronological order, you will make it easy for recruiters to see your potential.

4. Keep It Short

Simplicity is king. The trend for short, concise resumes is here to stay. While there may be times when a two-page resume can be appropriate, it is generally preferable to stick to a single page. Unless you are applying for senior-level jobs, keep it short and sweet! 

5. Show Off Results

Humility is out; confidence is the new trend, and if you want to navigate the hiring process with style, you need to use action verbs (e.g., “managed” or “oversaw”) and specific metrics (e.g., “Ran campaign that increased user engagement by 12%”) when discussing your achievements and relevant work experience.