If you are now starting your job search, the first thing you can do is update your resume. Because it is always the first impression a hiring manager will have of you, this is sadly not a step you can skip. If you want to get a job, your resume should be polished and professional. Redesigning your entire resume can be daunting, particularly if you haven’t looked for a new job in a long time. However, there are a few resume tips and tricks that will make or break your application.

Include keywords all across your resume.

To be considered for the jobs you want, your resume must feel appropriate. You would need to conduct research in order to do this. Examine various job openings that correspond to the positions you’re interested in. First, determine what tasks are involved and what skills are necessary. Then, consider whether you can identify any commonalities.

Make it easier to read your resume.

Most recruiting managers do not have the time to go over every detail of your resume. In many situations, they will only read a couple of bullet points before determining whether or not to consider you for the position. As a result, you must establish your qualifications from the start. Keep your bullet points brief and under two lines to make your resume easier to skim. You’ll also want to make sure the first few sentences of each bullet point sound interesting since many recruiting managers would only skim the first few paragraphs to see if you’re qualified.

Include the most recent and pertinent experience first.

To make your resume stand out, put your most impressive achievements and experiences at the top. This may necessitate the removal of unnecessary experience or the reorganization of your resume. For example, if your teaching or volunteer experience is near the top of your resume, consider changing it to the bottom.

Determine your achievements.

Hiring managers are interested in more than just your work duties; they want to hear how effective you were in past positions. As a result, try to calculate your achievements in order to demonstrate to the employer how you can benefit their organization in the long run. For example, mentioning that you boosted sales by X percent would have a greater effect than simply stating that you made sales calls to generate revenue for your business.

Throughout your resume, use action verbs.

If you want to highlight your successes, use action verbs in your resume. For example, moving the passive phrase “Onboarding training was developed by me to assist new employees” to the active phrase “I created onboarding training materials to assist new employees” highlights your achievements and will have a greater effect on your resume. If you change the wording by using an appropriate context, you should also include special action verbs that will attract the hiring manager’s attention. To get you started, here’s a list of the top declarative sentences to include in your resume.