Ready to take the job market by storm in 2022 and beyond?

Your resume needs to catch attention FASTER than ever before.

As employers continue to hunt for the perfect candidate – and job seekers hit the market, your stellar qualifications could be missed among stiff competition unless you’ve built a solid resume branding strategy.

Your qualifications need more than a passing glance!

 

Here’s what your resume should contain in 2022 and beyond:

Impressive, Eye-Catching Accomplishments.

While metrics-driven achievements have always been important, you’re competing against MILLIONS of determined job seekers in 2022 and your resume must capture attention!

The best way to show your readiness for a new role (Check out 5 ways your resume should look different, post-pandemic at Fast Company) is to demonstrate how you’ve outpaced expectations in your current job.

Gather performance reviews, kudos, and project details, then assess:

• Where did I exceed our planned ROI on each initiative?
• What industry averages did we surpass in recent projects?
• What metrics show my ability to deliver fast results after I’m hired?

Don’t forget about what you’ve achieved that shows speed or longevity – such as retaining employees during a hiring spike or delivering a milestone faster than anticipated.

Gather these facts in context (listing the size of each project or revenue win), then cut sentences into fragments you can use in a summary, like these examples of power-packed achievements:

• 20% faster hiring processes in 3 departments
• $3M+ potential identified in new ecommerce markets
• 4 days saved in monthly accounting cycles (shaving ~$24K off payroll costs)

You get the idea. It’s the numbers that make your success stories shine, and there’s many ways to list them on your 2022 resume.

A Brochure-Style Opening Page.

What “look” should your resume have in 2022?

Consider an extended summary and graphic elements, rather than the usual list of bullets.

Here, this example of a multinational executive resume blends unusual colors, a table of high-level positions, and an Extraordinary Results section. Click the link for a bigger image of this award-nominated resume.

By employing interim headlines and placing an Executive Contributions callout, and images depicting global influence, this custom design won’t be mistaken for that of any other candidate!

How can you make your resume look like this in 2022? Find resume samples with different designs, taking note of new ideas for borders, color treatments, and other elements that can set off your experience.

Not ready to use a bold format?

This Chief Data Officer resume (left) shows how blue-gray tones can frame executive accomplishments, without taking center stage.

If you’re unsure how to change colors, add banners, or incorporate other elements, this guide on Microsoft Word may help.

It’s important to note that if you change your resume design for a 2022 job search, it can often still be parsed by ATS systems.

To test what ATS will “see,” convert your resume to a text file and review the contents. Text boxes and charts won’t be visible, but you should still see work history and other details.

 

Powerful Headlines That Shout Your Value Proposition.

Your resume must tell a story of your ROI – and get to the point quickly! Remember that most hiring authorities only skim your resume for relevant details.

What your resume needs in 2022 are summary statements or marketing headlines that appear prominently in your document.

ALL the resumes you see in this article have headlines! Here’s how to create them:

First, write key accomplishments as short statements of value, then move them to the FRONT of your resume. Here’s an example from a hospital executive resume  who possesses decades of success in quality and patient safety metrics:

• Curbed patient safety incidents 54%, exceeding goals with 32% reduction in patient falls.
• Facilitated 21% increase in surgical volume by recruiting 11 physician leaders.
• Drove favorable outcomes from new Cardiology program, including 21% drop in readmissions and 750 new patients.

These wins were then condensed for quick reading into a single headline:

Physician Recruiting, Service Lines, & Quality Metrics Enabling 5-Star CMS Rating

When you insert headlines like these at key intervals, your 2022 resume will look like a well-planned, strategically crafted document. See more 2021 and 2022 resume examples with headlines.

 

A Bold Step Into Color for Your 2022 Resume.

Now that many resumes have started to embrace color, it seems the sky’s the limit.

But how can you start adding color to YOUR resume?

Consider incorporating blue, which conveys leadership and knowledge, as a natural first step into color on your 2022 resume.

As shown in this 2021 TORI award-winning Technology & Engineering leadership resume, some slightly varied shades of blue are used as an accent to help employer names, job titles, and keywords stand out.

The trick when adding color? Apply it sparingly, and zoom out to see the overall picture after designing your format.

Your 2022 resume will look like a classic, yet compelling, story of your skills and leadership acumen when you use color as the backdrop for specific achievements worth emphasizing. The idea is to make your career achievements pop!

To go even further with color on your resume, try the Color Wheel tool to plan different combinations.

 

A Personal Quote for Emphasis.

You may have a personal leadership philosophy or mission statement that you’ve used to inspire teams or motivate employees.

Why not consider adding it to your resume for 2022?

In this sample of a Chief Revenue & Sales Officer resume, you can see how a powerful, single quote (“I take it personally when we lose to the competition”) sums up his commitment to excellence.

How should you identify a quote for your 2022 resume? Look back through your performance review comments or even emails to colleagues.

You might find noteworthy statements that you could leverage for a memorable statement on your resume.

 

So what should YOUR resume look like in 2022?

A carefully crafted suite of achievements, framed by eye-catching elements.

By taking bold steps to put your success stories front and center, your resume will make a positive impression on employers – and potentially influence a hiring decision.

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- Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CPBA, TCCS, COPNS, CIC, CTTCC, NCOPE