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You’re trying to fine-tune your resume, and you want help. Using LinkedIn and Microsoft Word via Office 365, you can tap into an option called Resume Assistant. With Word’s Resume Assistant feature, you enter a keyword or term to describe your occupation and see sample resumes. You can also view the top skills for your profession, access LinkedIn articles with resume tips, and see a list of job openings to find out what employers are seeking from people in your occupation.

Microsoft started rolling out the LinkedIn-driven Resume Assistant in early 2018, following its acquisition of the professional networking site in 2016. To access the assistant, you’ll need a LinkedIn account and an Office 365 subscription.

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Launch Microsoft Word on your computer, and open your resume. Click the Review tab, and then click the icon for Resume Assistant. The Resume Assistant opens in the right pane. In the field for Role, type your occupation, and select the matching term from LinkedIn’s list (Figure A). If you wish, you can add the name of an industry in the Industry field.

Figure A

Microsoft Word Resume Assistant screenshot A

 

In response, the Resume Assistant displays snippets of LinkedIn profiles that match up with your role and industry. Review the different profiles; to see more of a specific profile, click the Read more link. To find more profiles, scroll down, and click the link to See More Examples. The goal is to see how other people in your profession are describing their skills and accomplishments so you can better describe your own (Figure B).

Figure B

Microsoft Word Resume Assistant screenshot B

 

The next section on the Resume Assistant screen displays the top skills for your occupation. See which ones you possess, and determine if you want to include those in your resume. The Resume Assistant offers links to articles designed to help you write your resume. To read an article, click its link (Figure C).

Figure C

Microsoft Word Resume Assistant screenshot C

 

The next section reads Additional Language Refinements For Resumes, To Make Your Writing More Precise And Professional. If you turn on the switch for this option and click the icon for Check Document on the Review Ribbon, Word will check your resume for clarity, conciseness, vocabulary, and other attributes (Figure D).

Figure D

Microsoft Word Resume Assistant screenshot D

 

The Assistant serves up different job opportunities that match your profession. You can view the job postings if you’re looking for work. If not, you should still read the postings to discover what skills, background, and experience employers are seeking for someone in your occupation. Click the link to View Job On LinkedIn to see the full posting (Figure E). To see other jobs, click the link to See More Jobs On LinkedIn.

Figure E

Microsoft Word Resume Assistant screenshot E

 

SEE: 19 words that don’t belong on your resume (TechRepublic download)

If you are actively looking for a job or work opportunity, click the link at the bottom to Get Started On LinkedIn. This takes you to a LinkedIn page where you can modify your profile to tell recruiters that you’re open to opportunities (Figure F).

Figure F

Microsoft Word Resume Assistant screenshot F

 

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