One of the first things I do when writing a resume is set the margins. I know, I know, I can hear you yawning from here – but the simple idea of creating a structure to your document will make things easier as you continue to add tabs, tables, charts and/or graphs. Trust me – this will save you headaches down the road. **Did you know that in Canada and the US most resumes use letter-sized paper, but in the UK they use A4?
Step two: Depending on the client, I change the spelling from English (US) to English (Canada). This could easily help you avoid a costly spelling error from appearing on your resume. Over 1000 words in Canada are spelled differently than in the US (i.e. – labour, counsellor, enrolment, focused etc.) and some words have different spelling in the UK and Australia. So before you start writing, make sure you know where you plan to send your document and set your spell check to your target audience. This in NO WAY eliminates the necessity of reviewing, editing, and proofing your document at the end, but it will help notify you of any inconsistencies within your document. 
Step three: If you are using a previous version of your resume to get started, I suggest you cut & paste the content from your old resume to your new resume. In my blog post about “paste special” there are some time-saving suggestions about how to keep your formatting consistent.
Step four: Once you have your old content re-formatted to your new resume fonts and designs, you’ll want to go in and remove any meaningless content you know you will not use again. Here are some easy things to do to update your resume.
Out with the Old & In with the New
For example:
1. Objective statements: Most objective statements are all about the person writing them. i.e) I am looking for a job where I can use my awesomeness to develop as an awesome human being.
Instead: Consider using a profile statement. A profile statement outlines the value you bring to an organization and essentially answers the question: “Why should we hire you?” What is it that you have to offer that makes you the right person for the company to where you are applying? i.e) Strategic and resourceful engineering professional with demonstrated achievements in research and development (R&D).
Next, remove this redundant phrase once and for all
2. References available upon request.
Instead: Ask one of those available references to write you a testimonial and feature it in the very space where you might otherwise have placed this out-of-date text? Why not use a testimonial from a reference or a customer?
No matter what you do when writing your resume – remember to keep your reader in mind. What does he/she want to know about a candidate? What will help your reader to select YOU as someone they want to invite to an interview and meet in person.
With these small suggestions, you can update your resume and improve your chances of finding the employment you seek.
Good luck!
