When you edit your resume, it’s tempting to think the hard work is over. All of your work experience and accomplishments are down on paper, so proofreading should be a breeze, right?
In reality, resume editing deserves just as much (if not more) time and attention as resume writing. Careful editing means you not only catch pesky typos or errors but also adequately highlight your accomplishments, demonstrate your skills, align yourself with the job description, and stand out from the other job seekers and applicants.
Wondering how to go beyond light proofreading and learn how to edit a resume that lands interviews? This guide to editing your resume covers:
Reviewing your entire resume at once can feel overwhelming. When you understand the different sections, you can break your document into chunks and review them one at a time. In general, this means taking a close look at the following sections:
These make up the skeleton of any resume, but there are other parts of a resume candidates can include depending on their industry, career path, and experience level.
You might think that editing is an afterthought. It’s the step you rush through before hitting “submit.”
But carefully reviewing and polishing your resume isn’t a final, quick box to check in your job search. Ask any professional resume writer or editor, and they’ll tell you that editing isn’t a part of the process—it’s a process all on its own that warrants time, energy, and attention.
What to do before editing your resume
Pro Tip: With Teal's resume maker, you can attach your desired job posting and see the keywords you should use to tailor your resume to the job description.
After gathering your professional materials, you’re ready to proofread and polish your resume to make it as compelling as possible. Here’s how to edit each section of your resume:
Your name and contact information go at the top of the page in your resume header. It’s an easy section to overlook (because it’s so short and straightforward). But as you edit:
While it might seem strange to include a job title on your resume, this can grab the attention of the hiring manager and immediately present you as a qualified fit.
Keep in mind that your resume title doesn’t have to be the title you held at your last job. You can adjust it to something that’s representative of your experience but is also a better match for the job you’re applying for. As you work on this:
When it comes to writing your resume, this is one of the most daunting sections. It feels like you need to condense all of your skills, past positions, and achievements into one short, punchy paragraph. Here’s how to make your professional summary section even stronger:
A large portion of your resume is dedicated to your past jobs. As you edit, your goal isn’t just to share what you did in those previous roles but also to showcase how it’s relevant to the position you’re applying for. As you work on your work experience section:
Your skills section is like your highlight reel. It’s where you list the competencies that you’ll bring to that position. To give this short section maximum impact:
If you think of your education section as the place where you list your degree, then it’ll likely stay stagnant. But if you treat it as a spot where you can share all of the relevant things you’re learning in your career, it requires a little more attention. To give your education section a boost:
Take some time to work through those checklists as you review each section of your resume. If you want to dig even deeper, check out this comprehensive guide for more in-depth tips on resume editing.
Professional resume editors know editing isn’t all about words. You also need to dedicate some focus to formatting and perfecting the visual appearance of your document so it’s clean, polished, and easy for recruiters to read.
This starts by paying close attention to your resume organization, meaning the order of your sections. There isn’t one “right” order for your resume. Instead, your goal is to put the most pertinent information toward the top so it’s unmissable and positions you as the best applicant for the opportunity.
For example, if the posting lists a specific degree type as a prerequisite for the position, you could move your education section closer to the top. Or, if you’re an entry-level employee without any formal work experience, you might put your skills section before your professional history.
In short, playing with the order is a solid way to demonstrate relevance without actually adjusting any of the content on your resume. Teal's Resume Builder makes this painless. You can click and drag your sections to automatically reorder them on your document.
Beyond adjusting the order, there are a few other design tips to keep in mind as you enhance and edit your resume layout:
These are also simple to do within Teal's resume creator. In the “design” menu, choose from four different resume templates to instantly adjust your document’s appearance. Regardless of which resume template you select, you can also customize your font, accent color, and margins using easy dropdown menus.
What about the logistics involved in editing your resume? That will depend on your file format and what tools you used to create your resume in the first place. Editing a resume in a word processor like Microsoft Word is different from editing one in a design program like Canva, for example.
Here’s a quick look at some of the most popular design and word-processing programs and how to edit accordingly:
Editing your resume in Google Docs is comparable to Microsoft Word, as both are popular word processors.
In general, it’s best to avoid using Canva for creating your resume. While it’s a powerful program, the results aren’t always friendly to applicant tracking systems (ATS). That’s because an ATS can’t read icons or design elements. Designs can be too complex and cluttered, and the process of editing and updating quickly becomes cumbersome.
However, if you do need to edit your resume in Canva, here’s how:
LinkedIn is like a digital version of your resume, but it’s not the same as a resume. That said, it can be a big help when creating your first draft. If you need to add or change your information, you can update any section of your LinkedIn profile by selecting the pencil icon.
Pro Tip: With Teal, you can import your LinkedIn profile to get your resume started and revise from there.
Teal’s editor lets you drag and drop to reorder sections and even hide information if you’d prefer not to show on certain versions of your resume.
You can edit your Teal resume three ways:
1. Select the pencil icon next to any section of text to manually revise any text-based information on your resume.
2. Select the magic wand icon (next to the pencil icon) to use AI to rewrite sections of your resume.
3. Navigate to Design Mode (select “Design” in the top menu) to access more editing tools including:
While you can edit a Google Doc resume on a mobile device using the Docs app, or a PDF using the Adobe Acrobat app, stick with a computer instead. Your phone has a smaller screen which makes it harder to fill in details, adjust your formatting, and add the necessary polish. It’s likely you’ll create more mistakes than you fix.
The process will feel a lot less stressful on a desktop or laptop. But with that said, it’s worth taking a look at how your resume comes across on mobile to make sure the content isn’t jumbled—just in case a recruiter reviews it that way.
Pro Tip: You can edit any resume format—whether it’s a .doc, PDF, or your LinkedIn profile—by uploading it to Teal's Resume Builder and then save and name each version. It’s easy to find the exact resume you need, without wasting time searching or re-updating.
Your resume isn’t something you need just once. When the average person holds 12 different jobs in their lifetime, it’s safe to assume you’ll be involved in a job search several times throughout your career.
That’s why it’s so beneficial to commit to regularly updating your resume. When you’re ready to look for a new job, you only need to knock the dust off—rather than adding years of history.
Updating your resume will involve all of the typical tailoring and editing steps outlined above. However, you’ll also need to:
To stay on top of your resume, set a date on your calendar for every six months to a year to comb through your information and make any necessary updates. Doing so means, if and when you’re ready to hunt for a new position, your resume will only be one year old at most.
Remember this: your resume is only as good as your editing. The editing process isn’t an afterthought or formality to rush through—it’s a crucial step that helps you catch any mistakes and present yourself as the best fit for the jobs you want most.
Fortunately, you don’t need to tackle editing on your own. Teal's versatile resume maker will make it easy to polish your design, refine your content, re-order your sections, and keep track of all of the different versions of your resume so you can always find what you need.
Ready to create and edit your best resume? Sign up for Teal's Free Resume Builder today.
