What will TA heads look for in a resume in 2023?

Resumes should be error free. The language used should make them stand out. They should contain keywords. They should not have any grammatical mistakes. How many times have we heard such advices?

With job seekers and employers adapting to new technologies and changing job markets, resume trends are constantly evolving. Therefore, it is important to stay updated when it comes to the latest resume trends. Here are some trends to anticipate in the New Year.

Unmesh Rai, VP- human resources, Piramal Enterprises

More market-driven approach

Resumes present the professional journey of job seekers, showcasing their story effectively. Hence, in 2023, “effective resumes will be those that effectively showcase the unique value proposition of candidates and highlight their strengths and accomplishments in a way relevant to the job they are applying for,” says Unmesh Rai, VP- human resources, Piramal Enterprises.

Along with highlighting the skills and experience, it must understand the hiring managers’ pain points.

Effective resumes will explain how they are addressing the market needs. Gone are the days of generic resumes sent in response to every other job ad. In 2023, it will be important for job seekers to tailor their resumes to the specific needs and requirements of each job they apply for.

 

“Effective resumes should be visually appealing and easy for the interviewer to comprehend. Since your resume is your professional journey, let it come out like a story, with ease and the right flow”

Shailesh Singh, Country head, Cielo Talent

Visually strong

“Effective resumes should be visually appealing and easy for the interviewer to comprehend,” says Shailesh Saumya Singh, Country head, Cielo Talent.

Resumes are expected to be concise and to-the-point. Dense blocks of text should be avoided and highlights must be listed using bullet points and clear text.

“With hiring managers often swamped with resumes, it’s important to make yours as easy to read and navigate as possible,” adds Singh. He further adds that barring the last two roles, the rest of the job experience should be highlighted using a career timeline.

While it seems vital to highlight every role on one’s resume, this must be done in a smart way. Singh opines, “Since your resume is your professional journey, let it come out like a story, with ease and the right flow.” He goes on to advise, “Add infographics that show your previous experiences and elaborate the recent experiences more than the previous ones.

Demonstration of skills

The language and examples used in resumes should demonstrate how your skills and experience are a perfect fit for the role. As Rai puts it, “ the resume should move from skills to application of skills”.

With the rise of automation and the gig economy, more and more workers are finding themselves in roles that require them to adapt and learn new skills on the fly. “In 2023, it will be important for job seekers to not only highlight but demonstrate their ability to learn and adapt, rather than just listing their previous job titles and responsibilities,” opines Singh.

Organisations need people with skills that can be grown further. That is why, the concept of skill-based hiring is becoming popular. However, merely listing the skills on a resume is not enough for the employer to make a choice. Demonstration is required.

Singh suggests that the jobseekers add some real-life examples of how they used their ability to change and adapt on the job and in any given situation, rather than just pointing out their thriving nature. This will be one of the most important trends in building an effective resume.

Impact is more crucial than achievements

According to Rai, “In 2023, employers will not only want to see what all the candidates have achieved, but how they created an impact”.

To illustrate, instead of simply stating “increased sales by 30%,” a more effective way to present this achievement would be to include information about the specific impact it had. One can present this as follows: “Increased sales by 30%, resulting in an increased profit margin by 20% and a $40,000 annual reduction in the fixed cost.” This helps to show the value of the candidate’s contribution.

Singh also agrees and says, it is important that the outcome delivered is clear in the resume. Hence, impact is the crucial element for building an effective resume in the New Year.

“I would love to see people embracing this gap and fondly making it a part of their resume in 2023. It is a part of their professional journey that must be normalised.”

Siddharth Vishwanath, former HR head, Zivame

Normalise the idea of career break

Sharing his personal experience, Siddharth Vishwanath, former HR head, Zivame, says, “People showing career breaks in their resume have always been treated with scepticism, and therefore, they tend to not include the same.” As a part of TA, Vishwanath admits that he “would love to see people embracing this gap and fondly making it a part of their resume in 2023. It is a part of their professional journey that must be normalised”.

Focus on transferable skills

Along with your technical skills, soft skills are equally important. In case of specialist roles, one must know how to show their generalist skills as well. For instance, a banker already possesses the technical skills required to do the job, but if he/she can also elaborate their soft skills, it will be more beneficial. Hence, “an effective resume will have a space for skills that also show a jobseekers personality traits,” opines Singh.

He also adds that organisations are increasingly looking out for more of soft skills these days. They want to know what transferable skills a jobseeker is bringing. With enough specialists in the economy, there are other elements that must come out.

How candidates communicate to the team, whether they have the abilities to lead, and how critically they think and analyse a situation are some of the soft skills which are not only timeless, but required everywhere.

Vishwanath says, “adding one’s hobbies is also a way of demonstrating one’s personality and traits to the employer. Your interest shows how hardworking and how keen you are to learn something new. He also adds that “people bring their whole selves to work and not just their skills or experience.” Hence, it’s also a good way to showcase interpersonal skills.

Keep it simple and apt

In the past, resumes often included a lot of decorative elements. However, the trend peaked and is now on the decline. In 2023, recruiters will prefer simpler resume that are straightforward and easy to comprehend.

An effective resume for 2023 should not have any unnecessary adjectives, adverbs, charts and designs. Many organisations will explicitly state that they do not want these types of flourishes on resumes. Singh also agrees that it is not easy to customise resumes frequently.

Therefore, it should present factual information in a clear, hierarchical, and reverse-chronological format. Simplicity is expected to be a trend in resume design in the coming year.

Use keywords

Coming to the timeless advices, it must be optimised with the right keywords as more and more companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen resumes. An effective resume will use relevant keywords to ensure it gets noticed by the right people and makes it through the initial screening process.

Add cover letter

Another point is to add a cover letter with your resume. This is a way to communicate your importance in the given role and an opportunity to demonstrate the impact you are going to make. “It’s the most underrated concept that should become the norm again,” explains Vishwanath.

Additionally, as many companies are already using artificial intelligence (AI), we may see even more companies relying on AI to streamline their hiring process. As a result, it will be important for job seekers to use language and formatting that is easy for AI algorithms to understand and parse.

Overall, an effective resume in 2023 will be one that showcases a candidate’s unique value proposition, is visually appealing, is keyword-optimised, and is concise and easy to read. By staying up-to-date with these trends, you can ensure that your resume is competitive and relevant in the job market of 2023.