3 terms you must replace from your traditional resume

If you are an active job seeker who hasn’t updated resume from sometime and you are looking for some quick fixes, this post is for you. As a popular resume notion says “Your resume has 6 seconds to impress the recruiter”, a good way to do this is to focus on the key narratives. You can read the complete study conducted by TheLadders.com here.

So that’s the catch, make your resume easy to scan and identifiable. Want to do it a smoother way, just replace these three traditional resume terms

 Replace Objective with Personal Branding statement

There’s a reason why objective has become obsolete. Recruiters are not really interested to know what you have planned for yourself or where you want to reach 5 years down the line. They are rather interested to know what you are good (better or may be the best) at and what you can do for them.  So introduce yourself, talk about your USP, your strengths and potential right away.

 “Personal branding is about managing your name — even if you don’t own a business “ – Tim Ferris

 Replace Professional Summary with Skills & Expertise

Before your resume comes to a recruiter, it has to qualify the Applicant tracking system which works on the mechanism of keywords. Right keywords, you are IN, else, disqualified. So instead of writing a professional summary (your work experience will say it anyways), it’s a better idea to list your skill and expertise using the industry specific keywords.  Using appropriate keywords will make your profile appear in the suitable search results.

 Replace References with Recommendations

Erase that long-time “The End” statement for resumes “References upon request”. Instead provide recommendations, from your peers, coworkers, and professional connections – anyone who can verify your skills and potential.  In the age of online/ social media resumes, this is what makes a profile more likable. It works for the manual resumes too.

Happy job hunting 🙂