4 Resume Fixes That Actually Work

Resumes aren’t meant to be a career autobiography. They’re marketing documents. That means your goal isn’t to show everything you’ve ever done, but to highlight the right details that prove you’re qualified for the job you want.

If your resume feels too long, too vague, or too focused on tasks instead of impact, you’re not alone. Here are 4 practical fixes that can make your resume clearer, stronger, and more effective.

1. Keep Older Roles Lean

Recruiters don’t need every detail of a job you did 8 or 10 years ago, especially if it’s not relevant to your next move. What they do want to see is continuity. List the company, role, and dates to show a consistent work history, then keep the description short. One or two bullets highlighting a transferable skill or broad responsibility is enough. You can also create a “Previous Experience” section where older roles are summarized with just a title and employer.

2. Focus on Real Priorities, Not Buzzwords

Job postings are often a vague, bloated list of every skill imaginable. Trying to hit all of them just leads to a resume full of fluff. The key is focusing on the top three to five responsibilities. These are usually the real priorities of the role. Align your bullets with those. Use examples that show scope and outcomes, like budgets you managed, teams you led, or processes you improved. Recruiters don’t care if you mirror every buzzword. They care if your resume makes it clear you can handle the core parts of the job.

3. Frame Yourself as a Leader

If your resume only lists tasks, it’ll read junior no matter how much responsibility you had. Senior-level resumes need to emphasize ownership, strategy, and impact at scale. That means reframing bullets. Don’t just say you “led meetings.” Explain what those meetings achieved. Don’t just say you “managed a team.” Show how many people, what levels, and the outcomes. Context matters. Frame your resume to match the level you’re aiming for, not just the tasks you’ve done. That’s what signals seniority.

4. Highlight Relevant Experience First

Your work history has to be chronological, but your most recent job doesn’t have to dominate if it’s not the best match. The key is to control the order of information inside each role. If your current job isn’t the strongest fit, keep that section lean. Your summary can also connect the dots by highlighting the most relevant experience, even if it’s not from the most recent job. Recruiters care about fit, not just chronology.

Hiring season’s here, which makes this the perfect time to put these strategies into practice.

And if you’d like help optimizing your resume, LinkedIn, or job search approach, Karpiak Consulting offers resume and LinkedIn reviews, edits, and coaching on job search and interview prep.