Job seekers looking to revamp their search for the new year should start with their resume to make sure it highlights their most relevant skills and reflects how their past work experience can benefit a company. A strong resume needs to show how a candidate made an impact in their last job by using the situation, tasks, actions, results (STAR format), according to Business Insider. Each category should be listed as a bullet point which will help describe a job seeker's achievements and professional contributions. Formatting can also be an important part of the resume writing process. Resume builder Mona Abdel-Halim said that if a job seeker's resume is highly designed and stylized, it may not be able to be accurately scanned by a company's applicant tracking system. Candidates should research their chosen industries to see what formats are acceptable. Candidates who have been out of work for a long period of time can also augment their resume with continuing education, volunteer work and by joining industry professional groups, The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that professionals with an advanced degree can earn $1,000 more per week than those with some or no college education. |