How you can improve your resume with the Microsoft Word resume assistant
By using LinkedIn, Word’s resume assistant can help you freshen up your resume and come a step closer to achieving your dream job.
Image: Getty Images / iStockphoto
You try to refine your resume and you want help. With LinkedIn and Microsoft Word via Office 365 you can use an option called Resume Assistant. With the Word Resume Assistant function you enter a keyword or term to describe your profession and view sample CVs. You can also view the top skills for your profession, view LinkedIn articles with resume tips, and view a list of job openings to find out what employers are looking for from people in your profession.
Microsoft started rolling out the LinkedIn-driven CV assistant in early 2018, following the acquisition of the professional network site in 2016. To gain access to the assistant you need a LinkedIn account and an Office 365 subscription.
FIND OUT MORE: Office 365 Consumer prices and functions
Start Microsoft Word on your computer and open your resume. Click the Review tab and then the CV Assistant icon. The CV assistant is opened in the right-hand pane. Type your profession in the role field and select the corresponding term from the LinkedIn list (Figure A). If you want, you can add the name of an industry in the Industry field.
Figure A
In response, the resume assistant will show excerpts from LinkedIn profiles that match your role and industry. View the different profiles; Click the Read More link to see more of a specific profile. If you want to find more profiles, scroll down and click on the link to view more examples. The goal is to see how other people in your profession describe their skills and achievements, so that youFigure B).
Figure B
The following section on the Resume Assistant screen shows the top skills for your profession. Check which one you own and determine whether you want to include it in your CV. The Resume Assistant provides links to articles designed to help you write your resume. Click on the link to read an article (Figure C).
Figure C
In the following section, additional language refinements for CVs are read to make your writing more precise and professional. If you turn on the switch for this option and click the Check Document icon on the rating ribbon, Word will check your resume for clarity, conciseness, vocabulary and other characteristics (Figure D).
Figure D
The assistant offers various vacancies that suit your profession. You can view the vacancies if you are looking for work. If this is not the case, you should still read the messages to discover the skills, background and experience employers are looking for in your profession. Click on the link to view Job on LinkedIn to view the full message (Figure E). To view other vacancies, click on the View more vacancies link on LinkedIn.
Figure E
SEE: 19 words that do not belong in your CV (TechRepublic download)
If you are actively looking for a job or job opportunity, click on the link below to get started on LinkedIn. This will take you to a LinkedIn page where you can change your profile to tell recruiters that you are open to opportunities (Figure F).
Figure F
Disclosure of affiliated parties: When you click through from our site or one of our downloads to a retailer or seller and purchase a product or service, we can earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but it doesn’t affect what we cover or how, and it doesn’t affect the price you pay.
Weekly newsletter from Microsoft
Be Microsoft’s insider for your business with the help of these Windows and Office tutorials and the analyzes of our experts on Microsoft business products.
Delivered on Monday and Wednesday
Register today
