It seems the job search rollercoaster (and struggle) of 2025 hasn’t come to an end just yet.
As an Executive Resume Writer, I can attest to having observed a small silver lining. . .
The same things you must do to stand out when everyone is “testing the waters” work when job hunting in a tight labor market.
Whether actively looking or preparing just in case things go south, I’ve outlined 3 ways to upgrade your resume in 2026.
#1 Be Targeted, Not Generic
I frequently hear job seekers say they don’t want to limit themselves and ask for a resume that can be used for a variety of roles.
The desire to avoid getting pigeonholed is understandable but can lead to unintended consequences. The problem with writing a generic resume is that its impact gets diluted, making the reader hard-pressed to determine how you’re a good fit for a specific role.
While it’s great to be a jack-of-all-trades, and most people appreciate having one on their team, it’s rare that a job posting calls for someone with these skills.
I recommend making sure it contains the 4 items listed below.
Headline
By modifying your resume’s headline based on the roles for which you are applying, the reader can quickly determine that you are targeting a specific role.
For instance, if you are applying for a pharmaceutical sales manager role, make sure your headline reads “Pharmaceutical Sales Manager.”
Keyword and Key Phrase-Rich Summary Paragraph
Go to the job posting and look for key phrasing and terms unique to a role. Skip phrasing like “great multi-tasker” or “excellent communications” as these apply to all roles.
If qualifications are clearly critical to this role and you possess them – make sure your summary paragraph says so and backs it up with a few nuggets of information specific to your career.
For instance, if the pharma sales role asks for someone who can grow territories, make sure yours reads something like “grew sales territory 30% in two years.”
On-Point Headers
Swap generic headers like “Experience” or “Career Overview” for headers that reinforce the role you’re targeting.
Sticking with the pharma sales example, yours might read “Pharmaceutical Leadership Experience.”
Ranked Bullets
Move your job description bullets up or down based on the opportunity. Make sure the accomplishment that is most impactful and relevant to the role you’re targeting appears at the top.
#2 Connect the Dots
“At first glance, my career looks scattered.” Sound familiar?
For those of us (present company included) who have held roles that, on the surface, seem unrelated, have worked across industries or whose job titles are misleading or confusing, writing a cohesive resume can be daunting.
Here are a few strategies I employ to connect the dots, so you can rest assured readers will not be left wondering or confused.
When Roles Seem Unrelated
Whether to explore a new opportunity or because circumstances dictated it, many of us have career stories that feel disjointed. At first glance, the roles appear utterly unrelated. By looking a bit deeper, however, common themes emerge.
Here’s an example from my own career:
As a social worker, in addition to managing a patient load, I wrote the company newsletter and the employee training guide. I also worked with people spanning all walks of life.
As a communications manager, I oversaw staff representing all walks of life who wrote newsletters, crafted scripts, etc. (p.s., I wrote resumes in my spare time along the way).
Today, my resume highlights both my writing and people collaboration skills. In addition to aligning with my job target, this approach highlights commonalities between the jobs and shows my experiences were, in fact, similar.
When Job Titles Seem Unrelated
While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, the truth is, impressions sometimes get made when reviewing career titles.
The challenge for many is that titles differ from company to company and sometimes don’t immediately explain what you do.
My advice? Tweak the title for clarity. Here’s an example: I recently worked with a senior loan officer who wanted to transition to sales. His role was essentially a sales job, but the title didn’t reflect it.
Here’s what I did to accurately describe the role without creating a new title.
Original Job Title: Senior Loan Officer
vs.
Revised Job Title: Senior Sales/Loan Officer OR Senior Loan (Sales) Officer
When Industries Seem Unrelated
Some worry a history of industry jumping will be misinterpreted as a lack of industry expertise.
My recommendation? Mitigate this concern by turning it into an advantage.
Include language in your summary/branding paragraph at the top stating that your skills have been successful across diverse industries.
Even better, feature a list that shows your industry expertise. Here’s what it may look like:
Industry Expertise: CPG | Healthcare | Financial Services
#3 Get your Documents Ready for their Screen Debut
While resumes still get printed out, this usually doesn’t happen until further along in job search, which means early screenings occur on some sort of screen (laptop to mobile).
While resumes designed for the screen are easily readable in print, the reverse isn’t the case. Resumes written for print reads don’t convey well on the screen and are even tougher on smaller mobile screens.
The below 2 writing techniques help ensure your resume can be skimmed in print AND online, regardless of screen size.
Bullets v. Blocks
Digital readers have a hard time digesting large or dense blocks of text, a challenge that worsens as screen size decreases.
Replace paragraphs with 1- to 3-line bullets that highlight your achievements.
Front-Loaded Bullets
Skip the adjectives, qualifiers and lead-ins. Make sure each bullet leads with the achievement, so it’s the first thing the reader sees.
PRO TIP: Be sure each bullet leads with the outcome, explains your contributions and contains context — so the reader fully understands your impact.
Here’s an example:
Original: Analyzed CRM data used to grow revenues by 20% in 2022.
vs.
Front-Loaded: Grew revenues 20% in 12 months, reversing 2 years of sales decline, by analyzing CRM data to uncover an untapped market niche.
Be Ready to Hit the Ground Running
Job hunting in today’s market requires job seekers to have a resume on hand that clearly shows the role they’re pursuing, articulates how they’re ideally suited for it and contains achievements that are easy to read and contain context.
The techniques shared above can ensure yours is targeted, connects the dots and can be read in print and on screens big and small.
Book NOW for your free resume consult.
VAFrancoResumes@gmail.com | www.virginiafrancoresumes.com
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