Job hunting has changed tremendously over the years, but the resume is still one of the documents most hiring managers will require.

So, what should you put on it? While there’s no magic list of words that will insure you get hired, here are five things to do for a better resume.

  1. Don’t worry about design. Don’t spend a lot of time on colorful presentations, a headshot or an eye-catching layout. Your resume is likely going to be run through some kind of machine even if it’s just an application tracking system, so keep it easy to scan.
  2. Use short, simple sentences. Say what you did. Say what you learned. Say how much or how long you did the thing. Whether it’s an artificial intelligence system or a human, simple is easier to parse.
  3. Test it with an automated resume checker. Sites like Jobscan and VMock look at your resume the way an AI would and give you feedback on how to improve.
  4. Make a human and a machine version. If you optimized for machine learning readability and discover you can’t really read it anymore, pull back. Use the keyword-heavy one when uploading to a database and the more human-readable one in direct email or to hand to someone.
  5. This is an oldie but a goodie. Each job posting contains keywords used to prioritize candidates–use them. Find the ones appropriate to your experience and customize.

Again, there’s no magic bullet that will put your resume at the top every time; plus, you still need to convince them to hire you. But these tips might get you closer to the top of the pile more often and score that interview that gives you your chance.

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