Career Architect: “When was the last time you updated your resume?”
Client: “Ummmm, I can’t even remember!”
That’s a red flag. It means that the service would not be as simple as re-writing your duties and responsibilities to match the competencies of the vacancy. A consultation would definitely be needed to get a better understanding of any roles you had since your last update, how you added value and of course quantifying that value.
You can’t predict the future so you’d never know when a new fantastic job opportunity may present itself. You don’t have to update your resume every month, or every time you get a new duty but there are key times you should make an effort to at least jot down new information. It doesn’t have to be perfectly written, it just needs to exist somewhere outside of your head!
After you achieve a major certification, completed a degree program/course or mastered a new skill
So you’ve just attained your PMP (Project Management Professional) Certification? Fantastic! Please add it to your resume before you forget. And yes, you need to include the year of achievement. Nothing’s worse than seeing a list of certification or qualifications without dates. Is the recruiter supposed to guess when you completed your degree? Newsflash! Nobody has time for that!
Skills strengthen your resume. It’s not about just listing them, but rather showing how you’ve attained that level of competence. Always, remember, “Show, don’t tell.” Adding this information to your resume as soon as it happens ensures that you don’t forget the juicy bits!
After you get a promotion/start a new job.
Congratulations on advancing your career! Now please take a moment to go add your new role resume. You will need the job title, the date of your promotion and of course your new duties and responsibilities.
After you’ve completed a major project.
Boom! You just saved your company 2.5 million dollars by revising preventative maintenance activities. You’re doing amazing work. It needs to be included on your resume/CV while the details are still fresh in your mind.
Updating you resume after these career events guarantees that you’ll be ready to apply for any opportunity that comes your way. As always Tales From HR is here to finesse the formatting, grammar, matching of duties and achievements to competencies and so much more. However, we can’t finesse if you can’t remember the details. Make it your priority to keep track of your career. Make yourself a priority.
Think about it, is it time for an update?
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