Best Practices for Resumes in 2025

Best Practices for Resumes in 2025

Resume Writing Ideas June 26, 2025

Best Practices for Resumes in 2025

​The job search has changed substantially over the past few years. When your résumé is aligned with current trends, you can ensure you’re a competitive candidate that appeals to hiring managers and recruiters. With that in mind, here are 10 key things a “modern” résumé needs to compete effectively in today’s job search.

10 Essentials Every Modern Résumé Needs in 2025

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1. Eliminate Unnecessary Information. This is timeless advice, but it bears repeating. Your résumé is not your career biography or a training manual outlining how you did every task. No need to include every job you’ve held, every responsibility you had, and how you did everything you’ve ever done. While the one-page résumé is no longer “a thing,” for most job candidates, two pages is usually sufficient. Employers and recruiters review dozens or hundreds of résumés for each position. Focus on the content of the job description as listed in the job advertisement you are responding to. Customize your résumé because your résumé should include information relevant to the job you are applying for.

 

1. Highlight Who You Are With a Personal Branding Statement. The old “Objective” statement is dead (and has been for about 15 years now!). There are two options to replace the Objective session. The first option is a Headline, and the second is a Summary. A Headline or a Summary section allows you to outline what you bring to the table. Use the valuable space at the top of the résumé to convey who you are, what you specialize in, and the unique value you bring to the company or organization. Keep it short and sweet. Show off what sets you apart in a concise manner.

 

1. Showcase Professional Development. The workplace is changing, and your skills should continue to evolve, too. Employers appreciate job candidates who continue to enhance their skills. Showcase your commitment to continuous learning by including certifications, courses, workshops, and training programs on your résumé. This is particularly important in tech-driven jobs and industries.

 

1. Emphasize Skills and Accomplishments Over Job Descriptions. On a “modern” résumé, employers value skills and accomplishments over a description of your tasks and responsibilities. It’s important to show what you do, but emphasize hard (technical) and soft (interpersonal) skills on the résumé too. These skills can be listed separately (in a “Skills” section) or incorporated into your work experience. For example: Demonstrated leadership and communication skills while managing a 25-person cross-functional team that overhauled a 200+ page SOP manual.

 

1. Quantify Your Impact. Highlight your accomplishments by including specific numbers (including quantities, percentages, and dollar amounts). Use dollars for revenue growth, percentages for growth or efficiency accomplishments, and numbers to describe the size of your team, the number of projects you complete, etc. Data-driven results highlight your impact and help you stand out from other candidates in a competitive job market.

 

1. Emphasize Remote Work Experience (If You Have It). If you’re pursuing a remote or hybrid work environment, make sure you showcase your relevant experience in virtual environments. Include your experience with remote tools (Zoom, Slack, Trello, Microsoft Teams, etc.) along with your communication and collaborative skills.

 

1. Address Gaps Strategically. If you have gaps in your work history, highlight what you were working on during that time (freelance work, volunteering, professional development, etc.). If appropriate, consider directly addressing the reason for the gap; for example, a career break, remote work transition, family caretaking situation, or other personal reason.

 

1. Provide Links to Digital Portfolios, Social Media Accounts, and/or Personal Websites. Take your résumé from two-dimensional to fully interactive by including links to online portfolios that allow you to showcase projects, certifications, writing samples, case studies, etc. Provide a link to your LinkedIn profile or GitHub account.

 

1. Ensure Your Résumé Is Visually Appealing. While many résumés are submitted electronically and managed through applicant tracking software, there will come a time in the job search when a human being is reading your résumé, so make sure the résumé is designed for both human and computer readers. Using color is fine. Most graphics are fine. You can even include QR codes to link to your digital portfolio, personal website, or social media accounts. Balance design with readability.

 

1. Optimize the Résumé for Applicant Tracking System Software. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used by more than 70 percent of large employers (and nearly 100 percent of Fortune 500 companies). For this reason, it’s important to include relevant keywords and industry-specific terms in your résumé to help your résumé be “found” in a search. Use traditional section headings (“Work Experience,” “Education,” “Certifications,” etc.). Use a single column format and use a simple structure for company names, job titles, and dates of employment to make it easy for the software to “read” the document.

One More Important Tip

​If you are using artificial intelligence to customize a cover letter to a specific job posting, don’t just use the AI-generated cover letter “as is.” Many hiring managers report that the cover letters they receive are “identical” to one another because they are created using AI chatbots. Take a few minutes to review the cover letter draft and ensure it sounds like you and includes specific information about your experience and qualifications.

​With all these tips in mind, you can ensure that your résumé is a modern, professional document, ready to help you succeed in today’s competitive job search environment. 

Source: https://www.market-connections.net/blog/best-practices-for-resumes-in-2025​

You May Also Like to Read the Following Posts

• Resume Red Flags: https://www.market-connections.net/blog/resume-red-flags
• When Is It Time For a New Resume: ​https://www.market-connections.net/blog/when-is-it-time-for-a-new-resume
• Resume Checklist: ​​https://www.market-connections.net/blog/resume-checklist
• Crafting an Impressive Resume Without Exaggeration: ​​​​https://www.market-connections.net/blog/crafting-an-impressive-resume-without-exaggeration
• Should You Put a Picture on Your Resume: ​https://www.market-connections.net/blog/should-you-put-a-picture-on-your-resume

About the Author

Mandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes.
 
Feel free to connect with Mandy Fard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandyfard/
 
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