A resume stands out when it makes a clear case for your fit within a few seconds. It should show which role you want, which relevant skills you bring, what results you have achieved and how your experience connects to the employer’s needs.
The most effective resume improvements are usually practical rather than decorative. Tailor the content to the job description, make accomplishments easy to find, use a readable format, include relevant keywords and remove information that does not help the reader evaluate you.
Use the 13 steps below as a resume review checklist. You do not need an elaborate design. You need a focused, accurate document that is easy for both a hiring manager and an applicant tracking system to understand.
What makes a resume stand out?
A strong resume is relevant, specific and easy to scan. It connects your experience to the position instead of presenting the same general document for every application. It also describes outcomes, tools, responsibilities and context clearly enough for the reader to understand your contribution.
Standing out does not mean using unusual colors, complex layouts or exaggerated language. A resume stands out when the evidence of your fit is clearer and more relevant than the surrounding information.
13 ways to improve your resume
1. Tailor your resume to each job
Start with the job description and identify the main responsibilities, required skills, tools, qualifications and terminology. Then adjust your summary, skills section and experience bullets so the most relevant evidence appears first.
Tailoring does not mean copying the posting or claiming experience you do not have. It means selecting accurate examples that match the employer’s stated needs. For a detailed process, see these steps for tailoring your resume.
2. Use a clean, professional format
Use clear section headings, consistent spacing and a readable font. A simple single-column format is often easier to scan than a crowded design with multiple text boxes, icons or decorative elements.
Keep dates, job titles and employer names consistent. Avoid placing important information in graphics, headers, footers or columns if it could become difficult for an applicant tracking system to read. Export the file in the format requested by the employer and check the final version before submitting it.
3. Write a focused headline or summary
A headline can identify your professional focus, while a short summary can explain your experience and strongest qualifications. The opening should support the target role rather than repeat vague claims such as motivated professional or team player.
For example, a marketing candidate could describe experience with content planning, campaign reporting and customer acquisition instead of using a generic statement about seeking a challenging opportunity. Keep the summary concise and support its claims in the experience section.
4. Emphasize achievements, not only duties
Job duties explain what you were responsible for. Achievements show what changed because of your work. Whenever possible, describe the action you took, the work involved and the measurable or observable result.
Basic description
Managed email marketing campaigns and prepared monthly reports.
Stronger description
Managed segmented email campaigns and used monthly performance reports to improve content and follow-up decisions.
Use numbers when they are accurate and useful, such as revenue, response time, volume, audience size, error reduction or project completion. If a precise number is unavailable, describe the result concretely without inventing one.
5. Use relevant keywords from the job description
Keywords help readers identify your fit and may help an applicant tracking system match your resume to a role. Look for repeated terms related to skills, software, methods, certifications, job titles and responsibilities.
Use the language naturally in context. Listing keywords without evidence is less persuasive than showing how you used the skill in a previous role. Also include accepted variations when appropriate, such as both customer relationship management and CRM if both terms accurately describe your experience.
6. Show progression and increasing responsibility
Make career growth visible. You can show progression through promotions, expanded scope, larger projects, new ownership areas or movement from execution to planning and leadership.
If you held several positions with one employer, consider grouping them under the company name while listing each title and date. This can show continuity while making advancement easier to understand. Do not imply a promotion or change in responsibility that did not occur.
7. Include relevant volunteer work and activities
Volunteer work, community involvement and extracurricular activities can strengthen a resume when they demonstrate skills relevant to the target role. Examples include organizing events, managing a publication, coordinating volunteers, supporting a nonprofit project or serving in a professional association.
Prioritize relevance and evidence. A short description of what you delivered is more useful than a long list of memberships. Older or unrelated activities can be omitted when space is limited.
8. Add certifications and professional development
List certifications, courses and training that support the job you want. Include the credential name, issuing organization and completion date when those details help the reader evaluate it. Put required or highly relevant certifications where they are easy to find.
Professional development can also show current knowledge when your formal work history does not fully reflect your abilities. Avoid adding courses merely to fill space. The qualification should have a clear connection to the position.
9. Demonstrate soft skills through evidence
Communication, teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability are difficult to evaluate when they appear only as a list of adjectives. Show them through examples in your experience bullets.
- Demonstrate communication by describing documentation, presentations, stakeholder updates or customer guidance.
- Demonstrate teamwork by explaining how you coordinated with other functions or contributed to a shared deliverable.
- Demonstrate problem-solving by describing an issue, the approach you used and the result.
This approach makes soft skills more credible because the reader can see how you applied them.
10. Include a relevant portfolio or work sample
For writing, design, development, research, marketing and similar roles, a portfolio can provide evidence that a resume cannot. Link to selected work only when it is relevant, accessible and appropriate to share.
Check every link before submitting your application. Explain your contribution to collaborative projects, protect confidential information and avoid presenting work created by someone else as your own. If a portfolio is not relevant to the role, do not add one simply for appearance.
11. Use professional contact information
Use an email address that is easy to recognize and appropriate for job applications. Include a phone number and relevant professional profile or portfolio link if requested or useful. Check that all contact details are current.
You generally do not need to include personal information that is unrelated to the job. Focus the top section on details that help the employer contact you or assess your professional background.
12. Mention meaningful professional affiliations
Professional organizations can show involvement in an industry or field when the affiliation is relevant. Include associations, memberships, leadership roles or speaking activities that support the target position.
Do not turn this section into a directory of every group you have joined. Explain a leadership role or contribution when it demonstrates a useful capability, and remove memberships that do not add context.
13. Proofread and test the final document
Typos, inconsistent dates and broken links can weaken an otherwise strong application. Proofread the resume more than once, then ask another person to review it if possible. A second reader may notice unclear wording or errors that become invisible after repeated editing.
- The target job title and relevant skills are clear near the top.
- Each important experience bullet explains contribution or outcome.
- Keywords match the job description without overstating your experience.
- Dates, punctuation, spacing and section headings are consistent.
- Contact details and portfolio links work correctly.
- The document is readable when viewed as the submitted file type.
How to decide what to remove from your resume
Resume space should support the application. Remove repeated responsibilities, outdated details, unrelated early experience, generic objectives and skills you cannot discuss in an interview. You can usually shorten older roles while giving more space to recent or directly relevant work.
Before deleting a section, ask: Does this information help prove a requirement, explain my career story or distinguish my experience for this role? If the answer is no, reduce it or leave it out.
How to make a resume easier to evaluate
Review the document from the employer’s perspective. Can the reader identify your target role quickly? Are the most relevant qualifications visible without searching? Do your examples explain what you did and why it mattered?
One useful method is to compare your resume with the job description in two passes. First, confirm that your experience addresses the main requirements. Second, check whether the strongest matching evidence appears early enough and uses language the employer will recognize.
A resume earns attention through relevance and evidence. Design can support that message, but it cannot replace clear proof of what you can do.
Resume improvements for different career situations
Career changers should emphasize transferable skills, relevant projects, training and accomplishments that connect to the new field. Recent graduates can give more space to internships, coursework, volunteer work and portfolio projects when full-time experience is limited.
Experienced professionals should focus on recent impact and strategic scope rather than documenting every task from their entire career. Candidates returning after a gap can use a summary and selected projects to make current skills easier to understand, without trying to hide the timeline.
What to do after improving your resume
A stronger resume works best as part of a focused job search. Apply to roles that match your skills, verify the requirements and adapt your application materials to the specific employer. You can also build relationships with people in your field and learn more about opportunities through practical networking strategies.
When evaluating a role, read the original source posting carefully and confirm details such as location, work mode, required qualifications and application instructions. A well-tailored resume can improve clarity, but it cannot replace checking whether the opportunity is a genuine fit.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a resume be?
Use enough space to show relevant experience and results clearly. Many candidates can present their background in one or two pages, but relevance and readability matter more than a strict page count.
How do I make my resume ATS-friendly?
Use standard section headings, readable text, relevant keywords and a simple layout. Avoid placing important information only in images, graphics, text boxes, headers or footers.
Should I include soft skills on my resume?
Yes, but support them with evidence. Describe communication, teamwork or problem-solving through projects, responsibilities and outcomes instead of listing only adjectives.
Should every job application use the same resume?
Keep your core history accurate, but tailor the summary, skills and experience bullets for each relevant role. Prioritize the qualifications and terminology that match the specific job description.
What achievements should I include on a resume?
Include results that show impact, such as improving a process, completing a project, supporting customers, increasing output, reducing errors or taking on broader responsibility. Use accurate figures when available.
Should I include a photo, hobbies or personal information?
Include them only when they are relevant to the role or specifically requested. In most applications, space is better used for skills, achievements, qualifications and work samples.
Find roles where your experience can make an impact
Use a focused resume to compare relevant opportunities, then open the original posting to confirm the role requirements and application details.