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6 Signs You Need A Resume Refresh, From Entry-Level To Experienced
As old-school as it might seem, a resume is still your key to letting people know what you offer to the job market. The way you communicate your skills, talents, and experience on paper can make or break landing that dream opportunity. And though many things about the job search have gone digital and the process has gotten quite casual with more jobs transitioning to remote work, a good resume is still a requirement for top companies and brands, even if you're a freelancer or self-employed.
According to a survey by Careerbuilder, one of the leading employment platforms, almost 24% of hiring managers spend less than 30 seconds even looking at a resume and another survey showed that 54% of job seekers don't customize their resume for each employer, leading to the less of a chance of even getting a call for an interview, nevertheless an offer. Also, 75% of recruiters "use some form of recruiting or applicant tracking software," or ATS, according to Capterra, an online business software resource.
Need any more proof that what you include in a resume—and how you include it—is important, sis? Take a look at a few tips for refreshing your resume to get optimal results when job-seeking:
Entry-Level: Your resume includes irrelevant, poorly worded, or hard-to-understand sections or formatting.
There's always the debate about whether or not to include an "objective" or "summary" section, however, if you do include either, experts recommend not only customizing it to truly tell, in a conversational manner, what you bring to the table but tell it in a way that will capture a prospective employer's attention.
Experts at Indeed, an OG job-listing website, suggest staying away from overused words and phrases like "team player," "go-getter," or "detailed-oriented," and replacing such expressions with actual details about your work history that illustrate that you embody those phrases.
For example, what specifically classifies you as a "go-getter"? Were you able to secure 20 new clients in the past 3 years working for a company? Did you start a new initiative that brought in revenue? Say that.
And since many recruiters and hiring managers use ATS, you'll want to be sure that you have a Word doc or rich text version of your resume that can be easily understood and dissected through any system that filters resumes for relevance to the position. The experts say that the ATS has a hard time reading specialized formatting like headers, footers, certain text boxes, and colored ink, so using traditional fonts and spelling out acronyms is recommended.
Entry-level: You're not selling your skills in a way that's dynamic.
You might have little to no traditional job experience, but that doesn't mean your resume should be bland or sparse. A good idea is to redirect focus from what you don't have (i.e. experience) to what you can offer. If you've volunteered, interned, or started your own side gig while unemployed or a student, market the skills you used in doing that, and tell the story as if you're the best person for the job you're going for. Don't downplay the time spent doing those things because your talents are valid and those projects often require skills that are transferable to almost any entry-level position.
Be sure to include information on any special certifications, training, or secondary education you've excelled at. Again, the key is to play up what you do offer, not what you don't.
You were the treasurer for your sorority, raising $2,000 for a benefit, collecting yearly dues, and handling the accounting for events and expenses? Talk about what you did and detail the results. Did you volunteer at a local pet shelter, grooming more than a dozen animals per month? Talk about your time management, animal care, and empathy skills in doing that. Did you intern for a small business owner, taking photos, scheduling Instagram posts, and coordinating Reels? Well, sis, that's a social media manager in the making. Toot your horn!
Mid-level: You're using descriptions that signify amateur or vague results.
Yes, the phrases and words you use in your resume can be a reflection of where you are in your career and your level of expertise. You don't want to give the impression that you're not a competitive match for your mid-level peers. Careerbuilder experts point to survey results that show that 38% of HR pros and recruiters aren't keen on "deal-breaking" phrases like "best of breed," while 26% are not fans of "think outside the box," for example.
Also, if you're using jargon or "industry-speak" that was all the rage back when you were in college in the early 2000s (See what I did there!), you might want to freshen up on your industry's language or even up your skills and training to reflect the times.
As a mid-level professional, you're at a level where you've gained quite a few career receipts, so speak on them boldly and with consideration of today's technology, deliverable expectations, and success metrics.
Get into percentages when you talk about growth, increase, or management of anything, name those brands you've done campaigns for, and talk about the talent you've attracted, mentored, and cultivated. Indeed experts recommend using words like "overhauled," "chaired," "championed," or "strategized" and including a professional title at the top of your resume to describe where you are in your career.
Mid-level: You're taking for granted the soft skills and omitting them.
By the time you've gotten to mid-level status, you might have been so focused on climbing up the ladder and getting results that you forgot about the soft skills that are the foundation of success. What's a soft skill? Well, if you have savvy with communicating with a certain audience, you're a great listener, you're a person people just like to work with, or you're great at connecting folk for lucrative collabs, those are soft skills.
And when you're looking at advancing beyond associate or assistant, it's the soft skills that CEOs look for when filling VP and other executive seats.
How do you express these via your resume? By, again, showing vs. telling. So, for example, adaptability is a key soft skill that leaders look for. Add in how you helped your company transition from an old system to new software or how you managed remote workers while bringing in new talent during the pandemic.
Experienced: You're listing information that's more than a decade old.
When you've worked in your industry for more than 10 years, it can be challenging to edit and omit job experience that you are proud of, but experts recommend that job seekers limit their resume to two pages, even if you have lots of experience. (For some jobs, like government service positions, you might have to submit a longer resume, but that's one of the very few exceptions.)
Experts recommend that seasoned professionals with more than a decade of experience list only what's relevant to the job they're applying for or their most recent experience.
There's no need to include your first job or details on a gig you had 10 years ago, especially if the duties you had aren't applicable to the job you're applying for.
Experienced: You're not highlighting long-term impact, honors, and awards.
Experts also recommend that professionals with more than seven years of experience highlight impact. That means if you were responsible for revenue increases, talent acquisition, business wins, or long-term investment projects, include that. If you were able to create overarching innovation that benefited the company, detail the how and why on that. You want to be concise, but don't downplay the larger successes you've had in your career, especially at your level. High-achievers respect results, so show them what you got!
Whatever stage you are in your career, be sure to plan accordingly in order to land that dream gig. If you have to get professional help, do that, but just be sure to be strategic and smart. It's the only way you'll continue to live in your purpose and advance in it.
Featured image via Prostock-Studio/Getty Images
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How This New Bond Repair Line Transformed One Mother's Postpartum Shedding Into The Ultimate Curl Comeback
This article is in partnership with SheaMoisture
For Crystal Obasanya, her wash day woes came shortly after her son did. The beauty and lifestyle content creator had been natural for years, but during postpartum, she quickly learned about one reality many mothers can relate to experiencing: postpartum hair loss. “Sis had thinning hair. Sis had split ends,” she shared about her hair changes in a Reel via xoNecole.
Over a year into her postpartum journey, Crystal explained she also had dry, brittle hair, noting that keeping it hydrated before pregnancy had already been “a task.” The 4C natural recalled going from thick hair during pregnancy to a thin hairline due to postpartum shedding as “devastating.” When it came to strengthening and revitalizing her hair, the new SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection was just the thing she needed to elevate her damaged coils to revive and thrive status and get them poppin' again.
SheaMoisture is providing us with the cheat code for transforming dry and damaged strands into thriving and deeply nourished crowns. By unveiling their 4-step hair system, the SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection is equipping you with the tools to reverse signs of hair damage caused by protective styling, heat, and color and is uniquely formulated for Type 3 and 4 hair textures.
The haircare system revives damaged natural hair by repairing and rebuilding broken hair bonds through a game-changing combination of HydroPlex Technology and AminoBlend Complex, a unique blend of fortifying amino acids formulated specifically for curly and coily hair. Scientifically proven to reduce breakage by 84% and make your hair six times stronger (vs. non-conditioning shampoo), the collection infuses your hair with the nourishment it craves and the strength it deserves.
All five products of the SheaMoisture Bond Collection are infused with natural strengthening ingredients like Amla Oil and fair-trade shea butter. The collection consists of the 4-step breakage-fighting Bond Repair system, as well as the Bonding Oil.
“When trying it out, I quickly noticed that my hair felt revived and renewed, and my curls were so hydrated,” Crystal said while using the Amla-infused Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner. “I also felt my hair strands were stronger.” So much so that the influencer felt brave enough to get her hair braided shortly thereafter. “I can definitely say that I will be keeping it in my hair wash routine,” she added in the caption of her Reel about her positive experience using the products.
SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection is making bond-building a key player in your wash day routines and the purveyor of life for thirsty manes. Because who doesn't want stronger, shinier, happier hair?
Step One: Bond Repair Collection Shampoo
Rejuvenate your hair with SheaMoisture Bond Repair Shampoo, your go-to solution for luscious locks. Packed with hella hydration power, this shampoo adds moisture by 60% while removing buildup without stripping your strands. This shampoo gently cleanses impurities while significantly enhancing shine, smoothness, and softness.
The Bond Repair Collection Shampoo is the first step in the 4-step Bond Repair system, all of which are powered by the uniquely formulated AminoBlend, and HydroPlex, SheaMoisture’s technology that rebuilds hair strength at its core.
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Tailored to repair styling damage, this creamy conditioner locks in 12x more moisture than standard non-conditioning shampoos, boosting damaged hair strength by 1.5x with significantly less breakage. The creamy SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Conditioner deeply hydrates, enhances manageability, and leaves your hair looking healthier and shinier.
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This Ultra Moisturizing reparative masque is a moisture-rich game-changer for those dealing with the aftermath of hair damage caused by styling. The SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Masque delivers 13 times more moisture compared to non-conditioning shampoos, ensuring your hair feels nourished and soft. Designed to repair and rejuvenate, this masque significantly strengthens damaged hair — making it twice as strong while reducing breakage.
Step Four: Bond Repair Collection Leave-In Conditioner
Elevate your curl game with SheaMoisture’s Bond Repair Collection Leave-In Conditioner. Lightweight and hydrating, the Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner provides 12x more moisture than non-conditioning shampoos and tames frizz with 24-hour humidity control. Designed to define curls and coils, the leave-in conditioner enhances softness and shine allowing you to detangle effortlessly.
Bonding Oil
The SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Bonding Oil is a multitasking all-in-one formula that acts as a heat protectant and provides the hair with moisture, strength, shine, damage protection, and intense nourishment. This lightweight oil not only offers 24-hour frizz and humidity control but also fortifies your tresses, making them up to 5 times stronger with significantly less breakage.
Featured image courtesy
'ACross Generations With Tiffany Cross' Gets Real About Daddy Issues In Latest Episode
In this week’s episode of ACross Generations with Tiffany Cross, a podcast where Black women from different generations tackle pressing subjects while sharing their experiences. The show's host, Tiffany Cross, along with guests Dr. Joy Ellington and Ariel B., delved into how their relationships with their fathers have influenced their personal lives.
An absent parent or a strained parent-child relationship, particularly between fathers and their children, can significantly affect an individual's life trajectory, especially their perception and formation of interpersonal relationships.
Research suggests that individuals grappling with paternal absence or conflict may exhibit various traits, including a constant need for validation, difficulty in communicating through problems, using sex to gain attention, and struggles with trust and abandonment, to name a few.
Historically, society has often associated absentee fathers primarily with the Black community. However, a recent study has challenged this narrative.
In a clip shared on the podcast's official Instagram account, Dr. Joy Ellington revealed insights into her quest for approval, a pattern she attributed to her strained relationship with her biological father—a dynamic that remained unresolved until his untimely passing.
"When people are seeking validation from someone else, be it from a father or whoever, you're weakened, she said. "You've given the control of your life to someone else, to their discretion. I can't afford to do that because I only have -- one life."
Despite the complex relationship with her biological father, Dr. Joy Ellington disclosed that she found the love and sense of wholeness she had been missing through her bond with her stepfather.
Further in the video, Ariel B., who was adopted and never met her biological father, reveals her struggle to differentiate between sex and love.
"I know that I struggle separating sex with love very bad," she stated. "I have girlfriends all the time that are just like, 'Oh, knock the dust off!' That sounds terrible. Just use it when you want to."
In response to this admission, Tiffany echoed Ariel B.'s sentiment, suggesting that understanding one's sexual behavior requires examining the underlying intentions.
"I'm actually a little envious. You're not trying to resolve some daddy issues. Like maybe you just have agency over your sexuality, and this is what you like to do,” she said.
Toward the end of the clip, Dr. Joy Ellington revealed that her upbringing in a predominantly male environment, coupled with her experiences with her biological father, has made it challenging for her to express emotions.
"I had a great aunt that had seven sons. I lived my life with them," she said. "It's hard for me to cry. I don't mind. I was never going to be that beggy woman. I don't need you, but I don't let the desire to dictate my feelings."
Discussions on these topics are crucial within the Black community because it allows individuals to uncover their traumas' root causes and begin the healing process.
For those interested in exploring this subject further, the full episode of Across Generations with Tiffany Cross is available now on its official YouTube page.