These are the current resume trends you should know for 2024

The standards of a great resume are always evolving. It’s important to stay up to date on current trends in resume writing to help give yourself a leg up among job candidates. Having an updated resume will display professionalism and also show an affinity for professional development. Here’s everything you need to know about the most effective resume trends for 2024. 

In this article we’ll discuss:

• The number one influence in current resume trends

• What a resume is supposed to look like in 2024

• Tips on what sections you can add to your resume to keep up with trends

Why are resumes changing?

If you look back a few decades, you will see that resume formats have looked similar over the years. There are always small changes being made to the preferred use of language and content but for the most, we all picture a similar image when imagining a resume. 

Resumes mirror the global workforce. Therefore, when offices around the world digitized over the last few years, the standards of resume writing also saw their most drastic changes. Today, resumes prove to be an even more effective tool for hiring, both for the employer and the candidate. 

How applicant tracking systems (ATS) have influenced the top trends for resumes in 2024

Most large companies have adopted the use of ATS for hiring purposes. The concept is simple: it searches a pool of resumes, scanning each document for keywords that the employer has programmed it to find. After the scan, candidates are given a score representing how many of the keywords each one had. Usually, only the candidates with the highest ATS scores will hear back from an employer after submitting a job application. 

So how do applicants know which  keywords to use for their resume? It’s written in the job description. Look for items like specific qualifications, certifications, skills, and experience that are required or recommended for the position. You can practically guarantee the ATS will be set to search for those words. To take it a step further, do a Google search of the position title and use language that you see in other descriptions of the role, as well. 

Because an ATS is an automated system, you can write your resume to your benefit. When considering each of the following resume trends, keep the ATS in mind. Most current resume trends exist because of the ATS’s influence. The following trends should be seen as more than a suggestion. The workforce has changed, and to stand out, you need to be thinking of these considerations. 

Professional summary

A prominent change is removing the conventional objective statement and replacing it with a professional summary. With objective statements, the message is a simple declaration of intent. Professional summaries, on the other hand, display your most applicable skills front and center. 

They also provide an opportunity to strengthen your ATS score. Perhaps the job description asks for management experience. If you’ve never actually held a manager title but have experience performing managerial tasks, then the professional summary is a great tool for you. It allows you to have a section of skills that can be grouped together. In this example, you can have a section titled “Management”, underneath which you have the tasks you’ve performed such as budget oversight, conflict resolution, payroll approval, etc. Now when your resume is scanned, you’ll be recognized as a match for having management experience.

Quantified achievements

Another big change in the standard of resumes is highlighting your  achievements. To do this, look for ways to quantify your contributions. This is most applicable in the employment history and professional summary sections of your resume. 

Instead of saying what you did, describe how your skills benefited the company. For example, a job duty is performing outreach. To write that same duty as a quantified achievement, you could write: “Developed multiple avenues of outreach, including short-form copywriting, event speeches, and email marketing, which increased quarterly participant registration by 20%.

Technical proficiencies

Perhaps the most overlooked opportunity to improve an ATS score comes from technical proficiencies. Many people assume that skills such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Gmail are common and don’t need to be detailed on a resume. While it’s true that these skills are common, having them on your resume is more about getting a high ATS score than it is about impressing an employer. Every program that’s listed in the job description should be written on your resume if you’re proficient in using it. 

Personal links

In 2024, a resume is only part of the equation. Your resume expands upon personal links too, such as your LinkedIn account and portfolio website. The three items work in conjunction with one another. 

LinkedIn is an outreach and networking site, it’s very useful in job hunts and many people find employment using this platform. On your LinkedIn profile, there are sections for overviewing your experience. You can also link in published works, list your skills and prove them through skill assessments, and practice professional development through LinkedIn Learning. 

A personal portfolio website allows you to display the actual projects you have worked on, while advertising your employability. They usually have commentary from the author on the capacity to which they contributed to a given project, giving insight into the process steps as well as the author’s awareness of industry-specific skills. 

The resume is an extension of these two in that it gives specific, chronological, and objective details of someone’s work experience. When combined, these three tools can be what sets you apart as a candidate. 

What should a resume look like in 2024?

As far as appearance goes, resumes should still retain professional aesthetics. Muted colors and a traditional font are recommended. 

Use lines and font sizes to differentiate between sections. Apply spacing and formatting that makes the document easy to look at. It should be clear how to move through the resume and the sequencing of information should be logical. For example, volunteer experience is not usually pivotal for landing a job. Place that section (if it’s relevant for you to have at all) toward the end of the document. Similarly, the professional summary is a display case of your best skills. Use it to capture the attention of a recruiter by placing it at the top of your resume, just below your personal information. 

As for your personal information section, it is now common practice to omit your home address, and simply write the city and state you reside in. In the US job market, there is no photo or demographic information provided either.

How long should a resume be in 2024?

The length of your resume varies based on the level of your career. For example, for entry-level employees who are new to the workforce, a one-page resume is appropriate. For those who are entry-level in one industry, but have other relevant work experience from another industry, a two-page resume is appropriate. If you are using a modern resume style, it becomes easy to fill two pages. The categories you choose to include in your resume are up to you. You decide what parts you’d like to highlight and expand upon. 

The length of each entry varies chronologically as well. You want your most recent work experience to have the most information. This is because it’s likely the most relevant to the job you’re pursuing, and also having more achievements in your most recent work shows professional growth. 

As a rule of thumb, resumes should only include information from the last ten to fifteen years. This practice is due to maintaining relevance, and it can also protect you from age discrimination. If you have achievements from your deeper past that you’d like to include, create a section near the end of your resume titled “Additional Experience.” You can choose to include the year of the achievement or not. 

What’s the ideal resume style?

Also called a reverse-chronological resume, this format is the most commonly used, as it’s what most employers expect and is easily scanned by ATS software. Your work history is written in chronological order, where the first job listed is your current or most recent one, and you work back in time as you move through the list. 

The chronological resume is optimal for almost everyone. It can be a great tool for displaying promotions within one company and overall career growth. 

For academia, a curriculum vitae (CV) might be needed. This is a longer document that often includes publications and research projects. 

Additional tips

Here are a couple more tips to make your resume stand out from the rest in 2024. 

Employment gaps

At one point, there was an emphasis on making sure you had no employment gaps on your resume. The standard has changed and now it’s quite reasonable to have periods of unemployment. However, you can still make gaps less noticeable by modifying how you write the dates of your employment. Simply leave off the months, and only refer to the years you held a position. 

Remote work

Any experience working remotely should be highlighted on your resume. As the workforce continues to digitize, companies need employees with a proven track record of effective remote work. The transition from brick-and-mortar to an online workplace takes adjusting to, so if a candidate already has experience working remotely, it could give them a leg up in the hiring pool. 

Tailor your resume

Especially with the prolific use of the ATS, it’s crucial to tailor your resume to each job you pursue. Most professionals have many different versions of their resume. With each new resume, take the time to update it with keywords from each individual job posting. 

Need help building a resume? Check out our resume builder page!

Key takeaways

1. Stay updated with resume trends to give yourself a leg up in the hiring pool.

2. The applicant tracking system (ATS) has changed the game. Understanding how an ATS works is the key to landing a job. 

3. Be sure to tailor your resume to specific jobs and ensure your achievements are effectively highlighted.