The new year will be here before we know it. Many people are already thinking about what it will bring and how they can plan. If you’re thinking about changing jobs or shifting gears in your career in 2025, now’s the time to start revamping your resume.
It should be updated to reflect your most current experience and showcase your unique qualifications.
How to Ensure Your Resume Stands Out
List job-specific certifications or completed trainings.
Potential employers value individuals who prioritize professional development. So, if you’ve recently completed classes, certifications, licensures, or other training related to your career or field of expertise, list those. Put them at the top of your resume, so readers look at them first.
This can help you stand out from others who may be less qualified.
Be clear about previous dates of employment.
When you list your dates of employment, be sure to clearly list the months and years of employment. For example, April 2022 to April 2024, rather than 2022 to 2024. This gives employers an honest look at how much hands-on experience you have, and that you’re not trying to embellish any dates.
Update references and letters of recommendation.
Are your resume references still relevant? Or are there some new people you could add who could speak to your skills and expertise? What letters of recommendation do you have and are there other people you could ask to write a fresh one?
Make sure you check with your references to make sure they are still willing and able to provide a referral, too. Giving everyone on your list advance warning is important, so they are not caught off guard if a prospective household employer calls them.
Avoid resume red flags.
It’s critical to address red flags in your resume. While it is important to show potential employers what experience you have, you don’t want to clutter the resume with daily tasks you did. For example, if you’re a nanny, instead of saying you helped with childcare duties around the home, talk about what type of things you did with the children – creative activities, outings, etc.
If you’re a personal chef, instead of saying you coordinated weekly meals for a family, showcase what type of private events you cooked for, or provide a highlight of dishes or menus that are unique to you. In addition, avoid using too many graphics or flashy fonts on the resume. A clean, easy to read resume is best.
Check for errors.
Typos, grammatical errors, or other misinformation can indicate that you didn’t spend time on the details. Do a thorough edit of your resume to fix any mistakes. You could even consider having a friend or family member reading through it as a second pair of eyes.
Sometimes other people will spot things that you didn’t even see, or they will have suggestions on how to make things flow better.
Showcase your commitment to the community.
A good employer recognizes that their employees are humans and have passions and interests outside of work. While it’s not necessarily a ‘required’ part of a resume, it’s great to show how you stay active outside of work.
If you regularly volunteer somewhere, serve on the board of a local non-profit organization, or are dedicated to serving the community in another way, list that in a special volunteer or community outreach section. This not only shows that you’re well-rounded, but also that you value people and good work.
Why it’s Important
Remember, a great resume gives the people reading it a glimpse of who you are – both professionally and personally. This snapshot should grab their attention and pique their interest, so spending some time to make it stand out is key.
When a possible employer reads through their resume, they should not only have a good understanding of what you’re good at, but what motivates you, too. This will help you to secure interviews and lead you to a long-term job that’s fulfilling.
We’re Here to Help
Ready to launch your job search for 2025? Our dedicated team at Household Staffing understands how important it is to find the right job match. We look closely at your experience and expertise and once you’re listed in our database, we work quickly to find our candidates the ideal placement.
Call us today to learn more about getting started.
