For anyone actively looking for work right now, here are five practical resume tips worth keeping close at hand throughout the entire search, from first draft to final submission.

Love them or hate them, resumes remain firmly in use across the recruitment process, so it is worth remembering their actual purpose: getting you to the next stage, most likely an interview, and nothing more grandiose than that. It is not a biography, and it is not marketing material, so treat it accordingly and keep it tightly focused throughout.

Secondly, make sure the document contains information that genuinely helps a reviewer objectively assess your application. At the same time, protect your own privacy by leaving out details like your home address or marital status, which add nothing to that assessment.

Third, check, recheck and then check again for mistakes and typos before you send it anywhere. Having someone else review it with a fresh pair of eyes is invaluable here, since there is nothing more damaging than claiming strong attention to detail on a resume that itself contains an obvious, avoidable error.

Fourth, from plenty of personal experience, it is remarkably easy to convince yourself you can do a job the moment you see an appealing ad. Push past that instinct and critically assess whether you are genuinely among the best, or potentially the best, candidates for that specific position, to avoid unnecessary and avoidable rejections along the way.

Finally, remote or hybrid work arrangements are no longer a perk or a special privilege, and a requirement to be in the office is not a punishment either. Make sure you have a clear, candid, transparent conversation with any prospective employer to properly understand the real world working arrangements moving forward, rather than assuming or guessing based on the job title alone.