What A Resume Looks Like In 2025
7 Warning Signs Your Resume Is Stuck In The ‘90s
Boxy blazers, wide-leg jeans and chunky sneakers are all making a nostalgic comeback from the 1990s. But what isn’t making the cut? The '90s resume. While your closet may welcome the throwback, your resume demands a refresh. That means ditching the dated objective statement and laundry lists of duties in favor of a modern resume that showcases your impact, leadership and brand you.
Scrap the outdated resume advice that doesn’t serve. Get up close and personal with a modern resume in 2025. Download your free Director Resume Toolkit, including a customizable resume template and Director-level resume example.
Contact Information In Your Resume - Maximalist Versus Minimalist
Listing your contact details is a must no matter the decade. The purpose of a resume has always been to initiate a conversation for your career. So, make it easy for the employer to get a hold of you by supplying the right information in the right spot.
1990
Full name, mailing address and home phone number were essential for the file. There wasn’t much worry about bias since MapQuest wasn't even a thing until the late 90s, let alone Google Maps. Email did exist, but most didn’t have one until AOL made its appearance mid-decade.
2025
Now, it is imperative to have your email, cell phone number and city, state and zip code under your name at the start of the file. Also, include your LinkedIn profile URL. Customize it (free) and consider your LinkedIn profile the perfect complement to your resume. Candidates who listed their LinkedIn URL (that led to a robust profile) on their resume were 71% more likely to land an interview than those who didn’t, according to a 2019 ResumeGo study.
Make A Statement On Your Resume - Objective Versus Branding
A statement in the top third of the document makes the cut no matter what year it is. However, it’s evolved from a me-focus summary to an employer-centric value proposition.
1990
Objective statements were the initial salutation of a resume. It started with classic phrases like, “I am seeking…” or “My passion is…” It was a summary of your career goals and what job you wanted next. Tom Peters didn’t introduce the concept of personal branding or “the brand called you” until 1997.
2025
A modern resume leads with a personal branding statement showcasing your prized skills, talents and expertise to give employers a complete picture of everything you offer. It’s a short 3-5 sentence statement that showcases your unique promise of value. Essentially, the statement is about you, but not for you. The statement succinctly shares what sets you apart from the pack, the value you bring to the table and how you solve those sticky problems that the employer just can’t seem to remedy. If personal branding is foreign to you check out this article and to get more acquainted and why it matters for your career.
The Look of A Resume - Monochromatic Versus Color
A resume must look, feel and deliver professionalism. It’s a tale as old as time. Double check if your file is trending now or ‘90s.
1990
There wasn’t much variation from the classic black-and-white resume unless you were Elle Woods (and she was an early aughts job seeker). Your file was printed and delivered by hand, mail or faxed to an employer. Color didn’t translate over fax and high-quality color printing was a pretty penny.
2025
User experience is in and black and white is out. Since resumes aren’t printed anymore, it’s all about maximizing the on-screen reading experience with appropriate color choice, strategic white space and design elements (shading, bold and borders) that boss the reader’s eye to the most important parts of your career story. Smart color and design choices should enhance your content, not detract from it. Read Color Me Convinced: 5 Resume Branding Tips to Dye for to Land Ideal Work on how to do it well.
Work Experience on Your Resume - Duties Versus Impact
Your experience section is the heart of your document. It always has been. Outlining the companies you worked for, the roles you held and dates of employment within a uniform format is forever the best practice.
1990
Chronological work history won the day. Think nuts and bolts of your employment history with a focus on job duties within your bullet points.
2025
Your duties, level of authority and responsibilities have a place in the modern resume within a short role summary. But bullet points? They’re for impact, wins and unique contributions. A good bullet point addresses the challenge you faced, the strategy undertaken and the result. Most importantly, today’s bullet points lead with those results. For help teasing out your impact, read Steer Your Career: Accelerate Resume Success with the C.A.R. Method.
Word of Mouth In Your Resume - References Versus Social Proof
Hiring managers want to confirm you are who you say you are. They want a 3D view of your candidacy to leap off the page (ahem screen). Give the people what they want without dating yourself.
1990
Listing someone who could vouch for your skills and work was the norm. It was typical to list professional contacts (with contact information) or state ‘References Upon Request’ at the end of your document.
2025
Hinting at any sort of reference on your resume is a sure way to date your file (and candidacy). But recruiters and hiring managers still want a 360 view of who you are. Including quotes from peers or superiors is a great way to infuse social proof within your document. With that said, select a quote that emphasizes the story you want to tell and the skills that differentiate you. Include quotes within your content or as a graphic (or text box) next to your experience. Hint: Mine your performance reviews or LinkedIn recommendations for these golden nuggets.
Resume Readership - Human Versus ATS/Human Hybrid
Computers became a household item in the late ‘90s. It was ludicrous to think resumes were read by anything but humans. Oh, times have changed!
1990
Resumes were crafted for the human reader. It was a career biography with a straightforward format anchored by blocks of text. Tailoring your file for each job application wasn’t a thing.
2025
Humans read resumes, digital file cabinets (aka Applicant Tracking Systems) store them. Candidates are expected to connect the dots of their experience to the job at hand. The onus is on the candidate to not only link their candidacy with an employer’s needs but do it with digital finesse.
Submission of Your Resume - By Hand Versus Click Send
Your resume indicates interest. No change there. But it’s delivery? Definitely.
1990
Resumes were mailed, faxed or handed out in person. No ‘Easy Apply’ button. Hardly any digital delivery. Your biggest question mark was which heavy-weight paper to print it on.
2025
Email is the only kind of mail happening in the modern job search. And if you aren’t hitting send via email, you’re applying on a company webpage or job board. With that said, this is one area you may want to take a page out of the ‘90s job search playbook having more strategic conversations than online applications.
So yes, we’ll take the claw clips, the cargo pants and the high-volume hair, but the ‘90s resume? That can stay in the dusty filing cabinet where it belongs. Because today’s resume isn’t just a list of what you did, it’s a spotlight on how you lead, grow and show up. Think less fax machine, more personal brand machine. And just like your career, it should be bold, modern and anything but basic. Need a guide to get you there? Snag your free Director Resume Toolkit here.