The New Resume - 5 Elements to Create a Successful Resume

Hey Mama, you’re a superstar. We know it. You know it. The people around you know it. And surely your potential new employer will know it, as soon as you’re able to score that interview, nail it, and of course land your dream job (or just the next step in your professional development). You’ve got your skills you’ve honed since becoming a mom (link to MOTR post), as well as the skills you mastered before you had kids. Whether you’re looking for tips on how to write a resume for moms reentering the workforce, or just revamping your current resume, here are 5 new resume format tips to keep in mind when putting it all together.

1. Yes, you can (and should) add MOM to your resume.

If you’re creating a resume as a mom reentering the workforce, you can add mom to your resume. Think about it - while you’ve been raising your kiddos, you’ve been crushing all sorts of new skills, because motherhood is a training ground for leadership. Still hesitant? Check out this blog post – 7 Ways Motherhood Makes You A Stronger Professional. Want to know more about adding mom to your resume? Check out our campaign Motherhood on the Resume, and sign up for our signature event on May 17th. 

2. Keep it simple. 

We cannot say this enough, less is more when it comes to first impressions with a new career resume. We live in a society where our information consumption is under constant bombardment due to emails, calls, text messages, social media, news alerts and not to mention that pesky little 140 characters or less standard. So when someone is finally able to cut out a few minutes of their day to sit down and review multiple resumes, or in some cases – 100s of resumes, reading a cluttered resume format is about as appealing as listening to Cocomelon for the 50th time (for those of us that have little ones). New resume trends call for: 

• Bullet points

• A clear simple layout

• Active language

• Readable font. 

Your most recent position should be the most comprehensive one. Oh and there’s no obligation to include your first job. Remember, this is your opener, not your whole story. You’ll have time for that when you land that interview.

3. Brag about yourself. 

Yes, a resume is essentially a list of your work experience. It captures where you worked, how long you worked, and your daily duties. But these days, employers are looking for more. They want the best of the best to fill the particular role. They want to know what impact you had on the success of your previous employers. So don’t be shy. Brag. Talk about your list of accomplishments, big or small, by including measurable data on your resume. Think about examples that include an increase or a decrease of resources (money, people), efficiencies in time, or implementation of something new. Instead of bullet points that talk about your day to day, pick your top 3-5 (if possible) measurable accomplishments. To keep it simple, you don’t need to explain how you did it. You can highlight the process in your interview, since of course, you’ll land it.

4.Use keywords.

Employers often now use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) –  software that scans every application that comes in for a job. ATS looks for keywords that are in the job description to ensure applicants are a good fit for the role. ATS rejects, on average, around 75% of job applications just because they did not include the keywords in the job description. To make a can’t-miss new resume, read through the job description carefully and extract words that show what they are looking for. For example, if the job description says “Seeking rockstar mom with experience leading a team,” add keywords Rocktar Mom and Team Leadership Experience to your resume.

5. Include a resume profile.

A resume profile, also called a summary statement, is a 3-5 sentence summary of your skills and experience and how it relates (important!) to the specific job you are applying for. While your new resume format can be the same regardless of the job you’re applying for, your resume profile should change for each job you’re applying to. This is the section that will change with each application. Employers want to know that what you’re bringing to the table is the right fit for the role and their company. Don’t forget to include the key words from the job description! 

One last tip, call a friend….and ask them to read over your resume. Spell check can only do so much. Trust us. Been there. Done that.

Now that your new resume has been refreshed and you’re ready for the next professional adventure, don’t forget to check out HeyMama’s job listings (members only!).