As we enter another year, it can be valuable to reflect on what you’ve accomplished in the previous twelve months. It’s a great time to update your resume before getting caught up in the bustle of 2024. Even if you aren’t planning a job switch soon, it can be helpful to do this when your achievements are fresh in your mind.
Here are some tips to help you get started as you reflect on your accomplishments of the past year.
Structure
When formatting your resume, the first step is to determine whether a chronological or functional structure will work better. While a chronological resume organizes your experience under current and previous roles, a functional resume categorizes your experience under skills.
If you’ve been doing essentially the same type of work, at relatively the same level of responsibility, a functional resume allows you to focus on your duties and accomplishments without repeating yourself extensively. It allows you to pick highlights of your accomplishments and then list the employers with timeframes at the end.
A functional resume is often useful for:
- Recent graduates
- People who have gained skills through school or mentorships
- Candidates switching fields or who have gaps in their employment history
- Individuals who have held the same role with multiple organizations
A chronological resume works well when you are showing a progression of responsibilities, learning and increasing ownership of outcomes. This format is often ideal for:
- Candidates with few gaps in work history
- Individuals whose experience is closely related to the job they’re interested in
Additionally, a two-page resume is fine if the material included is relevant to the job that is being sought.
Education and Experience
The education included on a resume should be recent and relevant. If you’ve attended college, there’s no need to mention high school. However, if high school is the relevant education, it’s not necessary to include the graduation date. If you earned an associate’s degree but moved on to a higher degree, leave off the two-year degree unless it’s relevant to the job you are seeking.
Similarly, include your most recent and relevant employers on your resume. If you’ve been working in your field for some time, you can omit some of your early work experience that was outside of your field.
When listing experience, responsibilities and accomplishments are both important. While many people share the tasks they performed, it’s also important to highlight the results they led to. For example, rather than only mentioning that you managed a front office training, also share how this program increased patient satisfaction and referral ratings.
Community Service
Volunteering is another helpful section to include on a resume. It shows that you’re compassionate, a team player and committed to your community—all soft skills that most employers are looking for when building their teams.
It’s Helpful to Keep Your Resume Updated
Even if you don’t have your sights set on a new job, it’s a good idea to keep your resume up to date. Adding new roles, certifications or other accomplishments as you earn them can save you time and help you prepare to pursue exciting new roles and opportunities in 2024.