How to Modernize your Resume

Are you a job seeker and you are above 50? Are you worried that age difference could be a hindrance to your dream job as you are concerned about age discrimination?

Then, let's look at some prompt and convenient way to make you look younger and mode up to date, as required in today’s period.

Here are 10 ideas on how to begin:

Objectives Are Out

The modern Resume should clearly depict what value a candidate can provide to his employer and the organization. Career Objectives are hence, outdated now and it is better to exclude it from your resume. Instead, highlight your major skills and work experiences in a career summary so that you get the hiring manager’s attention and invoke them to continue going through your resume.

Remove Your Physical Address

Including your street address is unnecessary and with identity theft on the rise, it is another opportunity for someone to steal your personal information. Some employers and recruiters search by location, so include your city, state, and postcode only.

Customize Your LinkedIn URL

If your LinkedIn address ends with a series of numbers and letters, you need to update to look tech-savvy. Ideally, you want your LinkedIn to be www.linkedin.com/in/yourname.

If you have a common name, you may need to add a middle initial or use hyphens or underscores between words. You can also tack a keyword on the end of your name which gives you some additional branding.

Hotmail Is So Yesterday

Using email providers that short-lived such as Hotmail and AOL may cause you to look old. Set up a Gmail account (it’s free) and make a professional address, preferably yourname@gmail.com. Never use fancy and unprofessional addresses such as crazycatlady@gmail.com, it might leave a negative impression on prospective employers.

As with LinkedIn, if you have a quite common or similar name, you might need to be creative. If possible, it is suggested that you match your Gmail and LinkedIn URLs.

Leave All References Behind

Today’s resumes don’t include references or the phrase ‘references available upon request.’ Instead, print out a separate reference list within the same format as your resume to provide when asked, save the space on your resume for accomplishments.

Choose Your Font Wisely 

Your resume could also be viewed on a spread of devices/systems, so use a universal font to assist ensure consistency of formatting and embed fonts or save files as PDFs. One font to avoid is Times New Roman. Using it’ll quickly date you, plus it’s difficult to read.

Serif fonts are easier to read, though you might want to steer clear of Arial because it’s overused. Calibri is generally a good choice.

Lose The Dates

If you’re concerned about looking old, better remove the dates from your education. List the degree, major, institution, and city/state only.

One Space, Not Two

Leaving two spaces after periods may be a throwback to the times of typewriters. To give your CV a modern touch, use one space following a period.

Fifteen Is The Magic Number

Taking your work history back quite about 15 years can age you. It is better to omit the very old experiences as they could be outdated and not so useful as well.

By focusing on the recent 15 years of your career, you will emphasize the current, relevant skills, and experience that employers are seeking. In resumes, more isn’t necessarily better-knowing what to leave out is simply is as important as knowing what to incorporate.