A well written resume can be your entrance into a new and exciting career. If you haven’t touched your resume in six months or longer, it’s time to brighten it up for 2015. Why? Ask yourself this, “Am I the same person I was when this resume was written?” Your answer is most likely “no.” You’ve changed, so shouldn’t your resume change too? Even if you are not looking for a new position, an updated, fresh resume is beneficial to you.
Reasons to rev up your resume include:
- Preparedness for any situation – job layoffs, company mergers, promotions, or a request from another company that is hiring.
- New skills and accomplishments – chances are that you have enhanced your skills through additional training, education, or noteworthy projects.
- Additional technical experience – often forgotten technical skills are always changing and moving to new levels. These skills are important to many positions and deserve scrutiny and placement on your resume.
- Outdated phrasing, keywords, or formatting – resume formats change often so revisiting and editing them to stay current is important.
- Old or less relevant information – you may have replaced skills with new ones or your early career experience is no longer relevant in your current situation. Don’t be afraid to take it out. You want your resume to be something that a hiring manager will read, not a cumbersome document that is unwieldy.
Whether you are a job seeker or just want to be prepared for the unexpected, updating your resume can be a valuable tool for you to access your accomplishments and set goals for the future. Reviewing your accomplishments can give you a boost in your confidence. Identifying developmental areas will provide you with the opportunity to improve and become a stronger candidate for new positions. Don’t be one of those people who think that doing a resume one time is all you need.
