How to Improve Your Resume in 8 Steps [+ Examples]

As a job seeker in today's market, putting your best foot forward matters now more than ever. And while you've probably crafted a good resume, 2025 begs for something more: Your resume needs to be exceptional.

Creating a resume that's clear, concise, and impactful enough to attract recruiters and engage hiring managers isn't just about listing your experience—it's about crafting a document that tells your professional story in a way that resonates with potential employers––and clearly positions you as the best candidate for the job.

But, like many job seekers, you might be left trying to figure out how to improve your resume in a way that actually makes a difference.

Fortunately, improving your resume is much easier than you might think—especially with the right tools and guidance.

In this article you'll learn why improving your resume actually matters, it's benefits, and how to improve your resume effectively step-by-step.

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Struggling to create a resume that stands out? Try Teal’s AI Resume Builder for free.

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Why should you improve your resume?

While many job seekers view their resume as a simple career history, it's actually a strategic tool that can dramatically influence your career trajectory.

Hiring managers often review hundreds of applications, the ability to present your qualifications effectively can mean the difference between advancing to an interview or remaining in the applicant pool.

A well-crafted resume does more than list your experience; it tells a compelling story about your professional journey and demonstrates your potential value to prospective employers.

By investing time in improving your resume, you're not just updating information—you're strengthening your position in the job market and increasing your chances of landing meaningful opportunities.

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Benefits of improving your resume

A strategically enhanced resume doesn't just look better—it works harder for you throughout your job search.

A well-optimized, improved resume can provide:

• Increased interviews from well-targeted applications
• Better visibility in applicant tracking systems (ATS)
• Stronger first impressions with hiring managers
• More confidence in your job search process
• Higher response rates from recruiters
• Clearer visibility into your professional experience and qualifications
• Better alignment with desired job opportunities

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How to improve your resume effectively

Here are 8 steps to improving your resume, so that you can position yourself as an ideal candidate, and make a great first impression on hiring managers.

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1. Tailor your resume to each job description

Tailoring your resume for each role you apply to is one of the most crucial steps in improving your job search success.

Every job description contains valuable insights about what employers are seeking in their ideal candidate—think of it as your blueprint for creating a compelling application.

While it might be tempting to use the same version of your resume for multiple applications, this approach often falls short.

Hiring managers can quickly identify generic resumes, and they're looking for candidates who demonstrate a clear understanding of their specific needs.

By thoughtfully tailoring your resume to each position, you show potential employers that you've not only read the job description carefully but also understand how your experience aligns with their requirements.

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To effectively tailor your resume:

• Analyze key requirements and qualifications listed in the posting
• Identify critical skills and experiences the employer emphasizes
• Match your expertise to their specific needs
• Include relevant keywords naturally throughout your resume

Pro tip: Use Teal's Job Description Keyword Finder to automatically extract the most important keywords from any job description, making resume customization quick and effective.

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2. Strengthen your professional summary

Your professional summary sets the tone for your entire resume. Your professional summary serves as the introduction to your qualifications and should grab the hiring managers attention.

A strong resume summary bridges the gap between your experience and the role's requirements, showing employers exactly how you fit into their organization.

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When crafting your summary, focus on:

• A clear statement of your expertise level and years of experience
• Key achievements that directly align with the target role
• Relevant skills and specializations that match the job requirements
• Industry-specific keywords that demonstrate your knowledge

For example: Instead of opening your professional summary with "Experienced marketing professional seeking new opportunities"

Try: "Digital Marketing Manager with 5 years of experience driving engagement through data-driven campaigns, resulting in 40% average growth in conversion rates and $2M+ in additional revenue"

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3. Quantify your achievements with metrics

As you build out your work experience section, replace any vague statements with concrete, quantifiable bullet points.

This approach not only makes your accomplishments more credible but also helps hiring managers better understand the scope and scale of your contributions.

Think about the key performance indicators (KPIs) in your current and previous roles.

What metrics were used to measure success? How did your work contribute to team or company goals? By incorporating these specific details, you create a more compelling narrative about your professional impact.

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Quantify your achievements by focusing on:

• Percentages of improvement or growth
• Dollar amounts saved or generated
• Time saved or efficiency gained
• Team sizes managed
• Project scopes and budgets
• Customer satisfaction scores

For example: Instead of writing "Responsible for improving team performance" as a bullet point‍

Try: "Led cross-functional team of 12, increasing productivity by 35% and reducing project delivery time by 20% through implementation of agile methodologies"

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4. Optimize your formatting for readability

The visual presentation of your resume is just as important as its content. Even the most impressive achievements can get lost in poor formatting.

Think of your resume's layout as a roadmap guiding the reader through your professional story—it should be intuitive, clean, and purposeful in its organization.

Hiring managers and recruiters often scan resumes in a matter of seconds before deciding whether to read more deeply.

Your formatting choices can dramatically impact this initial scan, either encouraging further reading or causing your resume to be overlooked.

The goal of a well-formatted resume is to create one that's both visually appealing and functionally efficient.

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Essential formatting elements include:

• Use consistent spacing and alignment throughout sections
• Create clear, distinctive section headers
• Implement strategic white space to improve readability
• Choose a professional, ATS-friendly font (like Arial or Calibri)
• Maintain consistent bullet point formatting and indentation
• Keep margins between 0.5 and 1 inch on all sides

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5. Incorporate relevant keywords strategically

Including relevant keywords is more than just sprinkling industry terms throughout your resume—it's about demonstrating your fluency in your field while ensuring your resume is well-aligned with what the hiring manager is looking for.

The key to including relevant keywords is to integrate them naturally and contextually, showing both human readers and the ATS that you're a qualified candidate.

Consider your resume's keywords as part of your professional vocabulary. They should flow naturally within your achievements and responsibilities, demonstrating not just that you know the terms, but that you've actually applied these skills in real-world situations.

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To include relevant keywords, focus on:

• Job-specific technical skills and competencies
• Industry-standard certifications and qualifications
• Tools and technologies mentioned in the job posting
• Methodologies and frameworks relevant to your field
• Soft skills emphasized in the role requirements
• Keywords in context within quantifiable achievements

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6. Remove unnecessary information

A powerful resume is often more about what you leave out than what you include. Every word should align with the requirements of the job description, while contributing to your professional narrative.

This doesn't mean creating an overly sparse document—rather, it's about ensuring every element serves a strategic purpose in showcasing your qualifications for the target role.

Think of your resume as prime real estate where space is at a premium. Each resume section should directly contribute to demonstrating your fit for the position you're targeting.

This focused approach not only makes your resume more impactful but also shows respect for the reader's time.

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As you review your resume, focus on removing:

• Outdated or irrelevant positions that don't support your current career goals
• Generic or obvious skills that don't differentiate you
• Personal information beyond basic contact details
• Lengthy job descriptions without concrete achievements
• Roles older than 10-15 years (unless highly relevant)
• Hobbies or interests unrelated to the position

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7. Enhance with action verbs

Including action verbs can strengthen your resume, by transforming passive descriptions into clear, and compelling statements of your capabilities.

Including action verbs immediately engage the reader and provide insight into you how you work.

Using the the right action verbs can elevate even general responsibilities into meaningful contributions. They signal to employers that you're not just an employee, but an active driver of results.

Each verb should be carefully chosen to accurately reflect your accomplishments.

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How to strengthen your resume with action verbs:

• Replace passive phrases like "responsible for" with dynamic verbs such as "spearheaded," "implemented," or "orchestrated"
• Use present tense verbs for current roles, past tense for previous positions
• Vary your verb choices to maintain reader interest and showcase different aspects of your capabilities
• Select verbs that match the level of responsibility and impact of each achievement
• Choose industry-appropriate terminology that reflects your professional level

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8. Proofread and refine

The final polish on your resume can make the difference between good and exceptional.

Thorough proofreading is about more than just catching typos—it's about ensuring every element of your resume works together cohesively to show your qualifications.

Take time to review your resume from multiple angles: as a hiring manager scanning quickly, as an ATS system processing the content, and as a colleague evaluating your qualifications.

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As you proofread, be sure to:

• Check for spelling and grammatical errors
• Ensure consistency in formatting across all sections
• Verify all metrics and achievements for accuracy
• Confirm contact information is current and correct
• Test readability by reading the content aloud
• Make sure your resume meets the target job requirements

Pro Tip: Use Teal's AI Resume Checker to streamline this process, and receive actionable insights that help ensure your resume meets professional standards while maintaining its impact.

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Improve your resume with Teal

Improving your resume isn't just about making surface-level changes—it's about strategically presenting your skills and qualifications in a way that resonates with potential employers and opens doors to new opportunities.

Your resume is a living document that should evolve with your career journey. Each application presents a new opportunity to refine, optimize and tailor your resume, ensuring your resume emphasizes your strengths and qualifications.

Save time and create a strong resume from the start, with Teal.

Teal's AI Resume Builder streamlines the entire resume creation process, helping you craft a professional, polished resume that stands out to hiring managers and beats applicant tracking systems.

With features like AI-powered bullet point generation, real-time formatting guidance, Job Description Match Scoring, and the AI Resume Checker, you can transform your resume from good to exceptional in minutes.

Ready to take your resume—and your job search—to the next level? Sign up for Teal today and access Teal's complete suite of career tools designed to help you land your next dream job faster.