Resume Trends for 2023 and Beyond

We’ve seen tremendous changes in the job market in recent years. Employers are embracing remote work, individuals are seeking new opportunities in record numbers, and artificial intelligence has become part of the recruitment process.

No matter how many changes there are in the employment landscape, one thing remains certain. Resumes are crucial to any successful job search. But as the world of work evolves and changes, so should your resume. 

Here are 6 resume trends you need to know for 2023 and beyond.

1. Soft Skills Should Stand Out 

Soft skills are the work habits and abilities that describe how you work, how you interact with others, and who you are as a working professional. Strong problem-solving abilities, conflict resolution, customer service, and effective communication are all examples of soft skills.

Recent surveys reveal employers want to see your soft skills on your resume. Close to 50% of hiring managers say soft skills are essential when considering potential new hires.

Furthermore, 55% of hiring managers would consider hiring a candidate with impressive soft skills, even if they don’t have all of the required hard skills.

2. Highlight Your Hard Skills

Hard skills are those skills you learn through training, schooling, or hands-on experience. Data analysis, blockchain, cloud computing, project management, foreign language fluency, cybersecurity, and digital marketing are all examples of hard skills.

When creating your resume in 2023, make sure your hard skills are visible to hiring managers. Hiring managers highly value hard skills on a resume. Being able to effectively show your hard skills on your resume will give you an edge over other candidates who are going after the same position.

3. Results Rule on Your Resumes 

Here’s an important resume trend of 2023 that you should follow: Showcase your achievements in addition to skills.

Listing job skills is important (as we mentioned above). However, hiring managers want to know how you used those skills to get results.

If your work in previous jobs contributed to more sales, reduced expenses, improved customer satisfaction scores, or more followers on a social media platform, then don’t be afraid to boast about it on your resume.

If you can add numbers to back up your boasts, that’s even better. Stating that your sales training program led to more sales is good. But stating that your sales training program led to a 40% increase in sales within 9 months of implementation is truly impressive.

Likewise, stating that your social media campaign increased interactions with customers is one thing. But stating that your campaign attracted 300,000 new Instagram followers within 18 months helps you come across as a superstar.  

Recruiters like seeing examples like this because it helps them understand what you’ll bring to the role if they hire you.

4. Include the Necessary Keywords

There’s an ever-expanding skills shortage in the labor market and employers are finding it next to impossible to find qualified candidates. It’s important to ensure your resume clearly showcases the skills that an employer requires. 

The easiest way to optimize your resume is to include the most relevant keywords (which are listed as “required” or often repeated in the description) that are applicable to the specific job description. The best way to do this is by including how you’ve utilized the relevant keywords in your experience.

For example, if “presentation” is a repeated keyword, you can include in your resume summary something like, “extensive history of organizing and executing large-scale presentations, both domestically and internationally” versus just listing the keyword. Avoid trying to include a list of all keywords in a hidden format just to score high in the ATS. If a recruiter sees this, they will quickly dismiss your resume and can even blacklist it in the company.

Including the relevant keywords from the job description could be all it takes for a hiring manager to choose your resume over another. Keywords will also increase the likelihood that your resume will pass through the applicant tracking system (ATS) software that organizations use to automatically identify qualified candidates.

5. Forget Fancy in 2023

You can assume that your resume will be scanned by a firm’s ATS, before a human ever sees it. If you want the ATS to pass your resume onto a human, then your resume format should be clean, clear, and simple.

Don’t add any design elements, graphics, or fancy borders to your resume. Those elements could confuse the ATS and cause your resume to be rejected. Also, use standard fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica.

Keep your section headings simple as well. The ATS will recognize headers such as Work Experience, Skills, and Education.

Your resume could end up being rejected if you use less common headings such as Professional Accomplishments, Schooling, or Professional Abilities.

6. Show Your Social Media

Every resume being created in 2023 and beyond should include links to your social media profile, specifically LinkedIn. Recruiters and hiring managers constantly look at LinkedIn to locate and screen candidates.

You should have an updated and accurate LinkedIn profile set up. Know that your potential employer will look at your profile before you show up for an interview. You may also include links to an online portfolio, a personal website, or articles you’ve written if necessary to help showcase you better.

Any social media profiles you have for purely personal reasons should not be included on your resume. However, public-facing profiles are fair game for any hiring manager who wants to search for you online. Make sure you’ve deleted any potentially embarrassing pictures from your social media feed or better yet, adjust your social media settings to increase privacy.

Try These Resume Trends for 2023 

Not having success in your job search? Try incorporating the resume trends for 2023 outlined above to gain more traction.

Remember. The most important thing is that you have a professional resume that clearly and concisely showcases your skills, experience, and the value you bring to an employer in the 10 seconds or less they’ll spend reviewing it.

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